My Plans For A Second Hand Christmas
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As September is fast approaching, many of us will be starting to think ahead to Christmas. This year I’m aiming to buy as many Christmas presents as I can second hand. While this is something I have done in the past, this year I really want to step up my efforts. Read all about my plans for a second hand Christmas.
This week, the UN released a climate change report which they say is a ‘code red for humanity’.
While most people are aware of the impact climate change is having on our planet, I think that this report has really made us want to try even harder in our efforts to be sustainable.
Shopping second hand this Christmas is one of the ways I’m planning on doing that.
My Plans For A Second Hand Christmas
I’m the first to admit that not all of my efforts at sustainability are perfect. I know we consume too much plastic and eat too much meat. I also know that making sustainable choices is a privilege as sometimes, but not always, the eco option can be significantly more expensive.
However, I’m a firm believer that we need millions of people to take smalls steps to be more environmentally friendly rather than a few people trying to do everything or people not doing anything at all because they believe being more eco-conscious is an all or nothing decision.
Why Buy Second Hand This Christmas
There are so many brilliant reasons to buy second-hand this Christmas, here are just a few of them.
Save Money
Buying second hand can save you lots of money and also means you might be able to afford toys that might otherwise be out of budget.
For example, I’ve bought my daughter a Happy Land Ferris Wheel with four little people in a charity shop for £3.50. Brand new this toy would have been £35 and would have had to be her main present. Yes, there are signs of wear and tear but at age three she’s honestly not going to mind and I know she’ll love it.
Less Plastic Waste
Christmas is a time filled with waste and plastic from toys, cards and wrapping that can’t be recycled and food are some of the biggest culprits.
Buying second hand toys and gifts can help reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfill as most toys are already opened. I know many parents unbox toys on Christmas Eve anyway, especially those that need extra assembly so your children might not even notice they’re not brand new.
Supports Charity
Buying gifts from second-hand shops can help support charities rather than making huge companies even richer (looking at you Amazon!).
Many charities suffered huge losses during the pandemic as people could no longer afford to make their regular contributions so this is a great way to still support them even if you can’t afford regular donations.
Fickle Interests
Kids can be pretty fickle. Super into something one minute and then not so keen the next. This means you can end up buying gifts in the run-up to Christmas that don’t get played with.
This is far less frustrating when the item in question was second hand and a bargain to begin with!
Second Hand Doesn’t Mean Used
I know that not everyone is as comfortable as I am when it comes to buying used toys and clothes.
However, you can often find brand new toys which are still in the box for a fraction of the price of new ones both in charity shops and online such as on eBay and Vinted.
My daughter loves the TV show Bluey but it’s pretty new here in the U.K so I thought I was going to really struggle to find second hand Bluey toys.
However, I found the toy pictured below on Vinted for £12. RRP is £20. Many parents end up selling brand new toys when they don’t get played with or because they’ve been given duplicates.
My Second Hand Christmas
Over the last few weeks, I’ve made a start on buying second hand gifts for my daughter as she’s the main person I need to buy for. I originally set a budget of £50 but because I’ve already managed to get lots for her at very reasonable prices, I might lower that to £35.
I wanted to get started early as finding the right gifts second hand can take time and I think I’m lucky as I’m someone that enjoys bargain hunting and looking around the charity shops.
Here’s what I’ve bought so far, all of which has been second hand either from Vinted or charity shops.
Orchard Toys Games x 3 (£1 each) £3
Dinosaur pens £2
Bluey Truck £12
Art Set £1
Happy Land Ferris Wheel & Figures £3.50
Sticker Books x 2 £1.50
Books x 2 £1
Slippers £2
Ben & Holly Magic Wand 75p
TOTAL £25.75
I actually thought it might be hard finding stocking filler type items like sticker books and felt tips as children tend to use them until they’re completely spent.
However, this hasn’t been the case at all, both the felt tips and art set I found were brand new and unused and the sticker books are both in new condition too (I had a really good look through before buying).
I’ve also found the pre-loved Orchard games to be a total bargain at £1 each as usually, the RRP is around £6.99.
So that’s my daughter covered, what about everyone else?
Well, I’ll admit buying for everyone else second hand isn’t quite so easy, but I am willing to give it try.
The easiest people to buy for are going to be my Mum and Dad. My Dad is a big QPR fan I’ve seen plenty of QPR Merchandise brand new with tags on both eBay and Vinted. I’d usually buy my Mum clothes too so again that shouldn’t be too tricky.
They both like homeware such as candles so ill be looking out for these too.
Much harder is going to be my brother, who is 17. He’s quite into branded clothes so I might take a look on Depop to see what I can find there.
For extended family, I’m going to keep an eye for things like smellies sets and books that are brand new but I may have to buy a few new items too. And that’s okay. I’m really happy with the steps I’m taking here.
Other Ways I’m Planning A More Sustainable Christmas
As well as buying as many gifts as I can second hand, there are also other ways I’m planning to be more sustainable this Christmas.
- Reusing wrapping paper and gift bags from last year.
- Avoiding buying Christmas cards or wrap that contain glitter.
- Limiting food waste as much as possible.
- Buy Christmas jumpers second hand.
- Avoid buying new decorations.
- Use natural materials like paper, pinecones and fruit.
My Plans For A Second Hand Christmas – Final Thoughts
I’ve really enjoyed planning and buying second-hand gifts in preparation for Christmas this year and although I still have a long way to go on my journey to a more sustainable lifestyle, I think I’m taking positive steps in the right direction.
I recognise that shopping second-hand for gifts isn’t possible for everyone and that’s okay. But imagine the impact it would have on the environment if everyone bought just one or two gifts second hand either from charity shops or online through eBay or Vinted.
Small steps made by everyone will see the biggest changes and I think we need to continue to praise people for taking even one step towards a more sustainable life rather than pointing out all the things they’re not doing.
