A savvy mum has vowed to never buy brand new Christmas presents for her family again - branding expensive spending as "silly".
Lauren, who is a waitress, says she has saved hundreds of pounds this festive season by shopping in charity shops.
The 24-year-old bought £40 worth of second-hand gifts for her one-year-old daughter Polly, and said it was a way to deal with rising bills as the cost of living crisis continues to hit families hard.
The mum-of-one, who lives with her fiancé Sam, 26 and young daughter Polly, said: "What is the point of bankrupting yourself over and over again?
"I buy second-hand at Christmas for my daughter as it's a fraction of the price; she gets more and it is better for the environment.
"My daughter is one and all she sees under the tree are the wrapped-up gifts. She doesn’t know nor care whether they are brand new! She will play with them just the same.
"Children get bored of a new toy in five minutes and grow out of clothes so quickly – not to mention they get ruined. Purchasing from charity shops and other parents helps them too, your money is going to really make a difference not just fall into the endless pot of big companies."
Lauren, from the UK, is now hoping to encourage other parents to stop buying new items as it's "just silly"
She said: "I think it’s silly when people spend ridiculous amounts. Toys and clothes are so expensive brand new, upwards of £20 for one toy that they will play with for a day and then forget about.
"I understand wanting to spoil your children with lovely presents and gifts, and I want to do that as well. And I do, but at a fraction of the cost. To a child, all that matters is that they have something to open on Christmas Day."
As well as shopping in charity shops, Lauren also buys her gifts from Facebook Marketplace and Vinted, with some of the items still having labels on them.
She also feels people should not be embarrassed about shopping second-hand.
Lauren added: "There is absolutely no shame in shopping second-hand for your children at Christmas and birthdays. Your children will be grateful for the gifts regardless!
"Please don’t cripple yourself trying to afford hundreds of presents at ridiculous prices. Have a look around the charity shops, Facebook Marketplace is brilliant and often do clothing/toy bundles.
"Vinted is also fabulous and often has brand new clothes and toys at less than half the price they would usually be. You also support other parents/charities.
"Buying second hand has helped massively, I am not worried about the cost of Christmas now, and I know my daughter is going to have a wonderful day with lots of lovely presents to open – without breaking the bank!"
