SECOND-HAND GOODS

   One of the reasons to buy preowned things is to save money as they are usually cheaper than new things. You can also decrease the amount of litter by giving a second life to things that have already been produced. When I was a child I wore clothes that I received from my older cousins and had school books that my mum received from her friend who had older children. For sure my parents saved money by equipping me and my sister with second-hand things but that time I wasn't as optimistic as my parents were. The clothes were not my style and often not my size and the books were dirty, crumpled and drawn on  with a ball point and crayons.

   To avoid the disadvantages of used things I follow three main rules:

1) I buy only things that are good shape, size and quality.

2) I buy things that I would buy new with normal price.

3) The price of the second-hand object is much lower than the new one.

I mostly buy used clothes for my children. I choose clothes that are in good condition and I know my children will like them. I avoid buying dirty clothes unless I’m 100% sure I will clean them easily. To plain t-shirts I add buttons, ribbons or lace (also from a second-hand store) to make them nicer for my daughter.

   I also have a few clothes in my wardrobe that I bought in a second-hand store. A salmon pink midi skirt from H&M that was new, with a paper tag attached and cost a tenth of the original price. I also have a floral dress from Oasis that had a stain on the front but I removed it easily and now I can wear it to work. I also bought winter trousers that are perfect for winter trips.

   As well as clothes I buy toys for my children. Recently my daughter asked me to buy her a toy monkey. It wasn't easy but I found two little monkeys in the second hand store that were available in 2017 in McDonald as an addition to a Happy Meal. You can still get those monkeys on eBay but they cost 6$ and I got mine for 2 zloty ;)

   I also buy used books that are old editions or no longer available in book stores. The things that I definitely won’t buy include underwear, shoes and bedclothes.