Those who know me well know I’m a keen bargain hunter. I rarely pay full price for anything, I love following selling groups on Facebook and I search eBay for amazing deals. One thing I don’t do enough of is shop in charity shops. However, since having Lamb I have become more aware of how disposable things are and not enough people upcycle or recycle their unwanted goods. Once a child is bored of a toy what do you do with it? Are you more likely to throw it in the bin for convenience, or could you spend half an hour out of your day to drop it of at a charity shop or collection point?
I’m a bit of a hoarder. I go mad if my other half tries to throw anything away. My response is always “I could sell that” or “that can go to charity”. Never do I throw anything away (unless it really has no life left in it). This year I have already taken 3 sacks full of old clothes and toys to a local charity shop and I still have 2 large bags to go.
I was really excited when I heard about the #MyCharityChallenge with The Salvation Army. I think it’s a great way of reminding people that charity shops aren’t there as an easy way or getting rid of unwanted stuff, but also a great (and cheap) way of buying.
As part of the #MyCharityChallenge this Christmas I wanted to find some hidden gems to wrap up for Lamb. As our local Salvation Army is a small shop there wasn’t a huge amount to choose from, however they did have a lovely selection of books available. I decided, as Lamb has developed a love for books, that I would buy him something A) will excite him when he opens it, B) he will genuinely use over and over C) that I really don’t need to buy brand new.
The books I found were all priced between 99p and £1.99. Seriously, Christmas presents for 50p! For me, there is nothing better than a well loved book. I have a huge collection of my childhood books that I have kept for Lamb and can’t bare the thought of parting with. However, if the days comes when I have to clear some space I will most definitely be donation them to charity. They are way too sentimental to go in the bin. I would love to think a new family will enjoy reading them as much as I did. But for now, they get to stay on Lambs bookshelf. 🙂
Walking out of the charity shop with a bag filled with books was really rewarding. Not only were they amazing value (some were £1) but in really great condition.
Taking part in the #MyCharityChallenge has really opened my eyes and made me realise how much money I could spend if I bought everything brand new. Do books really need to be bought new? Do you really care if they are preloved? As long as they are not falling apart or covered in felt tip pen, there is really nothing stopping you having a quick look in your local charity shop to see if you can grab yourself a little bargain.
Alex x
There really is something special about a preloved book. As a kid I had read out the entire local library by the time I twelve and there was no way my parents could afford to buy new books every week so all my books tended to come from charity shops, car boot sales or the second hand shop in the nearest town. My favourite smell in the world is the smell of old books!
Thanks for linking up with #SundayStars xxx
Books are definitely better preloved!