AIBU not to buy my children new books/toys/clothes

[manicinsomniac]

Okay, I'm not saying I never ever buy them but it's rare.

My children have enough books to fill a library, loads of toys and loads of clothes - but they come almost exclusively from charity shops, car boot sales and ebay.

I'm a single mum, only a teacher and my children are only 8 and 4. They don't care whether something is new or not. They love shopping wit me at charity shops etc and I think we get some amazing bargains.

But I mentioned a fantastic fairy tales book I've bought for my younger daughter for Christmas (from a charity shop) to a friend this morning and she was shocked that I "don't buy those poor kids anything decent" It's a lovely book! Barely read!

I know that when they are teens they'll be hankering after this, that and the other but at the moment they love what they get.

AIBU to this this is not such a bad life?

(btw, most of my clothes and books are from similar sources, I'm not THAT mean!)

Yanbu. The majority of my dc's books & clothes are from NCT sales and charity shops.

It saves money for me, makes money for good causes and re-uses what's already out there.

They get second hand presents too, although I can only get away with it as they're so young (5 & 3).

YANBU. My daughter was greeted by name in two of the charity shops we went into today and one of the volunteers remembered that she is one on Sunday. That probably tells you how often we're in there!

Myself and my DD's wear second hand clothes, read second hand books and buy anything else that is going cheap. It is getting harder to find a bargin and you have to be careful, somethings are cheaper in the super markets.

My problem is telling people, I buy things thinking no one will know, but can't help but tell everyone what a bargin I have got.

My DD's know that father christmas makes some toys and gives children toys that other children don't want anymore or takes them off naughty children ( this has the added bonus after christmas "if your naughty father christmas will give it to a good girl).

I just love a bargin but I don't buy second hand for presents for people outside my own family and only buy second hand shoes for DD's if they look brand new.

Keep up the bargin hunting.

I love charity shops, jumbles sales and car boots. I sometimes find something good for me,meet met toys for my DD for pence. My sister is making good pocket money on eBay selling on stuff she's bought at jumbles.

I think most of my friends would recoil on horror

All most all of our clothes are second hand or hand me downs. Its economical and environmental. I must have saved a bomb over the years.

When the dc were small almost all of their clothes were hand me downs. Everthing went round in circles - good quality maternity clothes, cribs, baby and childrens clothes, toys - I think our Thomas train sets and stuff is presently with a family who moved to Hertfordshire! Bought lots and lots of books for the dc in charity shops when they were little, including a complete set of Famous Fives in hardback and a signed, first edition of Michael Morpurgo's Butterfly Lion! DH buys second hand books all the time .

The saddest thing though was when the dc grew out of the cot, travel cot, pram, bath, etc., I phoned social services and asked if they would like all the equipment and was snippily told "we only provide families with brand new things" huh!

This is an amazing AIBU -everyone is sensible and in agreement. Where are all the people who would pay 4x as much for the same thing just to have it new?! (Perhaps they just don't want to admit to it.)

you're just smart OP.

I'm in shock, just read what social services said to marriedinwhite about only having new things.

Does this mean that us working mums are walking around in second hand clothes pushing second hand prams while the poor people of this country are turning up their noses at are stuff or is it yet another silly health and safety issue because we may all be carrying nasty germs.

P.S. marriedinwhite I thought that was a really good idea and I think a thank you would have been nice.

yanbu, my wedding dress cost £10 (+£6 in adjustments) in a charity shop and i got lots of compliments on it :)

I judge people who don't buy second-hand . What with the wasting of resources and the missed opportunity to support a charity and all.

I am hoping the SS comment was someone on the end of the phone giving out a garbled version of 'we cannot supply second-hand car seats/mattresses' but had applied it to everything. Certainly I've heard of charities that SS use (for respite or temporary care) who do accept goods.

And if anyone honestly thinks that a top from Primark has had less contact with people, floors, dingy warehouses full of rats etc than a top from a charity shop, they are wronger than wrong. I'm personally grateful that someone has taken the trouble to wear the clothes in and wash all those noxious processing chemicals out of them for me .

I am in complete agreement SuePurblybilt. How many times have you said when wearing new shoes "I would pay someone to brake these in for me". Yes I can still remember buying new shoes.