I consider this quadruple-Efficient. You go on your date. You multitask and get clothes for the upcoming season. You save money on clothes. You get pleasure from the gambling aspect of randomly finding something good.
My credentials on this topic: I got into fashion for a minute, I can make my own clothes. I can afford any brand. Thrift store clothes do the role. Not only do they have brands for status-seeking people, but you can find nice fits which is most important. LPT: Think of the entire outfit.
Go to a thrift store with your date, pick and try on clothes. I will explicitly mention here: you should be social with your date. But it’s tempting to divide when you see something cool.
Pick clothes that you need. I currently have enough dress shirts, but it seems every year I need new short sleeved shirts. Whatever you need, you shop for.
Efficiency Creator Kandice: Accessories – you could find some hidden gems here. Belts, gently worn shoes, bags for the ladies, and designer items too. It is worth finding designer items at these shops, when you can. Some people make a living off of thrifting and upselling. But besides the potential side-hustle, a designer bag is likely to last you more uses per-dollar than buying a dupe off Amazon or Temu. At a thrift store you’ll pay a fraction of the price if you can find the real stuff.
You might want to do research and make sure you are going to a Thrift store that gets nice clothes. It’s worth trying a few.
It might be worth putting a cap on the amount you want to spend, we usually set it at like $30 unless something crazy happens.
Look for stains. Try everything on.
Wash everything.
The “good problem” with thrift stores is that they have stuff that you will really like. The problem is they have one. You literally cannot buy two of the same shirts.
I hope you also can enjoy the phenomena of enjoying a thrift store purchase a bit too much. For that reason, I still buy many clothes at the regular store. This is a good first stop, and the randomness makes it fun.