A THRIFTY mum saved £26k by only buying second-hand bargains for her kids.
Helen Lyford-Smith, 33, says she's spent a total of £4,000 on everything for her three children – including furniture, clothes, toys and reusable cloth nappies.
The mum finds bargains at a fraction of the retail price by trawling through resell sites like Vinted and going to car boot sales.
Helen fell pregnant with her first child Issac, now two, in August 2021, and has sourced more than 90% of his items second-hand.
She continued to hunt for bargains when she and fiancé, Richard Smith, 45, a carpenter, welcomed six-week-old twins, Evelyn and Matilda, on August 9 this year.
Helen's favourite finds include a wicker changing mat for £10, a bookshelf for £25, a set of wooden toys for £2 and a free cot from a local car boot, in Devon.
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The frugal mum doesn't stop with the kids as she also sources most of Richard's and her own clothes from pre-loved places too.
Helen is insistent that shopping second-hand doesn't mean you have to "compromise on quality" and is shocked at some bargains she's found.
Helen, a circus performer turned writer, from Barnstaple, Devon, said: "I've always loved second-hand, and I knew that wouldn't change when I became a mum.
"I read somewhere that the average price of clothing and furniture for a newborn was around £10,000 which is crazy.
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