Your key to Thrifting Success in Louisville
Where to find the best thrifting in Louisville (or nearby)
Picture it. Saturday morning, you’re up at the crack of dawn.. because, when you’re a mom, Saturday isn’t really any different than m-f. You ask yourself, “How am I going to entertain my child all day?” You forgot to sign your kid up for a spot at a local indoor play space and you really don’t want them sitting in front of the tv or tablet all day.. you look at the calendar, “Do I have any birthday Saturday parties?” Me personally? Love any social event that includes cake. But upon further investigation, you have nothing to do on your Saturday……
Now, before I make this suggestion, ask yourself, “When was the last time I planned a day around the things I enjoy doing?” (Spoiler alert I bet it wasn’t yesterday…). My suggestion…….. I want you to wake up Saturday morning, get your kid ready, pack them in your car, leave the house by 10am and hit up as many thrift stores as you can.
Now before you say, “buuuut… {insert whatever you’re going to say about your kid not wanting to do this}” stay cool mama, I got you. My mom taught me that motherhood doesn’t have to exclusively be built around events and things that only the kid is going to enjoy….Because we’ve all been in situations where we find ourselves doing something we think is going to be so fun for our kid, but we aren’t into it… and if we aren’t into it, guess what? … If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. So, things that make me happy on a Saturday, in order of how I enjoy them; listening to my perfectly curated SAVAGE playlist, buying my favorite caffeinated beverage, scooping my favorite hashbrown from whatever fast food spot has the shortest line and thrifting… with my two year old daughter in tow.
Before I proceed to tell you what I think is the best thrifting in Louisville, let me preface this by saying I have had my daughter in a shopping cart since she could sit on her own. I had her folded into my weekends from day one. I am a full-time teacher and I work to play… and pay bills {but that’s not my area of expertise}.
Ok, so.. I’m not one to toot my own horn about anything, really. But if you know me, you know I pride myself on my thrifting skills. I’m not sure if thrifting can be considered a hobby, but I’m definitely a thrifter enthusiast and spend most (if not all) Saturdays and/or Sundays hitting up thrift stores… and you may be able to catch me shopping on a Monday afternoon, after a particularly long day at work that will only be forgotten with endorphins from the thrill of the thrift.
Whether you’re an east end mama, south side mama or a centrally located mama, there are thrift stores in all parts of town. The best thrifting in Louisville! I have what I call my, “routes.” These are thrifts in the same general area. I’m sharing my best tips and my best thrifts below. Oh, and before you continue, go ahead and get your calendar out and block off 2-4 hours on your next free Saturday and title it; “THRILL OF THE THRIFT ME TIME”
THRIFT TIPS WITH LIS
On a good day we survive thrifting for 1-2 hours. I pack our backpack up with our favorite snack/drink, I scoop my essentials (see above) and we head to our favorite place/s. Once there, we talk about what we are looking forward to finding. My mom always made thrifting a treasure hunt with us. We started our “collections” at an early age. My little currently doesn’t have a collection, but loves things (act surprised). So when we walk in, since she’s gotten bigger, I give her the option of the “big part or little part” of the cart…. Not shocking, she will choose the big part of the cart (eye roll). This is actually where we have faced most of our issues as of late, because I only let her stay in the big part if she sits down. I digress.
We hit the books first. If they entertain her long enough we bypass toys [for now], but if she’s too stoked for toys, that is our next stop. We go down the toy aisle and she points to things she wants to see. I place 1-2 things in with her and then store an extra toy in the bottom of the cart where she can’t see. Once she has a toy that she is interested in, I hit the section where I am looking for things and essentially shop, as efficiently as I can.
If she grows bored of her first toy … that’s what the other toy is for on the bottom of the cart. Grab that bad boy out and proceed with your endorphin download. We do not leave the store with toys every shopping trip. I do often leave with books, because we love books and they are cheap and if she is rough on them, it’s ok.
Please note, this isn’t fool-proof [kids be kidding], but it’s what we have done and so far, it has worked for us. There is no perfect way to enjoy your day, but my challenge to you would be to do things that bring you joy. It might look different than it did before kids and that’s ok… do it even if it feels hard, do it even if you are nervous, do it imperfectly. But just note, you should do it caffeinated.. Always do it caffeinated.
MY TOP THRIFTS – Best thrifting in Louisville
I am a centrally located mama and live near the Taylorsville Rd exit off the Watterson. So, my directions are going to be based on that being the starting point.
East
✨Goodwill 4950 West U.S. Highway #42, Louisville, KY 40222– This is the best Goodwill in the city. They have a great selection of everything. Prepare to walk out with more than what is on your ISO list.
✨ Hikes Point Goodwill 4109 Taylorsville Rd, Louisville, KY 40220 – Great plus size clothes and toddler + clothes. I also always like their book and toy section
✨Goodwill 133 S Hurstbourne Pkwy, Louisville, KY 40222– They always have a great selection of everything. This is probably my favorite Goodwill store.
✨ St. Matthew’s Goodwill 4425 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40207– They have a large variety of sizes in women’s clothing. The selection is always top tier. I have also found great kids shoes here.
✨ St. Vincent De Paul 10280 Shelbyville Road– They have a great kids books section! They also have a variety of wares at good prices.
South
✨Goodwill Last Chance Outlet 6201 Preston Hwy Ste B, Louisville, KY 40219– Please note, this is not for the amateur thrifter. This is not a place where things are nicely organized (even though the website says it is). These are clothes that have been cycled through the retail stores that have not sold. If you’re looking for steals and deals and have time on your hands, this is the spot. Items are sold as is and by the pound. The experience is WILD…
✨ Mt. Washington Goodwill 337 Oakbrooke Dr Ste 700, Mt Washington, KY 40047– They have great toddler + clothes, and a very large adult selection of clothes. Note, this is a great place to go and bank on a car nap on the way home.
