Following a discussion in the frugality’s thread re: sustainable consumption / using charity shops / giving to charity shops / buying second hand, a place to continue the convo!
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I just bought my son a second hand kindle fire for Christmas. I feel a bit guilty as it’s not brand new, but FB marketplace is flooded with them so clearly kids get bored of them easily. It cost me £30 with the charger and the box.
Have also noticed that there tend to be lots of the same thing in the secondary market, my LO is much younger but I see SO much VGUC Grimms being resold - surely this just means no child is actually playing with the stuff?!
On guilt - second hand gifting feels like it’s less spoken about than other issues? It definitely has more of a stigma than day to day purchases but it’s so needless. The brainwashing we’ve all gone through to want to consume has a lot to answer for!
Wanted to add that I’ve bought him a bunch of paw patrol toys too from FB marketplace. I’m shocked that a plastic toy that does nothing is a) so expensive in the first place and b) holds their value?
A car with pup is around £17, depending on pup. He will want all of the pups; he has 3 already and keeps asking for the others, and that will be nearly £70ish. For a fad that he won’t be into in a few months. I managed to pick up a few for £5, so I’ve cleaned them and I’ll make them look fancy for Christmas.
I feel awful for this but he was into Elmo one year and I bought him a tickle me Elmo… £40 down the drain!
I’m obsessed with wooden toys, and this kindle fire is the first electronic toy (bar tickle me Elmo!) that my son will have. I borrow a grimms rainbow from a toy library and he didn’t get it at all.
A car with pup is around £17, depending on pup. He will want all of the pups; he has 3 already and keeps asking for the others, and that will be nearly £70ish. For a fad that he won’t be into in a few months. I managed to pick up a few for £5, so I’ve cleaned them and I’ll make them look fancy for Christmas.
I feel awful for this but he was into Elmo one year and I bought him a tickle me Elmo… £40 down the drain!
No kid plays with Grimma rainbows. They are for parents to buy to think they are better than everyone else. Fact.
I’m obsessed with wooden toys, and this kindle fire is the first electronic toy (bar tickle me Elmo!) that my son will have. I borrow a grimms rainbow from a toy library and he didn’t get it at all.
I’ve been using a shampoo bar for a few years now, and I must admit my hair always looks better when I’ve used one vs a normal bottles shampoo.
I’m fortunate to have reasonably good skin for a stressed woman in her 30s, so I’ve switched to using a soap bar for skincare. I use it in a net bag and it lasts nearly 6 weeks. I’m yet to find a soap for my body that foams up as much, or one that I could refill.
I didn’t see the last thread but does anyone else have an electric car here? I got mine in May. I didn’t chose it; my NHS lease ran out and they declined me having a petrol VW/Audi and offered me a deal on an electric Hyundai instead. It’s the best; it’s saved me so much money and it’s so easy to run. Not going to lie, had a wee panic driving back from Yorkshire to Nottingham with the battery but it was okay in the end!
My old smart phone, gave up the ghost earlier this year. Instead of buying a new one, I managed to get a second hand one at Cex. So far, it has been working really well.
I remember growing up my parents always bought 2nd hand furniture (wardrobes, dressers, chairs) some of the wardrobes still going strong, my brother is so eager to get rid of them but my mum just can't let go, I'm talking wardrobes that are like 40 years old, they really just don't make them like they used to, things nowadays are really not built to last.
I've bought a few second hand tablets and laptops, the problem is they don't last long, 3/4 of the items we purchased died literally 6 months in of not sooner the same thing brand new has got us through atleast 2/3 years.
I've bought a few second hand tablets and laptops, the problem is they don't last long, 3/4 of the items we purchased died literally 6 months in of not sooner the same thing brand new has got us through atleast 2/3 years.
I want to switch to electric but we can't afford it. We were in so much debt about 10 years ago (finally paid it all off) too scared to go on to lease/hp don't want to go down that rabbit hole again, will have to wait until prices come down on the 2nd hand market.
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I totally get what you mean. This car is £36k, I mean who can afford that! I pay £200 through work, so it’s not too bad.
I’m worried that’s what will happen with the kindle fire, but it’s still in warranty! Phew.
Not related to anything but I was in Brighton with my little sister. The store there had named their wifi unprotectedCex.
My living room is filled with second hand furniture and other items. Half of the furniture was inherited from my Mother, the other half was bought in charity shops.
I have a real liking for natural looking wood furniture, my favourite charity shop find this year, was a bedside table, with a drawer. I love the colour and grain in the wood.
I also have a wooden fire place surround, with marble insert. It came from a house that was being renovated, if I hadn't of claimed it, it would have ended up in a skip. It was far too good to be thrown away.
I should add that the fireplace, belonged to a friend of my partner, we had permission to take it away.
I have a real liking for natural looking wood furniture, my favourite charity shop find this year, was a bedside table, with a drawer. I love the colour and grain in the wood.
I also have a wooden fire place surround, with marble insert. It came from a house that was being renovated, if I hadn't of claimed it, it would have ended up in a skip. It was far too good to be thrown away.
I should add that the fireplace, belonged to a friend of my partner, we had permission to take it away.
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When we had our little one I bought has much second hand as I could - even loads of his cloth nappies were eBay finds. We're not planning to have another child so I've tried to pass most of it on to other new parents, but they're not interested and want to buy everything new! I also get some funny comments for having put him in cloth nappies but that's a whole other discussion 
Does anyone have good tips for sustainable Christmas gifting (especially when you're broke due to childcare costs!)? I'm only planning to buy gifts for immediate family and will mostly get them bar soaps, refillable bottles of body lotion etc. My sisters are quite a bit younger (early 20s) and into their vintage fashion so I'm going to scour Depop for a couple of cool bits for them.
But already the Christmas pressure is so intense! We're on an economy drive atm but I'm being asked what Christmas 'events' we're going to take our son to/what expensive presents we're going to get him. They all cost a fortune! He's only two and is used to most of his toys/clothes being second hand so I have no worries that he'll be totally unfussed. But the judgement from the m/c #makingmemories mums is something else.
I was raised Jewish but the last few years my family have got really into Christmas so this is still bewildering to me!
Does anyone have good tips for sustainable Christmas gifting (especially when you're broke due to childcare costs!)? I'm only planning to buy gifts for immediate family and will mostly get them bar soaps, refillable bottles of body lotion etc. My sisters are quite a bit younger (early 20s) and into their vintage fashion so I'm going to scour Depop for a couple of cool bits for them.
But already the Christmas pressure is so intense! We're on an economy drive atm but I'm being asked what Christmas 'events' we're going to take our son to/what expensive presents we're going to get him. They all cost a fortune! He's only two and is used to most of his toys/clothes being second hand so I have no worries that he'll be totally unfussed. But the judgement from the m/c #makingmemories mums is something else.
I was raised Jewish but the last few years my family have got really into Christmas so this is still bewildering to me!
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Thanks for starting the thread!
My entire house is second hand. I live in a really, old house and modern furniture just looks ridiculous. My best buy is a cabinet for £1.
I also try to buy second hand where I can for clothes. I lost a lot of weight in lockdown when the shops were shut so couldn't buy new clothes. I sold all the too big ones and bought smaller ones which saved a packet. I try not to buy anything new anymore, if I see something in the shops now that I like I try and find something similar on eBay. I was a big charity shop fan but locally their prices have gone through the roof recently so I'm avoiding them for now.
Not quite ready for an electric car but I am going to switch to a hybrid next time I change my car.
My entire house is second hand. I live in a really, old house and modern furniture just looks ridiculous. My best buy is a cabinet for £1.
I also try to buy second hand where I can for clothes. I lost a lot of weight in lockdown when the shops were shut so couldn't buy new clothes. I sold all the too big ones and bought smaller ones which saved a packet. I try not to buy anything new anymore, if I see something in the shops now that I like I try and find something similar on eBay. I was a big charity shop fan but locally their prices have gone through the roof recently so I'm avoiding them for now.
Not quite ready for an electric car but I am going to switch to a hybrid next time I change my car.
75% of the furniture in my house is second hand (in fact some is probably 3rd or 4th hand) I did buy myself a new TV cabinet last year, I saved for 6 months for it and I've bought a good quality ready built one that I'm hoping will last for a very very long time. All my family and friends when getting something new offer me their old things, I happily take it if I can make use of it. My favourite piece is my sideboard that belonged to my aunt and uncle, they bought it in the 1960's and it's so heavy and solid and it has been through 5 house moves with me and I'll keep it forever. Myself and my 12 year old love looking in the second hand shops on a weekend, we don't often buy now as I don't buy just because. A few years ago he found me a pyrex snowflake gravy boat and saucer(I'd been looking for that design for ages) for £1, perfect condition, that's my favourite charity shop find and it gets used every Sunday and on Christmas day.
I’m considering sourcing my wedding dress “preloved”
From one of those re-sell boutiques.
my mum was horrified when I said I would like a 2nd hand dress for eco reasons. I think she thinks I’m just being frugal.
From one of those re-sell boutiques.
my mum was horrified when I said I would like a 2nd hand dress for eco reasons. I think she thinks I’m just being frugal.
I think that's a great idea! Mine has sat in the loft for 11 years. I'd love to sell it as I'll never wear it again but my husband is really against it.
My friend got her wedding dress second hand for £50! It was a beautiful dress and as it was so cheap she was happy to spend a bit on getting alterations done to make it perfect for her!
Do you have any brand recommendations please? Have been wanting to try this for a while but not sure what to go for
I really want to charity shop more but the ones here are so expensive and not great at sorting out the crap - Primark tops from two seasons ago sold for £6 when they’d be £8 brand new; furniture is at least £35 for something you could get similar for in ikea for under £25 and the kids toys are grubby and in bad condition. I’ve got some good books and games/puzzles from there which are reasonable but it’s certainly not a realistic way for me to be sustainable.
I am 1 of 5 kids born i. The 60’s. For my 14th birthday my skint parents bought me a second hand sewing machine, I kicked off like a teen would and cried because it wasn’t new. I learned to sew on that machine and a hobby I loved. It died on me last year, over 40 years later. The upgrade I bought myself was preloved too. Now I am all grown up I buy used as much as possible now and pass on or sell all our bits we don’t need anymore. I am glad to say my kids and grandkids don’t act as entitled as I did in my younger days.