I have a love/hate relationship with Goodwill. I love the deals I can find, but I hate having to rummage through other people’s junk to find the hidden gems. So when I set out to write this article, and find some insider ways to save at Goodwill, I honestly wasn’t sure what I was going to discover. But I was VERY happily surprised with the shopping hacks that Goodwill employees gave me, some of which you won’t find anywhere else. Happy savings.

Look for Student, Military, and Senior Discounts

Sure, Goodwill is pretty cheap, but try not to pay full-price if you can avoid it by using one of these discounts.

The strange thing about these discounts is that I rarely see them posted in the store.

Instead, they make you ask about them and probably hope you won’t inquire and just pay the full asking price.

Student Discounts

One employee told me to ALWAYS ask about a student discount.

She said it does vary a little bit by Goodwill store as some locations have a 15% student discount good for every day while some offer a 25% discount only on Sundays.

She said all you need to do is flash a high school, college, or even a trade school I.D. card.

Military Discounts

Another discount that the vast majority of Goodwill stores offer is a military discount.

Some stores offer 25% off all donated items on Tuesdays and some offer the discount on Wednesdays.

I was told by Jenny at my local Goodwill that they’ll give the discount for both active military and veterans. All they ask for is a driver’s license or valid I.D. with the Veteran or Military designation on it.

Senior Discounts

Those 55 or older will also get 25% off senior discount at Goodwill.

The discount is typically early in the week, on either a Monday or a Tuesday, just ask about it.

You’ll just have to show your I.D. showing your age, kinda like getting carded at the bar when buying a beer.

Not all offer 25%, my local store only offers 10% to seniors, but they offer it every day of the week.

BONUS: Other discounts at Goodwill to ask about include those for teachers, nurses, and first responders.

Look For Mismarked Items and Negotiate

So full disclosure here…I sell stuff on eBay that I find at a discount at thrift stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army, garage sales, and stuff around the house that we don’t need anymore.

One of my favorite tips is to look for items that have the wrong price on them and ask an employee to reprice it.

So, for example, if Goodwill has 3 identical Pyrex bowls and two of them are priced at $9.99, and one is at $14.99, politely ask an employee if they can mark the more expensive bowl down to $9.99 and you’ll buy all 3.

I’ve had several thrift store employees happily do this for me and they usually tell me it’s not a big deal at all.

Also, if the price tag is completely missing, ask an employee to put a tag on it and grab the cheapest similar product as the “example price”.

Show the lower price to the employee and there’s a great chance they will put that price on the unmarked item so you can buy it on the cheap.

See Also: Tips to Learn How to Negotiate at Big-Box Stores and Not Feel Cheap

Look For a Coupon BUT Don’t Always Use It

Be sure to do a Google search for “Goodwill in YOUR TOWN” and hit up their website and sign-up for their emails and they’ll send you a monthly 20% off coupon on your $20+ purchase.

Doing some quick math, the coupon basically gets you a minimum $4 discount.

So if you’re only buying $15 or $16 worth of stuff, it’s worth it to grab another item to put you over $20 as it’ll be free.

BUT with all of that said…keep in mind that you cannot stack coupons or offers at Goodwill so only use it when you CAN’T take advantage of a 25% off discount like the student, military, or senior discount mentioned above.

Also, check out this Goodwill coupons page for updated offers including a 20% off coupon when you sign-up for their email newsletter.

Ask About Price Tag “Color Days”

Almost every Goodwill has a day of the week where they choose a certain colored price tag and sell it for 50% off the original price.

My Goodwill does it every Sunday.

They’ll pick a price tag color and let shoppers score even better deals on those items.

Ask about it at your local store because they usually don’t advertise it anywhere in the store, YOU GOTTA ASK.

At my store, the black tags are the more expensive items so whenever they offer “Black” discount Sunday I’m there EARLY to find the deals.

Shop in Affluent Neighborhoods or Smaller Towns

The best deal I ever got was at a Goodwill in Lake Tahoe, one of the richest areas in the country known for their winter sports.

About 10 years ago, I walked away with an almost-new Burton snowboard and boots for only $50. They would have cost me over $300 new at the time.

Affluent areas will always have better brands, typically in better condition, because many folks will just donate stuff rather than trying to sell it at a garage sale or on Facebook Marketplace.

These Goodwill locations are great for golf clubs, ski/snowboard stuff, name-brand purses, designer jeans, and like-new shoes. I literally could go on and on but I think you get the point.

Also, if you have the choice between a Goodwill downtown in a city, or in a smaller town, ALWAYS opt for the smaller town location.

The prices in cities will almost always be more expensive than at your Goodwill stores in smaller towns.

PRO TIP

When on vacation in an affluent area, always hit up the local Goodwill, you’re guaranteed to find some gems. This is especially true when in “Tourist” driven areas where outdoor sports are popular.

Don’t Ignore the Goodwill Return Policy

I was checking out recently at Goodwill and asked what their return policy was, figuring everything was probably final sale.

Tonya told me, “NO, definitely not final sale. Just bring it back and get a refund or store credit. Just make sure you have the price tag still on it and it hasn’t been like 2 years.”

So you might be wondering so what? It’s all used stuff, what’s the big deal.

Well, many folks, myself included, don’t want to try-on used clothing in-store. So bring it home, wash it, try it on, then reattach the price tag and return it if you don’t like it.

You can either put the price tag back on with a safety pin, or buy the tool that reattaches them for you for $10.

Know the Quality Brands If You’re a Reseller

If you’re a flipper, or considering reselling stuff on eBay, Goodwill provides some great opportunities, BUT ONLY if you know the brands and products that are easy to resell for a LARGE profit.

As someone who has dabbled in this, here are the BEST brands to look for, especially when it comes to clothing brands, housewares, and even electronics.

– Men’s Clothing Brands: Polo Ralph Lauren (Made in the USA), Howler Bros, Pendleton, Patagonia (especially vintage), Levi’s, Rock Revival jeans, True Religion jeans, Ariat jeans, Carhartt jackets, Rhoback, Arcteryx, CC Filson, Faherty, and Ben Silver.

– Women’s Clothing Brands: Alemais, Dale of Norway, Frank & Eileen, Nili Lotan, Veronica Beard, Doen, Rails, Love Shack Fancy, Moussy Vintage, Retrofete, St. John, AYR, Margaret Howell, and Issey Miyake.

– Kitchen and House Stuff: Pyrex, Lodge, All Clad, Le Creuset, Corelle, Duralex, Libby, vintage RevereWare, Tupperware, Heritage Rock, Pampered Chef, and Reidel crystal.

– Electronics: Anything classic Nintendo, PlayStation console, some Wii games, old controllers in good condition, Bose, Bose power cords, VCRs in good working condition.

Ask the Reader: Do you shop regularly at Goodwill? What’s your favorite tip to maximize your savings? Let me know in the comments.

By Kyle James

I’ve talked to many anti-Costco shoppers over the years who cite the receipt checking at the exit doors as one of the reasons they DO NOT like shopping at the warehouse club. Many say it makes them feel like a criminal shoplifter. But did you know that the checking of receipts has nothing to do with loss prevention? I have a friend who works at Costco and has done many shifts at the exit doors checking receipt, and I recently had the chance to ask her exactly what Costco trains their employees to do when a customer hands their receipt over. Here’s what I found out.

1. They’re Looking for Double Charges

My friend told me the #1 reason they eyeball your receipt is to look for double charges.

With a quick scan of the price column, they can see if any prices match up exactly and then investigate if you were charged twice.

She said this happens most often “when shoppers buy 3 or more of an item” as the cashier can get in hurry and easily scan an item one too many times.

So it has nothing to do with Costco thinking you’re a potential shoplifter, they actually check your receipt to make sure you aren’t overcharged.

LET’S PLAY DEVIL’S ADVOCATE

While Costco might not admit that one of the main reasons they check your receipt is to deter stealing, it’s clear that it is. You’d have to have Rain Man at every Costco exit in the U.S. to make sure customers weren’t being under or over charged. It’s definitely a bit of psychological game that Costco is playing by having an employee check receipts. There’s no doubt they’ve run the tests to determine that it helps with their bottom-line and makes shoplifters think twice about trying to pull a fast one.

2. They Make Sure You Got Everything You Paid For

There are some expensive items at Costco that employees have to go and retrieve for you when your checking out OR you have to go to customer service to get.

Items that jump to mind include Apple products, jewelry, gift cards, and some electronics.

With this said, sometimes these items DON’T end up in your cart as the cashier forgets to retrieve them or you forget to “fetch” them.

Enter the receipt checker at the exit doors.

They’re trained to make sure these items end up in your cart so you avoid a HUGE headache down the road when you get home and realize you didn’t leave with the product.

See Also: Costco Employees Tell Me the Best Day of the Week to Shop

3. They Only Count Items If You Have Less Than 15

In an effort to not hold up the exit line, my friend also told me that they’re instructed to only count the items in your cart if it’s less than 15.

This seems to be a suggestion, more than a rule, as the last time I was at Costco I had 14 items in my cart and the receipt checker definitely didn’t count them.

I’m guessing if the items are large they’re more likely to count everything as it’s easier and they’re not having to dig through your cart to find all the things on the receipt.

My friend told me that she tends to count stuff only if it’s less than 15 items.

If it’s more than that, she’ll pick 2-3 items on top, 1-2 items on the bottom, and verify that they’re in the cart.

She also said she’ll look for the most expensive item on the receipt and makes sure the correct number is in the cart.

4. “Bottom of Basket” Screw Ups Are a Thing

Amazingly, I had this “Bottom of Basket” screw up happen to me the last time I was at Costco and the picture of my receipt above is my evidence.

I was buying Kirkland dog food, had the 40 pound bag on the bottom of my cart, and the cashier accidentally scanned my bag twice.

I probably would have noticed later, but fortunately the receipt checker noticed it and saved me a trip back to Costco, or possibly saved me $34.49 if I had never noticed the double charge.

My friend told me that the receipt actually says at the bottom “Total BOB Item Count” so they can quickly check the bottom of your cart to verify the correct number of items.

She said this happens more often than you think, especially on crowded weekends when cashiers are super busy and sometimes scan things a little too quickly or miss things altogether.

See Also: Ever Wonder if Costco Delivers? Here’s How the Whole Thing Works

5. Costco REALLY Wants a Line Drawn Through Your Receipt

I was also told that Costco wants a line drawn through your receipt to keep scammers from scamming.

My friend told me that it would be fairly easy to come back into Costco and fill up your cart with the same exact items and try to walk out with the same receipt, especially on a busy Saturday afternoon.

The line drawn through the receipt keeps scammers from trying to pull it off.

See Also: Want to Work at Costco? Here Are ALL the Perks and Benefits

Bonus Tip: Can I Bypass the Receipt Checker?

No.

When you sign-up for your Costco membership you’re agreeing to let Costco check your receipt when exiting.

 Yes, somewhere in the boiler plate it stipulates that you have to let Costco check your receipt.

There actually was a case where a shopper tried to sneak through the exit doors, but ended up getting in an altercation with the receipt checker.

He pushed the receipt checker up against a wall, and during the melee that followed, ended up breaking his leg. Carma, anyone?

Ask the Reader: Has a Costco receipt checker ever found anything on your receipt that didn’t add up? Let me know in the comments.

By Kyle James

I’ve discovered in recent months that owning a home, especially an older home, can get really expensive quickly. Because of this, I’m always on the lookout for tips to save even more money at Lowe’s and The Home Depot. So I recently wandered into my local Lowe’s and started talking to employees in an effort to score some insider savings tips. I was impressed with what they told me and now I want to pass these tips along to you. I hope they help you save some cash.

1. Learn to Negotiate the Price on Damaged Items

As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of negotiating a better price at big-box stores, and that’s especially true at Lowe’s.

On a whim, I actually negotiated a price recently on a new washer and dryer.

They were both floor models that were for sale because it was the end of the season.

The dryer had a quarter-sized dent in the door.

I went up to an employee working the appliance section and started a conversation with him.

I told him I badly needed a new washer and dryer and pointed to the set I was interested in.

I then informed him of the dent and asked if he would take a 15% discount if I bought BOTH of them today.

Long story short, he went and got his manager’s approval and came back and offered me a 10% discount.

I jumped all over it and saved $110 just for asking.

3 Keys for Negotiating Success:

1. Look For Imperfections – Dents, scratches, paint missing, even damaged packaging or a box is a reason to ask for a deal at Lowe’s.

2. Bundle Items – They are much more likely to do this if you’re buying more than 1 thing. Consider bundling things like a washer and dryer or a refrigerator and a microwave. You’ll want at least one of the items to have an imperfection. If both items have something wrong with them then you can really ask for a deal.

3. Look For Returned Special Orders – When shopping for appliances, doors, windows, and flooring, ask about Special Orders that went unsold. I had an employee tell me that these items are an immediate write-off and shoppers can offer pennies on the dollar for them and Lowe’s will usually accept. If you’re fixing up a house, and not particular about specific styles, these make for a GREAT way to save a TON of money.

PRO TIP: PRICE REDUCTIONS ON APPLIANCES

Every 7-10 days, Lowe’s will markdown their already reduced appliances that are either display models, damaged, or repaired. You can flip the actual REDUCED clearance tag over and it will show you the date of when it first went on clearance, and how many times it has been marked down since. If you’re close to the 7 day point, wait another day or 2 and you’ll get if for 20-25% less.

See Also: Lowe’s Outlet Stores: Locations, Prices, and Selection

2. Find an Employee and Make an Offer

Piggybacking on the above tip, Lowe’s is notorious for making deals with customers on clearance items that they want out of the store.

Recently I was checking out some clearance items on an endcap in the paint department and an employee actually came up to me and said, “Anything catch your eye? Let me know as I have the authority to give you an even better deal if you buy several products.”

He said they just “want it ALL gone”. I was kind of blown away with his honesty.

So I picked out some painting accessories that I knew I would need and said, “How about 50% off all of this stuff?”

He said “sure” and wrote me a price adjustment form that I took to the checkout aisle.

I ended up with 7 items with a full-price of $90 and I got them all for only $18.

Bottomline, always find an employee and start making low ball offers on clearance items, you’ll be amazed with the results.

See Also: Read This Before You Rent Tools and Equipment at Lowe’s

3. Ask For a Quantity Discount at the Pro Desk

The same employee that gave me a discount on my washer and dryer also gave me the tip of going to the Lowe’s Pro Desk and asking for a quantity discount if I’m buying a lot of stuff.

For example, you might be fixing up a home and will be buying paint, flooring, appliances, kitchen cabinets, and maybe even windows, IN MANY CASES Lowe’s will give you a discount if you buy all this stuff from the Pro Desk.

So I wandered over to the Pro Desk and got the 411. You can actually a setup a Pro Account for free and I was told the discounts are in the 10-50% off range on thousands of eligible products.

The employee at the Pro Desk told me to always get a special price quote when buying at least $1,500 or more as they can often bring the price down for you.

4. Return Dead Plants Up to a Year Later

Do NOT be embarrassed to bring dead plants back to Lowe’s up to 365 days after you buy them.

After all, this would not be in the Lowe’s return policy if they didn’t want you to do it as they get reimbursed from the grower.

Keep in mind that the plants need to be perennials and NOT annuals that are supposed to die off every year.

Be sure to keep your receipt as it’s a must to make a plant return within a year of purchase.

PRO TIP FOR INDOOR PLANTS

I was talking to an employee about this policy and she had the great tip of putting your receipt in a Ziploc bag and taping it to the bottom of your indoor plant container. For outdoor shrubs, trees, and perennial plants, get in the habit of putting all your receipts in a file folder and keeping them safe somewhere.

5. Don’t Forget About a Lowe’s Price Adjustment

Did you find a better price at Home Depot or Ace Hardware?

No worries, Lowe’s will match the price so you don’t have to drive across town to save a few bucks.

Best way to make it happen? Have the Home Depot app on your phone and do a quick price comparison when making significant purchases at Lowe’s.

The product must be in-stock at both stores and 100% identical. Just head to the Lowe’s customer service desk and they’ll verify the price match and get you your savings.

The best part? It ALSO works when buying from Lowes.com as they’ll price match online pricing from online stores like Amazon.

The easiest way to make it happen is to visit this page and start a Live Chat and they’ll help you get your online price match.

See Also: Home Depot Savings Tips Directly from Employees

6. Score Lumber Deals By Looking in the Right Spot

Next, I was walking through the lumber department and asked an employee what was the best way to save some money on wood.

He immediately said, “follow me”.

So I did just that and he led me to the back of the store where they had a rack of wood that was ALL 50% off (see pic above).

He said it was wood that was either a miscut, an overstock, or had a small flaw in it.

It’s perfect wood for a small DIY project, or to patch fencing, or one of a hundred other uses around your house.

7. Make “The Back Aisle” Your Best Friend

The next time you’re at your local Lowe’s, head directly to the back of the store, typically in the middle of the back wall and you’ll find some good clearance deals.

They call it “The Back Aisle” and it’s where every department puts their clearance stuff marked down to 75% off the original price.

You won’t find big ticket clearance items in this section, but instead you’ll find a bunch of smaller things like paint brushes, batteries, flashlights, garden tools, cleaning products, ceramic pots, and lawn products and they’re ALL a great deal.

PRO TIP: BUNDLE AND NEGOTIATE IN “THE BACK AISLE”

Lowe’s really wants to get rid of the clearance stuff on “The Back Aisle”. Use this to your advantage and buy multiples of an item (or a similar item) and ask for a quantity discount. I’ve down this several times and have NEVER been turned down. I usually ask for a 20% discount and settle for 10-15% off. 

8. Don’t Forget About Their Military Discount

If you’re currently in the military, or a veteran, be sure you’re taking advantage of their 10% military discount.

You can either sign-up in-store at the customer service desk, or online by visiting this page.

Even spouses can get the discount which is limited to $500 in savings per year, so you’ll get 10% off your first $5,000 spent.

Once you’re signed up, you just have to give them your telephone number when you checkout and you’ll get your discount.

It’s a pretty easy process to get verified and much easier than The Home Depot’s military discount as HD makes you go through their smartphone app and pull up a barcode every time you want to use it.

9. Learn How to Read Lowe’s Price Tags

Lastly, learn how to read the price tags at Lowe’s so you know what kind of a deal you’re actually getting.

Thanks to a couple helpful employees, here’s what I know so far about the hidden language in Lowe’s price tags:

“N” below the Barcode on Clearance Tags – I had an employee tell me to look for Yellow clearance price tags with a small “N” below the barcode, which means “Non-Stock”. He told me this means the item is discontinued and it’s up to the manager to lower the price further. So in other words, the price is probably not the lowest it’s going to get, so if there’s a lot of stock, wait until the price goes down to buy it.

No “N” below the Barcode on Clearance Tags  – This means the item is priced to sell and is the lowest the price will get. So buy it before it’s gone.

Price Ending with .02 – This one is rare but it means that the item has run through its final markdown schedule and the vendor has paid Lowe’s for it and it will typically be destroyed. You can try and buy it, as it’s really cheep, but most cashiers won’t let you.

Ask the Reader: What great money saving tips at Lowe’s did I miss? I’m sure I missed a couple good ones. Let me know in the comments.

By Kyle James