THIS thrifty mum of one has revealed how she decked out the entirety of her home in second hand furniture.
Alix Shaw, 33, has shopped exclusively for second hand items for as long as she can remember, attending weekly car boot sales and rummaging through charity shops to find items for her home and her family.
She has managed to find everything from a free bed for her son Casper, two, to wardrobes for £30, a handmade table for £12 and a pink chair for £5.
The graphic designer, from Dereham, Norfolk, estimates that she spent a meagre £3,000 on second hand items for her home, saving herself more than £7,000!
Alix said: “I very rarely buy anything new and love how buying second hand items can offset my carbon footprint as well as giving new life to unwanted items.
“I love boot sales, so try to get to them as often as possible, I go most weekends when they are on over the summer season.
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“When we moved into our three-bed home in 2019, it was always my plan to furnish it in second hand pieces so I was always on the lookout for anything I could find to add to it.
“I have picked up all sorts of items from charity shops and sales, and if they are not in the best of shape, I will always make sure to upcycle them to give them a new lease of life.
“I reckon I have spent around £3000 on second-hand furniture, looking at those items’ new, I think it would have cost just over £10,000 which is crazy to think about."
Alix’s finds also include a £50 king-size bed for her and partner Tobias Geddes, 33, hexagon floating shelves for £2 apiece, lamps for £2 and even a £5 rug.
She adds: “I’ve also managed to find a weather mobile for over Casper’s bed for £2, we got an absolute bargain brand new bath and sink for £30 from FB Marketplace, and bedside tables for £5 each.
“I’ve also managed to snag quite a few freebies since moving house, like a toy chest I found on the side of the road, a pink storage stool from a friend, and a few gifts from my mother-in-law, Nicky, 57, like a white wicker storage chest, an armchair and a sofa from my parents.
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“I love adding little decorations to my home as well, so I’ve got a few bits and bobs like fake flowers, a fruit bowl, art prints and books for less than £2 each.
“I also love planning ahead for the holiday seasons, so if I see anything my family or Casper might like, I store them as Christmas and birthday presents.
Alix even buys all of her clothes second hand, very rarely buying new.
She said: “Obviously the only thing I tend to buy new is underwear, but I love giving ‘vintage’ and second-hand clothing another chance at life.
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“Clothes are one of the main things I love to pick up at the boot sales, especially for Casper as he’s just growing so fast, and new baby clothes are often really expensive.
“I can get him everything from t-shirts and dungarees for between 50 pence and £1.
“I get myself lots of playsuits, cardigans, and tops for between 50 pence and £2 as well, most of the time it’s actually brand new and has never been worn.
“It feels great to buy second-hand because it means I’m not contributing to funding fast fashion industries like Shien.
“I’m making sure items don’t go into landfill, and I’m leaving as little of a carbon footprint as possible.”
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PRICE BREAKDOWN EXAMPLES OF SECOND-HAND FURNITURE HOME
Entrance way (green wall)
- Brown side unit: free from mother-in-law
- Pink chair: £5 boot sale
- Drinks cabinet: free from mother-in-law
- Lampshade £1 boot sale
- Flowers: £2 boot sale
- Frames: various boot sales & charity shops £1-3
Casper’s room
- Bed: free Facebook marketplace
- Toy chest: free roadside pickup & upcycled
- Shelves: boot sale £2 & £1
- Light shade: £1 boot sale
- Weather mobile: £3 charity shop
- Chair: gift from mother-in-law
- Drawers: given to us from a friend
- Lion heads: £4 boot sale
Our bedroom
- Bed: £50 Facebook marketplace
- Bedside tables: £5 for both upcycle
- Lamps: £2 boot sale
- Rug: £5 boot sale
- Wardrobes: £30 Facebook marketplace (painted white)
- Light shade: 20p boot sale
- Pink laundry bin: £8 boot sale
- White wicker storage chest: from mother-in-law
- Large white mirror: gift from mother-in-law
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Bathroom
- Bath and sink: new from FB market place £30
- Shelves: handmade scaffolding boards £12 a board
- Décor all second-hand from boot sales/charity shop
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