A THRIFTY mum vowed to buy nothing new for a whole year and has saved a fortune by choosing pre-loved items
The creative TikTok user, called Duchessofthrift, has spent 2022 raiding her local charity shops and rummaging through weekend car boot sales to find new clothes, furniture and even Christmas presents for her loved ones.
Inflation is fast approaching 10% in the UK and families are doing everything they can to keep costs down.
This savvy mum posts regular energy-saving tips and cheap meal ideas to her social media page, and recently divided opinion with her out-of-date family dinner.
Among her purse-pinching hacks, Duchessofthrift shows off her best buys from her local Red Cross charity shop.
In one video, she shows followers a selection of winter garments priced at less than £2 an item.
on money saving
I’m a money-saving pro, you’re grocery list is wrong & you could be saving money
I’m a money saving mum, meal planning has saved me loads – here’s my easy guide
“They sell everything for £1.99,” she reveals, posing with her latest bargains.
Among the cheap treasures was a cashmere scarf priced at £174 on Vestiaire Collective and a 1960’s quilted dressing gown she’ll fashion into a coat.
FABULOUS BINGO: Get a £20 bonus & 30 free spins when you spend £10 today
Also on her TikTok page you’ll find 15 ways to style a £1 skirt, and how to make pre-loved bobbly jumpers look like new with a simple tool from Amazon.
“I haven’t bought anything new all year,” she shares in another clip. “Let me give you a snoop around the house and show you what I’ve bought second hand around the home.”
Leading followers around her modern house, she points out a stunning black-and-gold-painted chest of drawers – originally a cheap “and horrible” brown cupboard.
Nearly all of her vases and interior decor are sourced from car boot sales, often priced at £1 or less.
Most read in Fabulous
I'm a mum-of-12 & made a VERY controversial birthday dinner for my kids
I'm plus size & did a Gym Shark haul – I didn't know if their XXL would fit
Inside plans for King's cut-back coronation with rituals axed & fewer guests
I’m 57 & people tell me to ‘dress my age’ – my trolls are just jealous
Showing off her stylish sitting room, she adds: “My coffee table was from Facebook marketplace and my pampas grass was out of B&Q car park. It’d blown down after a storm.”
At a recent car boot sale in Plymouth, the bargain hunter found brand new moisturisers plus Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner for 50p each.
She loves Christmas shopping in second hand stores, too.
Recently, she found unworn Pringle socks for 50p a pair, and an unused marble bath set for the same price per item.
There’s plenty of pre-loved items for her children, too.
Read More on The Sun
Is it cheaper to use an air fryer, slow cooker, oven or a microwave?
I left the hospital with my newborn only to find out I’m pregnant again
In another clip, she shows off a fashion haul for her daughter including nearly new Nike Air Force 1 trainers, £3 Zara bags and 50p tops from MissGuided and ASOS.
“Save your money. Don’t buy things new,” she urges her followers. “You can get really nice stuff for your house and lovely clothes second hand. Unsubscribe from emails, delete your shopping apps and get out there and find yourself some second hand treasure.”
Source: Read Full Article