Jon Volk and Kristin Johns Share Thrifting Secrets Every Budget-Conscious Homeowner Needs to Know

Ever scroll Pinterest at midnight, save a hundred dreamy living rooms, then look around your own space and think, “Yeah, that’s not happening on my budget?” It’s the classic taste-vs-wallet problem—wanting the cozy, collected vibe without the credit card hangover.

That’s exactly what Jon Volk and Kristin Johns tackle on That’s The Point. The hosts know how to turn secondhand scores into Pinterest-worthy moments. From mapping out a strategic thrift crawl to finding $5,000-level furniture on Facebook Marketplace, they’ve cracked the code on making a house feel “lived-in” without draining your savings.

So, before you buy another mass-produced console or fill your cart with impulse décor, take notes. These are the thrifting cheat codes you’ll want to copy.

Master the mental game

Thrifting isn’t a quick in-and-out errand. It’s a mindset. If you walk in with “Target brain” (grab-and-go, speed over patience), you’ll miss the magic. The gems aren’t sitting pretty on the endcap—they’re hiding under a stack of dishes, tucked in a corner, or waiting two rooms over. 

“You need to take your time,” Volk says. “If you’re going to be rushed, you’re going to be disappointed and you won’t be able to spot the things that need to be spotted.”

That means carving out actual space for the hunt. Block off your morning, grab a coffee, and give yourself permission to wander. Instead of racing through the aisles, slow down enough to scan, circle back, and notice the details that would disappear if you were in a rush. The people who score the best pieces are the ones who treat thrifting like an adventure rather than a task to check off . When you approach it with patience and curiosity, you’ll see opportunities that everyone else walks right past.

The Google Image hack that changes everything

Nothing kills a thrifting high faster than wondering if you just overpaid. That lamp in your cart might be a $20 steal—or the exact same one selling brand-new online for the same price. This is where Volk’s go-to trick changes the entire game. “Take a photo of it and throw it in Google Images and you can find it on eBay, whatever. And you’ll see what the price is…if you’re getting a deal,” he explains.

Think of it as a built-in lie detector. Snap a picture, drop it into Google Images, and see what comes up. If you land on an Amazon listing, you know it’s mass-produced and probably not worth your money. If the same piece is listed on eBay for ten times the price, you’ve struck gold.

Strategic venue mapping

One of the fastest ways to waste a thrifting day is burning a tank of gas for a one-stop flop, only to walk out empty-handed. Johns has a smarter play—make it a loop. “The best thrifting and antiquing is in kind of an area that might not be right next door to your house,” she says. “So it’s usually a 30, 45-minute drive. So it’s nice to kind of map out three spots that you would like to hit instead of just driving to a 45-minute away antique store.”

Instead of pinning all your hopes on one destination, look up a cluster of shops within the same radius and plan to hit them in order. Build in breaks, grab lunch, and make the whole trip an experience. Not only does this maximize your chances of finding something good, but it also makes the drive worth it even if the first store’s a bust.

Join the Facebook intel network

Half the battle of thrifting is knowing when the good stuff is hitting the floor. You can wander into a shop on a bad day and find nothing, or you can show up right after a new drop and walk out with the deal of the year. The difference often comes down to intel. Volk’s advice? “Look on Facebook and join local antique and thrifting groups because they’re posting on there.”

These groups are like text alerts for thrifters. Shop owners, dealers, and regulars post about what’s arriving, what’s marked down, and when to line up. All you have to do is join, turn on notifications, and check in before you head out. It’s an easy, zero-cost way to make sure you’re not wasting time and it gives you a leg up on everyone who’s just driving blind.

Pinterest mood board strategy

Walking into a thrift store without a plan is like grocery shopping when you’re hungry—you’ll end up with random stuff that doesn’t go together and wonder what you were thinking. “Create a little Pinterest mood board of some vibes of rooms that you like…take a deeper look into each of those photos. Like, okay, what is drawing me to this inspiration photo?” Johns explains. This isn’t about copying someone else’s house exactly, but training your eye to recognize what you actually want.

Before your next thrifting trip, spend 20 minutes building a Pinterest board. Save rooms that make you stop scrolling, then dig deeper. Is it the brass candlesticks on the mantle? The vintage rug pattern? The way they styled books on the coffee table? Screenshot the specific details that caught your attention.

This basically becomes your thrifting cheat sheet that lives in your phone. Instead of staring at a pile of random brass doodads wondering if you need any of them, you’ll remember—oh wait, my board has brass sconces in three rooms. Suddenly that tarnished candlestick isn’t just a dusty maybe, it’s a “Yep, that’s on brand.” The mood board keeps you from panic-buying “good deals” that never fit, and turns the chaos of the thrift aisle into a targeted scavenger hunt.

Bring your hype person 

Having a second opinion can make the difference between scoring a statement piece and talking yourself out of it. “Bring a friend, because it’s more fun, first of all,” Volk says. “Second of all, a lot of times with antiquing, you’re like, am I crazy for liking this? Is this bad, or actually great?”

Johns agrees, but she makes an important point: Be careful who you bring. The wrong shopping buddy can kill your momentum if they don’t share your taste or can’t see the potential in a piece that needs a little imagination. Find a hype person who gets your style and knows when to gas you up vs. save you from a bad buy. You want someone who’ll say, “Yes, that’s giving Anthropologie on a budget” but also, “No, that’s straight-up dorm room vibes.” They don’t have to share your taste, but they should respect it—and be honest without being a buzzkill. 

The estate sales app secret

If thrift stores are a gamble, estate sales are like playing high-stakes poker. Sometimes you walk into a goldmine of mid-century furniture, other times it’s 12 rooms of doilies and fake plants. Johns is a fan, but she knows it’s hit or miss. “I do love an estate sale,” she says. “Again, very hit or miss. I use the app estatesales.net. You can look in the area of like when estate sales are happening, you can kind of look through the photos of some of the stuff that they have.”

The app basically works like a preview window. Instead of driving blind, you can scroll through photos of upcoming sales, spot the ones that actually fit your style, and map your route before you even leave the house. It also helps you plan your timing—showing up early for big-ticket pieces, or later in the day when prices usually drop. The key is to treat estate sales like mini-events: do your research, know what’s inside before you go, and be ready to act fast if you see something special. 

For more thrifting cheat codes, tune into That’s The Point with Jon Volk and Kristin Johns—available now wherever you get your podcasts.

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