Am I being tight?!

[McSteamyorMcdreamy]

My friend has just turned her nose up at me....

"Really? You're doing that?. Ew, I would feel awful if I did that!"

DD4 turns 5 later on in the month. Nailed her NEW balance bike and is now ready for her first proper bike.

Money is a bit tight and with her birthday party I didn't want to spend £££s on a brand new bike for her not to get on with it and sell it a loss/have it in the shed forever.

Anyhoo found a decent on on FB MP. Needs new tyres and new saddle and has a couple of age related marks but it's not battered. With the extras it's probably going to come to £70-£80.

Been looking for something decent for a while so was really chuffed to get it. Told friend and she said the above.

I feel really shit now and worried DD will be really disappointed as it won't be brand new and shiny. Realistically I know she won't give a shit and I will just be a bike, but I can't shake the feeling.

Am I tight???!

My kids are teenagers and every bike they've ever had was second hand from ebay or marketplace. Why on earth would you buy new?

We've had some brilliant deals, and half the price of new. Plus as you said, it's much better for the environment. We are older parents and fortunate that we aren't really struggling financially, but still appreciate a good value purchase. And kids grow and change and things might suit them now but not next year. Good luck with your purchase, and tell your 'friend' to move into the 21st century.....

Your friend shows exactly why we are in the huge environmental pickle we are in. She also shows that she’s a massive dick. What an unpleasant thing for her to have said.

No way are you tight. I’ve seen piles of bikes at the tip it breaks my heart when they are perfectly useable, there are projects which do up old bikes, much better for environment and they grow so quickly so you will likely need to move to a bigger frame soon anyway. Your friend is a moron.

Crikey, I remember that my SS first bike was one his mother had found in her mothers field... He still loved that bike and talked about it very happily as 'his bike'.

Children's attitudes to new things tends to be dictated by the environment they grow up in, consumerism is a learnt behaviour. I remember as a kid being more enthralled with the boxes Christmas presents came in than the items themselves to the point our parents and grandparents would joke that the year after they would just buy us the boxes!

You know your own daughter OP, I have no doubt she will love it!

I didn’t have a ‘new’ bike until I was an adult and bought one myself! Didn’t matter, I lived every bike Inwas given for birthdays or Xmas… your friend is being a snob…