A new mum on maternity leave was petrified at the thought of paying for Christmas while only earning £184 a week on statutory maternity pay – but she managed to get creative
In the lead up to Christmas last year, I was petrified of the cost due to being at the end of my maternity leave and only having an income of £184.03 a week. With the majority of my money being spent on nappies, wipes, baby formula and berries to feed my daughter’s sweet tooth, I had to get creative when it came to thinking about Christmas.
Although I know my family did not expect anything from us last year, I still wanted to show my appreciation for all the kindness they had given us during the first 10 months of my daughter’s life. So, instead of taking out a credit card to pay for the cost, I decided to declare 2024 “thriftmas” and got to work looking for the perfect gifts for my nearest and dearest.
While on maternity leave, I was regularly posting on Vinted, Europe’s leading second-hand fashion marketplace, with my daughter’s tiny clothes that no longer fitted her, cry.
We were also in the middle of sorting through all of our belongings as we got ready to move house, which gave me a chance to declutter and sell unwanted items on the platform, which boasts millions of users worldwide.
By the time Christmas came around, I had made over £300 by selling three things we no longer needed – baby clothes books and toys, which left me in good stead for shopping.
Not only does Vinted sell clothing, people can also list unwanted and unopened gifts on the platform, which worked in my favour when it came to getting some bargain toiletries for family members.
Among the items I bought were a trio of hand creams from The White Company, still in the original packaging for just £8.85, when they would be £20 brand new, Liz Earl gift sets worth £20 for £15, and even a real Swarovski dice necklace for £15.
Other brands I bought on Vinted included Soap and Glory tins for my lovely nieces, a Little Dutch Abacus for the baby and two pairs of new with tags Nike shorts for my fiancé for a bargain price of £25 when they would have cost £35 each originally.
Each of the items were still in the original packaging with foil over the lid of the toiletries to show they had not been opened. As for the toys I got for my daughter, after a good clean they were good as new and ready to be used again.
I was honestly shocked by the savings I made after spending just under £200 on gifts that would have cost £400 otherwise, and it didn’t take a single penny out of my bank account.
Don’t get me wrong, you can’t get everything you need on Vinted, especially more personal items, but it was great for me.
I was able to withdraw the extra money I had earned over the year to go towards Christmas cards, wrapping paper and even some festive shopping in Liverpool with family which was a lovely experience.
When it came to giving gifts, family couldn’t believe the deals I got and said they would look to Vinted the next time they were gift giving.
