With half the year behind us, it’s time for my 6-month thrifting check-in! I started doing these a few years ago as a way to keep myself accountable. Even after years of thrifting, I still make the occasional “what was I thinking?” purchase. Looking back helps me recognize those missteps and celebrate the wins, so I can keep improving.
Let’s take a look back at my 2026 thrift winners & losers so far:
January 2026
Winner
- Vintage Cotton Skirt, $7.29
Well, I only thrifted one item in January and it was this vintage cotton maxi skirt from the 1900’s. And by 1900’s… I mean the 1990’s, when I was in high school. I love the swish of it, as well as the pattern that kind of looks like stained glass.
February 2026
Winners
- Athleta top, $7.50
- Ann Taylor cardigan, $6
- Lou & Grey midi dress, $18
- Johnny Was top, $64
Losers
- Eileen Fisher Slouch Ankle pants, $13
Time Will Tell
- Knit sweater, $12
This month was more of a ‘secondhand’ month than an actual ‘thrift’ month, but I’m the boss so I’ll allow it. Lots of winners this month, so yay! The Athleta top has been great to throw on for workouts or hot summer days. Same goes with the Lou & Grey dress, which I chopped to knee length a couple months ago. A mint condition black cardigan is always a good choice, so glad I scooped that one up. And I love, love, love the Johnny Was shacket and wore it a bunch earlier this year.
The only loser of the month was the new with tags Eileen Fisher pants. Yes, they were technically a good ‘deal’ at $13… but they’re awful. They fit so weirdly with tight waist elastic and loose fabric that bags out at the butt immediately. I haven’t re-donated them quite yet. I’ve put them in time out in the back of my drawer for the summer. If they are still misbehaving in the fall when the weather cools, they will be added to the donate bag.
I’m putting the knit sweater in the ‘time will tell’ column, because I haven’t worn it yet. I’ve tried to wear it a few times, but it just doesn’t look good any way I style it. So, we will see if that one gets donated in the fall.
March 2026
Winners
- Footprints by Birkenstock Mary Janes, $8.99
- Anthropologie dress, $34.99
- J.Crew sweater, $3.84
- J.Jill sweater, $7.34
- Echo bandana, $2.50
Time Will Tell
- HYFVE blouse, $6.50
- Silk scarf, $20
I would say randomly my favorite winner of the month is that bandana! I love the pattern and colors on it and took it with me on our Nevada trip in the spring. The other winners of the month are the shoes, 2 sweaters and dress. Each of them got worn a few times so far this year and I anticipate wearing them time and time again.
While I don’t have any losers this month, I do have two in the ‘we will see’ section. Honestly, I completely forgot about that cropped blouse until I was preparing for this blog post. Oops. I just went and pulled it out of my closet and put it where I can see it so I can style it for summer. As for the silk scarf, I was imagining wearing it in my hair with a braid and when I tried it looked odd. So, I need to try again.
April 2026
Winners
- Cider skirt, $6.99
- Shyanne Floral Embroidered boots, $14.99
It was a small, but mighty thrift month for April. The skirt is great and I’ve worn it a bunch of times already. And those boots are FABULOUS and I love them so much!
May 2026
Losers
- Offline by Aerie top, $10
Time Will Tell
- Umgee top, $9
Okay, loser might be a bit harsh… but this Aerie top/sweatshirt hybrid is just ‘meh’ for me. It was new with tags when I got it and nicely oversized, but after being laundered a few times it’s looking a little rough. I own it though, so it works for my home gremlin looks until it eventually becomes a rag of some sort for cleaning or stained glass chemicals.
Time will tell on the Umgee top because it’s corduroy and hasn’t gotten cold enough to wear it yet. Let’s see what the fall/winter brings!
June 2026
Winners
- Exercise bra/crop top, $5.99
- “Flying Geese” Handmade Quilt, $9.99
Time Will Tell
- Plaid scarf, $2.99
- Loft dress, $5.99
I love the exercise bra/crop top situation and have worn it a few times already. I also LOVE the quilt and it is currently draped over the couch in my den where I can admire it often.
As for the Loft dress, I took the time and sewed snaps in between the top few buttons, so that I had better coverage (with no peekaboo skin). It’s hanging in my closet and all ready to go for my next dress up activity. The plaid scarf is beautiful, but most likely won’t be used until fall.
Total Spent:
To hold myself accountable, let’s total it all up. According to my handy dandy excel spreadsheet I pulled the info into, my total was: $277.89, which equals out to $46 per month. This is pretty consistent with last year – I purchased fewer items, but some were a little more pricy (consignment shopping vs thrifting).
As a reminder — while my thrifting total/monthly breakdown is not an insignificant number, this is my main ‘fun money’ I spend on myself. I very rarely buy books (I use the library and my kindle) and make 90% of my coffee at home, and most importantly… our budget can afford it.
Overall Favorites:
And now my absolute favorite part, looking at all my thrifting purchases over the past 6-months and picking my favorite items!
These are my absolute favorite items of the year so far and they’re all very ME. The fit of the clothing items is all exactly what I like for my body and the range of colors and patterns is very happy!
The first half of 2026 has brought some great thrifting finds, I can’t wait to see what is around the corner!