A woman who has bought all her Christmas gifts second-hand says she's saved £6,000 a year and revealed her top tips for buying pre-loved presents. Emma Sendall, 26, claims she's "the queen of Vinted" and says buying second-hand has "changed her life".
Emma says there are some tips and tricks to master when buying second-hand - including having something in mind you are looking for and realising if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. She has bought records, clothing, trainers and perfumes for a fraction of the price - saving herself £6000 a year by buying items at least 60% of the market rate.
Emma said she buys most of her items from vinted apart from the off exception where she will shop on eBay and go to charity shops. Emma, a family support worker, from Norwich, Norfolk, said: "I think there is so much stuff that exists in the world. Why make more? There is so much stuff about.
"You can get some unique items, which are so much cheaper second-hand. The world would be a better place if everyone shopped second-hand.
"You can go into a shop and buy one thing for £40, or you can go second-hand and buy 10 things for £40." Over the last three years, Emma says all the clothes she has bought are pre-loved and she is aiming to buy all her Christmas gifts second-hand this year.
She said: "At least half of my presents last year were second-hand and this year I am trying to get all my gifts second-hand. You can buy so much that is still brand new with tags.
"I save at least 60 percent of the money I would usually spend. Last year I bought my mum a brand new dressing gown from Next second-hand and I paid £11.
"Some things are easier to come across second-hand than others - items like clothes, slippers, jackets, books, music, phone cases, perfumes and aftershaves. If a perfume is normally £80, you can usually buy it for £40 second-hand.
"Children's toys are one of the easiest things to purchase second-hand. My friend's child wanted a Paw Patrol gift that was around £100 in the shops and second-hand it was around £20.
"Obviously, it was missing stickers and it has some dints, but he is four years old."
Emma's top tips for buying second-hand overall:
- Have something in mind that you are looking for
- Don't be afraid to ask for more pictures and further information if you are shopping online
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is
- Keep an eye on items, you don't have to buy the first one that comes up.
Emma's top second-hand gifts for adults:
- Slippers and dressing gowns
- Picture frames
- Beauty gift sets
Emma's top second-hand gifts for children:
- Children's toys
- Teddy bears
- Wellies
Emma can be found on TikTok at @emmasendalll
