To go for second hand tat or is it canny recycling?

[sitandnatter]

I've just bought a Benson's Bed and Ikea Matress, solid pine bed, neither look used at all and delivered and fitted for £60 the two. One solid mahogany bedroom unit which though not orinally designed for a tv makes a perfect games unit with solid storage underneath that was desperately needed, and suspended file complete with pull down cover both of those for £40 the lot.

So AIBUnreasonably tight to go second hand?

Or a canny recycler?

Is recycling and going green the new second hand?

Er - not sure whether it matters if it's useful to you?

Whatever works for you - recycling, green, or just cheaper. It's all good.

Your house, your money, your life.

I don't see how 'tight' comes into it?

People have managed with second hand things since the year dot and been very happy with them.

But apparently you're not allowed to say 'second hand' now....it's pre-owned

Or pre-loved... not sure how I'd feel about that description on a bed, though .

But again, I think it's all good. And anyway, new stuff only looks new for about 30 seconds and then you may as well have bought second hand. Especially in my house.

I thought it was recycled,but pre-owned works for me too, my son won't be impressed that it is not new and worse I have had to take the puppy's crate out of his room to fit the bed in so that won't go down well either. He has autism so change is never good in our house.

He wrecks around a bed a year, they just collapse doesn't matter if I get Divan's, metal frames, cabin beds, they all get wrecked, so I won't be so upset if my bargain one only lasts 12 months.

What is the betting it will last forever?

The lads who delivered it are volunteers (I suspect community service rather than real volunteers but they couldn't have been more helpful), they were lovely, so wrote a note on the receipt to their gaffer saying how helpful and polite they were, they seem seriously chuffed that I'd done that.

Perhaps not "preloved" for the bed eh heresthething

I would be loathed to pay new after finding this furniture recycling centre. I helped a friend get the most fabulous leather suite there for around £60, complete with recliner. I gave them a fair pile of stuff too that was nice to ge out of the way.

It's obviously hit and miss on what they have in and what you need so you might need a few visits to get what you want but I'm chuffed, have to sell the idea to my son now.

Pretty much everything in our house is pre-owned. Kid's beds and wardrobes/drawers, our entire bedroom suite, TV, DVD player, DVDs, TV unit, kitchen dresser, sofas, dining chairs, most of our clothes, a lot of the kid's toys, our tent, our car etc etc It's a rare thing for us to go into a shop to buy any thing apart from food and toiletries. I love a bargain and hate waste.

I love bargains too cheerup I'll get more pleasure from knowing the bed only cost £60 including the mattress that I would if I'd have spent a few hundred quid on it new. The best bit is his old mattress tucks perfectly underneath the old bed so when he has mates over for sleepovers, he'll just have to pull out the old mattress and viola! No space wasted.

To be honest the "old fashioned" real wood furniture is far far superior to the modern stuff you can buy.

I'm with you I use our local Christian Aid International Warehouse and I've had LOADS of bargains - we got two solid wood his n hers (as in mine is bigger but matches his) wardrobes for £95 delivered.

Update: He loves it... Cellulity arse thuds on the floor.....

Same here - me and DH looked around our house the other day and worked out that of everything we own, only our bed, one sofa and the tv is new - everything else is pre-owned/loved/up-cycled/begged and borrowed. I love it - so much better than a house which looks like a page from a next catalogue!

harriet I am not sure now that I haven't been extremely stupid getting new stuff in the past. I paid around a grand for my settee about 12 years ago when the leather ones were quite expensive. Never again this recycling place has some lovely ones in, I'd just keep going back until they have one in I like.

here theres a fab leather 3 piece suite cost me £100 from an auction house, dressing table and wardrobe real art deco burr walnut cost me £15 from same place, 2 display cabinets cost me £20 off e bay, a fab dark oak dresser in the kitchen cost me £35 off e bay, dining table and chairs cost me £20 from another auction house, the only things i have bought new from shops is the electricals as buying from an auctions is dodgy wether they will work or not