Money saving tips: Mum shares ‘great option’ which helped her save £3,000 for Christmas | Personal Finance | Finance
Samantha Cook, a new mum, is embracing a second-hand Christmas this year as has saved over £3,000 through sustainability apps. She has urged families to turn to other money-saving measures for the rest of this year to cut costs this winter.
Millions of people across the UK are worrying about the cost of this year’s Christmas celebrations, as data from Young Planet revealed that 70 percentof UK adults plan to cut back on their festivities this year.
With 20 times less savings than the average UK adult, parents are set to be affected by rising household costs this winter. In fact, a fifth of families are considering cancelling Christmas due to the cost of living crisis.
However, rather than cancelling festive celebrations altogether, thrifty parents are celebrating a “second-hand Christmas”.
Since 2018, the UK’s second-hand market has grown by 404 percent in pre-loved item sales.
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Ms Cook spoke exclusively with Express.co.uk about her experiences with YoungPlanet.
She said: “Since having Arty, my son, a few months ago, I’ve seen a massive hike in my monthly bills. That’s why finding free second-hand alternatives on sites like Freecycle and YoungPlanet has been such a blessing.
“Since the start of this year, I’ve managed to save over £3,000 through the YoungPlanet app. Most of these savings went to buying a brand new car seat for Arty, which we’ve made great use of.
“Taking care of a newborn during this cost of living crisis has been very expensive, so the rest of these savings have mainly gone towards buying formula and nappies!
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“It’s a great relief knowing that I’ve been able to cut the majority of my parenting costs, especially with everything being so expensive at the moment.”
She explained becoming part of such a “kind and helpful” community has been a blessing, and it’s been great to share money-saving tips with other mums. She even made new friends through YoungPlanet by finding and listing items there.
Britons can download the app through the app store and create a free account.
If people want to share any pre-loved toys or parenting equipment, they just need to take a few pictures of the item, add a simple description and their location, and they will be ready to start.
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Ms Cook said: “It’s such a great option for parents and grandparents that want to get something useful and long-lasting for friends and family with kids.
“It’s easy to go overboard at Christmas, but this option is brilliant if you want to cut your costs and be more mindful about where you shop.
“There are some great high-quality stocking fillers for parents and kids – I’ve spotted parenting books, play sets and jigsaw puzzles, all for free!
“I’d also definitely recommend this app if you and your family want to avoid wasting any presents after Christmas, as there will be plenty of users that are interested in your items!”
The items currently circulating YoungPlanet:
- Search ‘New baby books’ (age zero to one years)
YoungPlanet: Free | Estimated RRP: £75.60+
- Search ‘Easel’ (age three to five years)
YoungPlanet: Free | Estimated RRP: £44.99
- Search ‘Fortnite figures’
YoungPlanet: Free | Estimated RRP: £49.99+
- Search ‘Baby snowsuit/ coat’ (age zero to one years)
YoungPlanet: Free | £24.00
- Search ‘Easel’ (age three to five years)
YoungPlanet: Free | Estimated RRP: £44.99
Emma Ash, who is co-founder of second-hand sharing app, YoungPlanet said: “Now more than ever, it’s important that pre-loved items are accessible and affordable for families across the UK.
“Second-hand shouldn’t be second best, and community sharing platforms like ours are making a huge difference to those who are struggling with the rising cost of living.”
