I buy ‘Thriftmas’ gifts but keep the £50 necklace I bought for £2.50
She is no stranger to finding bargains at the thrift store.
So when it comes to buying Christmas presents, Caroline is all about enjoying a good ‘Thriftmas’ – and buys as many second-hand gifts as possible.
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But that also means that every now and then she comes across something that she has no choice but to treat herself to.
In one video on her TikTok page, Caroline explained that she had found a ‘humdinger’ during a hunt at her local charity shop.
“This little find is part of my Thriftmas series,” she said.
“In the run-up to Christmas I’m popping around charity shops, browsing flea markets and scrolling through Vinted to find second-hand gifts for people for Christmas.”
Read more Jewelry Stories
When she went into a charity shop in Ditchingham, Norfolk, she saw a small jewelery box worth £2.50.
When she opened it, she quickly realized that the contents were worth much more – and saw a sterling silver hallmark and CZ, meaning cubic zirconia, on the back of the chain.
It even looked like Pandora’s beloved Circle of Sparkle necklace.
And while she was a little disappointed that it didn’t turn out to be Pandora, she was still happy with her find.
“You would want to pay between £20 and £50 for something like this for any brand,” she added.
“So who am I going to give this to for Christmas? Well, let me tell you, I’m giving it to myself!
“I saw this and immediately fell in love with it and thought, what a great gift idea for Christmas.
“But then I thought we should treat ourselves at Thriftmas too.
“So I’ll keep that one for myself.”
“What a find!” Caroline added in the video caption.
People in the comments were quick to share their thoughts, with one writing: “Bargain – I found the Pandora heart earrings for £1.50 – has all the right features too!”
“I love charity shops,” said another.
The best charity shopping tips to score a bargain
Ross Dutton has been manager for Crisis’ charity stores for four years and currently runs the charity’s Finsbury Park store in London.
Choose your area – As a rule of thumb, the fancier the area, the better the quality of the clothing donated.
Don’t hang around – If you see something you like, buy it, because it will probably be gone when you get back
Be aware of cut labels – Some of your favorite high street stores have made deals with local charity shops to donate stock not sold in their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they have to cut the labels off the clothes.
Stay home – Although some charities have their own site, such as Oxfam and Crisis. many also sell through dedicated eBay stores such as British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won’t get the range of bargains you would in a physical store, but if you’re looking for something specific it might be worth looking online too.
“I recently found a Canada Goose jacket at my local PDSA.
“I paid £40 and saved over a thousand pounds.”
“During the video you were thinking ‘if Caroline doesn’t keep that to herself’ and then you did!” a third laughed.
“Absolutely right. It’s perfect for you!”
“Definitely treat yourself, great find,” someone else agreed.
While another wrote: “It’s so beautiful. I would love that for Christmas. You’re right, we need to treat ourselves!
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