I’m a mother of three, but I never buy my kids anything new for Christmas
A mum has told how she saves £1,000 on Christmas shopping every year by buying second hand.
Sarah MacRory says her children don’t care about second-hand toys under the tree.
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The 37-year-old mother of three says she is saving a staggering amount and spending “at least £200-£300 per child” less than she would otherwise have done.
She said: “When I looked at my youngest two at Christmas I realized they didn’t care about the packaging or packaging and just wanted to see a fun new toy that they didn’t have,” says Sarah, who works in breastfeeding support at the NHS and is based in Aberdeen, told What’s The Jam.
“With a smaller budget [after cutting back work hours] meant I had to be smarter about spending, and so did my son autism is fond of some rather obscure toys from the 90s and 2000s, so I could only find these secondhand anyway.
“That made me think it was a smart way to shop.” Sarah scours Vinted and eBay looking for second-hand toys and gifts that are still in good condition for son Tyler-James, 17, daughter Everleigh-Reign, four, and her two-year-old son Theo-Babylon.
She said: “My children are so incredibly grateful [for what they get]. “They don’t understand that they have been played with before.
“My youngest two don’t know the difference yet – they welcome presents either way, and many of the second-hand items I come across when I shop this way have either never been played with or still look new.
“My eldest is a very grateful, attentive boy, so he is happy.
“If he asks for ‘new items’ I can usually get them because I’ve saved so much with thrift shopping, so honestly it’s the best of both worlds.
“I’m extremely fortunate to be able to fulfill their Christmas wishes every year, so does it really matter if I just have to be a little smarter about it?”
Sarah says there can be a ‘negative connotation’ to buying pre-loved items, but says if children are raised ‘properly’ they will ‘be happy and grateful no matter what’.
She added: “I’m a hippie when it comes to the environment and waste, so I absolutely love it when I can find items that don’t come in boxes or plastic packaging.
“I want to be able to teach my children that no matter how comfortable you are financially, there is no shame in being smart when shopping.
“Not only is it good for the environment and my bank, but if I buy someone else’s old toys it might give them the money to buy something else for their kids, something they might not have been able to do if they had not earned any extra money with the sales platforms.
“The cost of living crisis in Britain is hitting people hard and I want to normalize that it is okay to shop second hand.
How to Save Money on Christmas Shopping
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the number of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not host a Secret Santa among your inner circles so you don’t have to buy multiple presents?
Plan ahead – if you have the stamina and the budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for next year during the January sales.
Make sure you shop for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you don’t spend more than you need to.
Buy on sale on Boxing Day – some retailers are starting their Christmas sales early so you can actually score a bargain before December 25th.
Delivery may cost you a little more, but it could be worth it if the savings are significant.
Shop through outlet stores – you can save a lot of money by shopping through outlet stores such as Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually the wear and tear is minor.
“No one should be ashamed – especially if their children will be happy on Christmas morning – you created that magic and it shouldn’t matter how you made it happen.”
Sarah says toys she’s already bought this year would have cost her £250 if she’d bought new, but she picked up £30 instead.
She added: “This year I have already saved a few hundred pounds on the sets I wanted to buy for my son.
“I start my Christmas shopping with my October salary so that I spread my purchases and make sure I never run into problems.
“I already have two large bags of toys hidden in the loft, which I bought from Vinted.
“My daughter wants Disney princess costumes – these cost between £20 and £40 new online, but I can get them pre-loved for under £10, so that’s my plan for this month.
“I’m actually saving at least £200-£300 per child every Christmas when I look at what it would have cost me new, so I’m comfortably saving over £1,000 a year.”
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