The other day, while mindlessly walking to class, Starbucks in hand, rockin’ out to the Kings of Leon, I was suddenly drawn to a petite girl sitting on the bench in front of me. She looked absolutely darling in a black floral dress belted at the waist, with a brown leather belt, ballet flats, red knitted slouchy hat and tights. Although she was just casually reading, she looked as if she had just been plucked out of Elle Magazine. I made a beeline for her, dying to know where she had bought that perfect little dress.

Her answered shocked the hell out me, and until that day the words “Goodwill” and “fashionable” had yet to ever peacefully coincide in my mind. I had always thought that the thrift store was the place to go if you wanted camo shirts and paint-stained pants, but the thought of finding sundresses and cardigans for the price of McDonald’s seemed impossibly perfect. I had a fashion epiphany at that very moment and immediately scheduled a trip to the local Goodwill.

Let’s face it. College students are not the wealthiest people on earth, and getting great fashion finds for cheap is like winning the lottery. So what’s a girl to do when trends expire but we don’t have the means to go splurge on the season’s latest look? The perfect solution to this dilemma is thrift shopping.

While finding killer pieces at a thrift store is admittedly more difficult then plucking something off a rack, a little elbow grease and inspiration can leaving you walking out with a bag full of clothes for the price of one v-neck at Urban Outfitters.

The key to successfully shopping at a thrift store is to approach the situation with an open mind. Look for pieces that really stand out. At first glance the clothes might appear outdated, but try to see their potential. Match the older looks with trendy new jewelry, belts, hats, scarves and shoes and you’ll look like you swiped your outfit from a catalog.