A thrifty fashion-lover has shared her tips revealing how she saved £5,000 in a year simply by only buying second-hand – including a £2,000 dress she picked up for £3.50.
Frugal mum Heidi Ondrak, 51, made a New Year's resolution last year vowing not to buy anymore new clothes in 2022, and amazingly she's stuck to her promise saving hundreds in the process.
The fashionista claims she has always loved clothes, but found she was overspending and hatched a plan to prioritise her important bills.
"After spending lockdowns of eating and online shopping, I decided to take a pledge to only buy pre-loved," said Heidi, from Plymouth.
"The food price rises had already started to have an impact, and I noticed a £70 shop was costing about £85!
"My energy provider had also gone bust so I’d been transferred to another supplier, but my bills rose from £98 a month to £168 a month.
"I'd bought into fast fashion during the lockdown and it was time for a detox.
"And I knew that re-using was one of the most sustainable ways to shop after re-wearing what you have already."
Heidi has divulged details on how to get bargains through her new TikTok profile, @duchessofthrift.
"I bought a Maria Grachvogel lilac beaded dress for £3.50 and when I got home I Googled it and they retail for over £2,000!" she said.
"I found a Madeline Thompson jumper for 50p, so I googled it when I got home and found out it retails for £400.
"I also found a pure silk maxi dress with a label that said Deborah Aungiers, so I googled her and found that she was a dressmaker and a grad of the London School of Fashion.
"I tracked her down via Facebook and she remembered the dress I bought; it was made for a wealthy family in London whose daughter was attending a party in 1980.
"It was made from a re-purposed silk wedding sari I love that as it ended up 400 miles away and was immaculate and is over 40 years old!"
Over the last few months, Heidi estimates that she has saved up to £5,000 on her credit card from buying pre-loved.
She added: "I am an emotional shopper and fix my feelings buying nice stuff, payday treats, or something to lift my spirits.
"Sometimes even just the lure of an e-mail or ad on social media prompting me to buy would have me adding to the basket.
"It’s hard to quantify, but if I go to a car boot sale and spend £20, I can come back with over £400 worth of stuff at the retail process, I stick to £1 to £2 per item and find some amazing stuff."
Simple things just as thinking outside the box with styling skirts a different way can help reduce impulsive spending, she claims.
"I'm just a mum trying to make ends meet like everyone else," she said. "I don’t have a silver bullet for this awful crisis and the impending energy hikes.
"I still like treats and I don’t want all my wages to go on bills, so I try to shave costs off where I can.
"I am controlling the bits that I can in this situation and look at it as a challenge.
"I grew up in the 70s with very little and am dusting off the skills my mum used back then to make ends meet."
