I treat myself to £50 tops but my kids will only get second-hand gifts for Christmas – it’s way more thoughtful
A mum has been forced to defend herself after admitting to only spending £75 on her children for Christmas despite wearing designer brands.
Sarah Fall, from Australia, took to social media to show off her haul of second-hand buys for her kids.
The mum-of-three revealed she gave herself a budget of £75 ($150) for Christmas presents this year – and planned to get all of them from the charity shops.
She replied to a comment that read: “Almost feels cruel spending $150 while mummy stands there in a Sabbi shirt lol.”
Sabbi is a popular brand of graphic T-shirts in Australia and cost around £50 or $100 for one – over half of her budget for her children’s Christmas gifts.
But Sarah hit back at the comment to defend herself.
She said: “I’ve gotten a few comments like this, ‘I’m in expensive clothing but I’m thrifting my kids Christmas presents.’
“I think when you put it like that, you’re essentially saying that my kids aren’t worth me spending money on or thrifting is less than buying new.”
But the mum revealed this couldn’t be further form the truth and that buying second-hand was more thoughtful.
“I actually find thrifting to be worth more because of the time and energy and effort I’m putting into each individual item I’m getting for my children,” she added.
She said it was much more meaningful trawling through the charity shops than just grabbing items of the shelf.
That being said, she then showed some of the second-hand gifts she recently picked up.
Her haul included a pair of Adidas Gazelles, a farm animal book, a doll and a new school bag.
The clip soon went viral over on her TikTok account @sarah_falls_ with over 423k views and 19k likes.
People were quick to take to the comments with many supporting the mum’s eco-friendly gifting.
One person wrote: “You would invest “time & effort” when buying new as well. How else would each present be curated esp for the ones you’re buying for? Let’s just say it for what it is & own it- you’re buying cheap.”
How to save money on Christmas shopping
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
Another commented: “I really don’t understand why it matters, thrifted or not. I literally don’t remember half the stuff I got as gifts as a kid.”
“I think it’s a great idea. Kids get spoilt. You are putting so much thought plus recycling saves landfill,” penned a third.
Meanwhile a fourth said: “Kids grow out of stuff so fast or get bored of toys. Thrifting is great for kids.”
“I love this idea!” claimed a fifth.
Someone else added: “Those are awesome finds.
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