Thirty-five dollars. One shopping cart.
And a whole lot of possibilities hiding between racks of forgotten fashion and shelves of unexpected treasures. Who says a shopping spree needs a triple-digit budget?
The enormous secondhand stores scattered throughout Utah make bargain hunting feel more like a challenge than an errand. Picture finding a winter jacket, a stack of books, and a quirky little lamp, all while keeping your wallet surprisingly happy.
Of course, the magic isn’t automatic. Prices vary, donated inventory changes constantly, and that gorgeous sweater deserves a careful inspection before claiming a spot in your cart.
Think of your budget as a game: can you find everything on your list without spending the full $35? For treasure hunters navigating Utah’s thrift scene, patience and a sharp eye can make the difference between ordinary shopping and a satisfying haul.
The best part? Nobody knows what tomorrow’s donations might bring.
1. Goodwill Outlet, Salt Lake City
Your shopping basket gets a different kind of math here: weight matters. Goodwill Outlet at 1850 W 1500 S in Salt Lake City offers bulk bargain hunting and secondhand finds sold by weight, making it a different experience from browsing individually priced shirts.
For a $35 budget, start with lighter items you actually need. A few cotton tops can make more sense than one heavy object, although category rules and current rates should guide your choices.
Check the posted pricing before you begin, and ask staff how different goods are charged. Not every object should be assumed to follow the same pricing system, so a quick question can prevent a checkout surprise.
Give each promising piece a proper inspection. Look for stains, worn seams, missing buttons, and stretched fabric; an inexpensive shirt stops being useful when repairing it becomes another weekend project.
Keep a running estimate rather than treating the bins like a permission slip to collect everything. Leave room in your budget for tax and any cleaning supplies your purchases might need.
Among these Utah stops, the outlet is especially suited to shoppers who enjoy sorting and comparing. Bring patience, a clear wish list, and enough restraint to leave the almost-right things behind.
2. The Other Side Thrift Boutique, Millcreek
A room refresh does not always require a furniture truck or a frightening receipt. The Other Side Thrift Boutique at 3320 S 1300 E in Millcreek carries furniture, clothing, and household goods, giving a modest shopping budget several directions to take.
The store belongs to the thrift operation supporting The Other Side Academy, a residential program focused on helping people rebuild their lives. That connection gives the shopping stop a purpose beyond clearing space in someone else’s closet.
With $35, think small and useful rather than assuming a large furniture purchase will fit. Picture frames, everyday dishes, or clothing may offer a better match, depending on the day’s donations and marked prices.
Bring measurements when shopping for your home. A side table that seems compact on a sales floor can become surprisingly ambitious beside your sofa.
Inspect furniture joints, drawer movement, and surface damage before committing. For smaller household pieces, check edges and handles carefully, especially anything intended for food or regular family use.
Ask about pickup arrangements before buying something bulky, and include transportation in your real cost. The smart find is not simply affordable; it also fits your space, serves a purpose, and can get home without becoming a logistical puzzle.
3. The Other Side Thrift Boutique, Murray
Sometimes the best thrift purchase solves a boring problem: nowhere to put the mail, not enough bowls, or a jacket that finally gave up. The Other Side Thrift Boutique at 4290 State St in Murray offers furniture, décor, and clothing for exactly that sort of practical search.
This is a separate branch from the Millcreek location, so keep the State Street address handy when planning your visit. Donated merchandise makes each branch its own shopping prospect, not a duplicate catalog.
The thrift business supports The Other Side Academy’s work with people rebuilding their lives. Shopping here connects reusable goods with that broader mission, while still requiring the same careful price comparisons as any other store.
Give your $35 a job before walking in. Choose one household need or a short clothing list, then compare candidates instead of collecting several versions of the same solution.
Décor deserves a little skepticism. Check frames for loose corners, baskets for broken edges, and lamps for missing parts; ask about testing electrical items rather than assuming they work.
Furniture might exceed this budget, but browsing can help with future plans. For today’s purchase, choose something complete and useful, not an appealing project that quietly doubles your spending next week.
4. Savers, Ogden
Books, shoes, and a replacement mixing bowl rarely appear on the same shopping list, but they can share the same thrift trip. Savers at 3833 Washington Blvd in Ogden carries clothing, footwear, books, housewares, and furniture, making it useful for several errands at once.
That broad selection is the main reason to bring a plan. A large store can stretch your budget, but it can also stretch the definition of what you supposedly needed.
Try dividing $35 into two priorities: one necessary purchase and a smaller allowance for a pleasant extra. Check actual tags first, since secondhand pricing varies with brand, condition, and category.
For clothing, examine cuffs, underarms, zippers, and seams. With shoes, look underneath as well as inside; a clean upper does not tell you how much life remains in the sole.
Books can be satisfying finds when you check for missing pages, writing, and water damage. Household goods deserve the same attention, especially matching lids and chipped rims.
Remember that Savers is a for-profit thrift retailer, rather than assuming every thrift store has the same business model. For a northern Utah shopping stop, the appeal here is variety: several useful categories under one roof, with your spending limit firmly intact.
5. Savers, Midvale
An inexpensive gadget is only a bargain if it still does its job. Savers at 39 W 7200 S in Midvale includes electronics alongside clothing, accessories, and household goods, so careful inspection matters as much as an appealing price tag.
Start with the category most likely to meet a real need. For a $35 trip, replacing a worn everyday item may provide more value than bringing home three mysterious devices and a bag of cables.
Before buying electronics, check for the correct power supply, obvious damage, and essential parts. Ask staff about testing and the current return policy, because neither should be taken for granted.
Accessories can be less complicated purchases, but still need attention. Open every zipper on a bag, inspect straps where they attach, and look at belt holes for splitting.
Clothing offers another way to use the budget without committing it all to one object. Read fabric care labels and consider washing costs, especially when a low price comes with a dry-clean-only instruction.
Keep a small reserve for tax rather than spending the full amount on marked prices. The Midvale stop makes sense for practical comparison shopping, provided you treat every possible bargain as a candidate, not an obligation to buy.
6. Savers, Salt Lake City
The everyday stuff is often where thrift shopping earns its keep. Savers at 3171 E 3300 S in Salt Lake City offers clothing and home goods, giving shoppers a chance to replace useful basics without starting at new-retail prices.
Rather than hunting for a dramatic discovery, consider the small gaps in your week. A work shirt, an extra serving dish, or a replacement bag can be more rewarding than another decorative object awaiting a home.
Write down sizes and measurements before visiting. Secondhand clothing has already been washed and worn, so the size printed on a label is only a starting point.
Compare similar items on condition as well as price. A slightly more expensive piece that needs no repair may be the better use of a $35 budget than something cheaper with a stubborn stain.
For home goods, count pieces and check whether sets are complete enough for your needs. One missing cup is harmless if you want three, but frustrating if you need four matching settings.
This Salt Lake City branch makes a practical addition to a Utah shopping plan because apparel and household needs can share one stop. Let usefulness make the final decision; novelty already has excellent sales skills of its own.
7. Savers, Orem
A shopping stop without a street address needs one extra step before the engine starts. Savers in Orem appears in the chain’s store directory, where shoppers should confirm the branch address and current hours before building a visit around it.
The location offers clothing and general secondhand merchandise, making it an option for a broad browse rather than a search for one guaranteed product. Donated stock changes, and a promising category never means a specific item will be waiting.
For families, a $35 budget works best with a short list of current needs. Check children’s clothing against actual measurements, and avoid buying several sizes ahead simply because the cart still has room.
Adults can use the same approach with work clothes or casual basics. Examine fabric for thinning and check that closures work before deciding a piece belongs in your regular rotation.
Allow yourself one flexible category, such as a book or household extra, after the essentials are covered. That keeps the outing enjoyable without turning your spending limit into a suggestion.
Confirm any discount or return policy directly with the store rather than relying on an old post online. In Orem, a little preparation leaves more attention for the merchandise and fewer unnecessary detours.
8. Deseret Industries Thrift Store & Donation Center, Logan
A thrift store can put donated goods back to work in more than one sense. Deseret Industries Thrift Store & Donation Center at 175 W 1400 N in Logan combines secondhand retail with the organization’s employment training mission.
Deseret Industries is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its stores help support job training, giving this northern Utah stop a different organizational background from the commercial chains on the list.
The Logan location offers furniture, clothing, books, and household goods. With $35, the smaller categories are sensible starting points, while furniture prices and transportation needs deserve a separate look.
Build a purchase around something you will use repeatedly. An everyday sweater or a sturdy kitchen piece can earn its shelf space faster than an object bought only because it seems unusually cheap.
Check books for loose bindings and missing pages. For dishes, inspect the rim and base, where small chips are easy to overlook during a quick first pass.
Before traveling, check the official location information for current hours; Deseret Industries stores are closed on Sundays. A thoughtful visit here is less about filling a cart than finding a few sound purchases while supporting a program with a clear employment purpose.
9. Deseret Industries Thrift Store & Donation Center, Provo
Setting up a household often means buying a surprising number of ordinary things. Deseret Industries Thrift Store & Donation Center at 1415 N State St in Provo offers a broad selection of pre-owned merchandise that can help tackle that list in manageable pieces.
The store is part of Deseret Industries, whose thrift operations support employment training and work experience. That mission adds context to the racks and shelves without changing the need to inspect what you buy.
A $35 plan might focus on a few basic household needs rather than a complete room. Choose categories you can assess confidently, and compare the marked prices before deciding how many items your budget allows.
For kitchen purchases, make sure each object suits its intended use. Check lids, handles, and surfaces, and pass on anything whose condition raises doubts about cleaning or safety.
Clothing can help round out the trip, but avoid guessing at fit. Bring measurements for anyone who is not shopping with you, particularly when buying for growing children.
Check current store hours before heading to State Street, and remember that Deseret Industries closes on Sundays. The practical appeal in Provo is modest but meaningful: replacing several everyday needs without insisting that everything arrive shiny and new.
10. Deseret Industries Thrift Store & Donation Center, St. George
Road-trip souvenirs do not have to announce the road trip. Deseret Industries Thrift Store & Donation Center at 2480 Red Cliffs Dr in St. George offers clothing, home accessories, small furnishings, and miscellaneous secondhand goods that might prove useful long after the drive home.
For travelers, the first limit is not always money; sometimes it is trunk space. Keep your $35 focused on purchases that fit comfortably alongside luggage, rather than discovering that a bargain chair needs its own itinerary.
The store belongs to Deseret Industries, the church-operated thrift organization that supports employment training. Its donation-and-resale model puts usable goods back into circulation while helping people gain work experience.
Home accessories are worth examining from every side. Look beneath decorative pieces for cracks, check frames for secure backing, and make sure small furnishings stand evenly.
Clothing may be a more portable choice. Inspect seams and fasteners, then consider whether the item serves your real wardrobe instead of merely matching your vacation mood.
Check official hours before visiting, especially when planning a Sunday, when Deseret Industries stores are closed. For this southern Utah stop, leaving with one useful purchase and money remaining can be a better result than packing the car with things you never needed.