When you're in the mood to do a little thrifting, don't forget to bring your "thrift kit" along for the ride — aka come prepared. The last thing you want is to bring home a piece of furniture and then realize you can't even get it inside.
Therefore, know your dimensions. Write down the size of your trunk (length, width, height, all of it!) and also measure the areas in your house you're going to have to walk through with the item, including your doorway.
Throw a tape measure in your pocket or purse so you'll be able to easily check the size of items you're interested in buying. It's also helpful to store a couple of bungee cords and old towels in your car for transporting any larger pieces.
My husband and I learned this lesson the hard way a while back. We had rented a car for the day and weren't expecting to do any shopping but then stumbled across this giant world map for only $10! Of course we couldn't pass up this kind of deal, so we instantly bought it, only to remember moments later our rental car's trunk was teeny-tiny. Thankfully, after taking off the seats' headrests and bending the map slightly, it fit!
