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I’m a real fan of saving money wherever possible. I always think that a pound saved is the same as a pound earned. When we want items for our home, and toys in particular, I am always checking out our local charity shops.
Ever since my first daughter Daisy was born, in 2016, I’ve been a big fan of visiting charity shops and looking for a few bargains.
Over the years we’ve had everything from brand new in the box baby toys to clothes and home decor too.
Daisy has had some absolutely fantastic toys and this is one of the joys of the charity shop! Now that we have a second baby, born in 2021, the charity shop brings even more good finds for us!
This particular toy that Daisy is holding is one of my favourite ever joys of the charity shop! Our favourite local charity shop, an Age UK one, has a couple of bins they tend to fill with children’s toys.
There are usually a whole variety of soft toys and items that are a little young for Daisy. However, from time to time there is a real gem hidden among these soft toys.
We’ve had some great buys in the last year in particular, including this great toy which we picked up (brand new in the box!) for just £4!
When we purchased this it was for sale on Amazon for around £25-£30. £4 was an absolute steal and it’s been used for several months already. Once we’re finished with it we are going to pass it on to a friend with a new baby, so it’s really going to last so long for just £4!
Some of my most recent joys of the charity shop have been:
Halloween outfit, brand new with tags, for £1
Christmas jumper, brand new with tags, for £1
Shoes, brand new in the box, £2
Teletubbies – 50p each
Cocktail glasses, two boxes with two in each, £2
Having a new baby can feel a little isolating at times, and so heading to the charity shop can be a great excuse to get out the house.
I like to take a little bag of outgrown baby clothes, or unwanted baby toys, and donate those while I am there. My local charity shop, which supports a local hospice, has a gift aid card so they can claim an extra 25% back on the money made from items I donate.
When I’ve got an errands day I love to pop into the charity shop and see what new goodies they’ve had put out on the shelf.
Daisy also has a collection of toys at my Mum’s house, quite a few of which came from the charity shop.
There are often great bargains to be had in the charity shop, and Age UK is one of the better priced ones in our area. The most expensive one seems to be BHF, where some items are almost as much second hand as they would have been new. However, I do still pop in from time to time and look for the odd gem.
I have noticed that prices raised a lot in 2021, perhaps because of the length of time that shops were closed for.
I love being able to pick up a few bargains, and some lovely toys for Daisy, while supporting charity too. Some of the charity shops are stunning and I love looking at the different Parquet Flooring with a wistful heart. One day I’ll have the floor of my dreams! What are your joys of the charity shop? I’d love to hear them! You can find me on Instagram.
