One month down on my year of shopping second-hand challenge and I'm feeling positive; everything I've needed, wanted, or looked for I've found. I'm starting to feel it's almost too easy so I'm considering upping the ante with one or two spending bans throughout the year. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself there, it's only one month after all.
One welcome side effect of this challenge is that I'm tracking my non-essentials spending, and I've certainly spent more this month than I typically would any other month. I had quite a few items I knew I wanted to buy and was looking out for; I just happened to find them sooner than I expected and made the purchases consecutively. I imagine next month will be much more forgiving.
I always keep a running list of things I'm on the lookout for and on it this month was: a belt, trainers, a white camisole, a sage green shirt, a large mirror, a lemon juicer, incense sticks. Here's what I bought, where from, and what it cost:
Lazy Oaf Dress from eBay - £32.97 (rrp: £65)
NIKE Air Max 90 Trainers from eBay - £28.79 (rrp: £99.95)
COS Dress from eBay - £12.78 (rrp: £40?)
IKEA Mirror from eBay - £36.50 (rrp: £50-100 + £30 delivery)
Lemon Juicer (+ glass) from eBay - £5.98 (rrp: £9.99)
Incense Sticks from a charity shop - 99p
Notes On A Nervous Planet Book from a charity shop - £2 (rrp: £12.99)
It's worth mentioning that everything I purchased was in excellent like-new condition; you'd never even know they were second-hand items. The clothing, trainers, mirror, and even the book could easily pass as new purchases except they cost significantly less money.
In early January, I switched around my wardrobe a little and said goodbye to a few things that I no longer loved enough to wear regularly. I wanted less navy and more pink so I purchased two dresses on eBay - a Lazy Oaf sweater dress and a COS dress - which were both somewhat impulse buys; although I was actively looking to add something new to my wardrobe. Both were great second-hand finds, considerably cheaper than the retail price, and they fit perfectly into my wardrobe.
I purchased a pair of TOMS sneakers before the New Year rolled around and my challenge started. As it turns out, the TOMS weren't quite right and I sent them back. I did question whether buying a new pair of trainers to replace the ones I bought before the new year would be breaking the rules or not, and I ultimately decided it would be. I was iffy about buying second-hand shoes and reluctantly started searching for a suitable pair. It really isn't that big of a deal though, there are plenty of previously owned excellent quality trainers (and shoes). I found a lightly used pair of NIKE Air Max 90 trainers for less than half the retail price. The trainers arrived in excellent condition, didn't smell (!), and fit perfectly.
Something I debated purchasing before my challenge kicked in, preventing me from buying it new, was a specific IKEA mirror. I let the new year slip by and with a little patience, I found a very similar mirror on eBay for collection. Unlike the one I wanted to purchase new, the second-hand mirror fits perfectly into the spot I wanted to put it in. I'm not sure of the retail price since IKEA has stopped making the Stave design but I definitely saved myself some money.
Other things I bought second-hand include: a lemon juicer (which came with a little glass cup), incense sticks, a Kilner jar, vintage plant pot, and a book. I'm still looking for a belt, sage green shirt, and white camisole - plus I'm always keeping an eye out for books and jars for the pantry.