Aside from dropping into a charity shop when I pass by, I haven’t been thrifting much this month and have very few updates to share. As my Year of Second Hand challenge comes to a close, I’m realising how little I actually need and I’ve adjusted my shopping habits accordingly. I’m still musing over what I’ve learned but I won’t be sharing until the end of the year when I’ve had a chance to really pin down my thoughts and feelings, especially in regards to how I’m going to make changes next year.
I’ve had to purchase a few basics this winter including socks and lingerie. I was starting to notice holes and some things shouldn’t be purchased pre-worn - like knickers and socks! Finding these items reasonably-priced and fairly-made as well as well-fitting has been a struggle. There are definitely options for ethical lingerie but it’s whether your budget can stretch and you're willing to compromise on fit. MUJI has work to do in regards to sustainability but they're the only place I've found that can provide me with well-fitting affordable underthings and so, for now, I'm still buying my basics from them.
We made two purchases for the apartment this month, which we'd been considering for a long time. Our kitchen pans are broken, they've been falling apart for months. The handles are loose, the lids have snapped, and the pans themselves are burnt. They were one of the first purchases we made when we moved in together over 6 years ago. Instead of buying second-hand, we invested in a 'buy it for life' set of Le Creuset pans. We've been thinking about pulling the trigger on the purchase all year. I know they're worth it especially with the lifetime guarantee but the price always made me balk. The Black Friday sales made them more affordable so we went for it and made the purchase along with a kitchen trolley upgrade to reclaim some of the lost space in our tiny kitchen. Our old one was purchased years ago from a charity shop and was on its last legs, quite literally.
November is the month I usually start my gift shopping. Like last year I’ll be buying second-hand gifts wherever appropriate to do so. I know for a lot of people it feels icky to buy pre-owned gifts but honestly there are so many like-new items that have never been out of the box, had the tags removed, or even used. It seems silly to be to buy new when a quick search online can result in making the same purchase at a deeply discounted price, simply because someone held it in their hands and decided they didn’t want it. If you feel weird about buying second-hand gifts, read this (and get over it).