I buy all my kid’s Christmas pressies from charity shops my budget is £75 for my three children – here’s what I got
A SAVVY mum shared her budget-friendly Christmas haul for her three children.
The woman talked her followers through each of the affordable buys she picked up while thrifting.
In her viral video, TikTok user Sarah (@sarah_falls_) revealed her Christmas toy haul.
The Australian mum explained that she set herself a budget of $150 (£75) for all three of her children’s presents.
She told her audience that she had previously picked up some bits and had a $40 (£20) item on hold on Facebook Marketplace.
“My goal is to get everything I know they like and love, want and need for Christmas at local thrift shops,” said Sarah.
She explained that she picked up most of the toys with her older children Arlo and Ellie in mind.
These buys included a set of plastic food, which only set her back 50p and a 50p plastic digger for using in their sand pit.
She also picked up a Peppa Pig hat for her son and two masks for 50p a piece.
For her seven-month-old she found a plastic toy which she could fill with fabric for him to pull out.
Sarah also selected a suction toy to keep her baby entertained while she bathes him.
Both these baby-friendly buys set her back 50p each.
She also picked up a “flat ball” which is designed to be thrown as a frisbee and caught as a ball, also for 50p.
For £5, she found a wooden train set, which she pointed out would get years of use from both her sons.
“I love when I find nice quality wooden toys,” Sarah told her audience.
Similarly, she found a small wooden cart with building blocks for just £3.50.
The woman revealed that she spent a total of £24 on the entire toy haul, bringing her total to £70 overall.
Top charity shop tips for bagging a bargain
Ross Dutton has been a manager for Crisis's charity shops for four years and currently runs the charity's Finsbury Park shop in London.
Choose your area – As a rule of thumb, the posher the area, the better quality the clothes that are donated.
Don’t hang around – If you see something you like, buy it, as it’ll likely be gone when you come back
Look out for cut-off labels – Some of your favourite high street stores will have deals with local charity shops to donate stock that isn’t sold during their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they need to cut the labels off the clothes.
Stay at home – While some charities have their own site, like Oxfam and Crisis. many also sell from dedicated eBay stores, such as British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won’t get the range of bargains that you would get in a physical store, but if you’re looking for something specific it may be worth checking online too.
TikTok users shared their thoughts on the haul in the comments section.
“It’s so smart, not only financially but for the environment!!” wrote one viewer.
“Brilliant idea. Kids don’t need expensive toys. As long as it makes noise, is colourful, and keeps them entertained then I don’t see why not,” said another follower.
“This is a great idea, and you’re a wonderful mum,” commented a third person.
“So brilliant!!! What a haul,” wrote another commenter.