Thriftspiration is a series that puts a spotlight on readers who share their secondhand shopping tips and fun ways to style thrifted finds.

Thriftspiration, how to vintage shop

Name: Jacque Location: Lawrence, KansasWhen and why did you start thrift shopping? I started thrifting three years ago because I was a broke college student. I was inspired by ladies like yourself to shed the stigma of wearing "used clothes." Now, instead of spending money buying cheaply made clothing, I spend the time to find quality, sometimes even designer clothing, for a fraction of the price.What three words would you use to describe your style? Girly, girly, girly!How did you style your outfits? My style is actually pretty simple: Step 1. Grab something high waisted. Step 2. Tuck in your blouse. Step 3 {optional}. Wear a hat! I was once told that my style is repetitive, but it's my style and I'm sticking to it.

thrift shopping tips, looking fly on a dime and thrift shopping
"Patrice, I never find anything when I go thrifting!"
I can't tell you how many times I receive emails or tweets like this. And in spite of all of the thrift shopping posts I do {thrift shopping 101, thrift shopping commandments, etc.}, there's always someone who tells me they keep walking away empty handed. Of course I don't mind the emails, you guys can always contact me, but anytime I respond to problems like this, I tell the frustrated shopper they're most likely committing typical thrift shopper sins.
If you keep striking out while thrift shopping, you're probably doing one or all of the things below wrong.

Thrift collage
When you head out to your favorite thrift store, you're typically thinking of all the goodies you're going to score. But you should really take a few minutes to pack your purse with essential items that can ensure you'll have an optimal shopping experience.
They're all compact and take up just a teeny bit of space in your cross body bag, but they can affect everything from the way you try on clothes to how you lug your items around the store. Below are my five pics for items you should have in your thrift shopping arsenal. You might not need all five, but you certainly need a few...

vintage purses, vintage handbag

A few weeks ago was my last thrift shopping tour at the Goodwill Outlet and surprisingly, I walked away with just as many accessories as clothes. These weren't just any accessories, but there were a few vintage gems. And at $1.69 per pound, they were serious scores.I only found a handful of cute clothes, but it turns out the accessories were more valuable {when it comes to styling}.

how to thrift shop, looking fly on a dime thrift shopping

Last weekend I hosted my first Adventures in Thrifting thrift shopping tour of the season and it was a blast.While helping a few readers update their wardrobe and inject some serious color in their closet, I managed to snag a few pieces for myself from Goodwill and Salvation Army. *check back next week for my small thrift shopping haul*As I reached the register at Goodwill, I realized I didn't set a budget for myself. Though I spent less than 30 bucks, I could have done major damage. I committed a thrift shopping no-no.When thrift shopping, it's super important to have a concrete budget.