Mum spends £0 on daughter's birthday gift and will splash just £100 on christmas presents
A money-savvy mum has revealed how she's keeping Christmas costs down by buying three-quarters of her children's presents secondhand – and she even managed to give her daughter a birthday gift without spending a penny.
A savvy mum has revealed how she spent absolutely NOTHING on her daughter's fifth birthday present – and plans to splash just £100 on Christmas gifts for her two children.
Isabel Mack, 44, is determined to keep costs down this festive season, with around 75 per cent of her children's presents expected to be secondhand. And her latest money-saving trick came straight from her own childhood.
After her mum Sorrel, 75, moved house and cleared out her garage, Isabel rediscovered a collection of nostalgic retro toys she'd loved growing up. Rather than splash out on a brand-new birthday gift, she rolled up her sleeves, cleaned and restored a miniature toy shop complete with tiny groceries and stock. The result? A completely free present packed with childhood memories.
The Winchester, Hampshire-based founder says she has even more treasures tucked away, including a toy nursery and cottage, which could become future birthday surprises. And Christmas won't be breaking the bank either, with Isabel setting a strict budget of £50 per child.
Her shopping list includes books about soldiers and battleships for her nine-year-old son, plus secondhand character figurines for her children's Toniebox audio player. She said: "It's not about how much you spend – what you spend needs to be affordable to you – and kids can find joy in the smallest things."
Isabel first turned to pre-loved shopping after having her son, initially buying cheaper pram accessories. Now, reducing waste is just as important as saving money, with Vinted her first port of call for clothes, toys and household essentials.
She has previously bagged a Hot Wheels garage for just £25 on Facebook Marketplace, saving £100, and snapped up an Octonauts playset on eBay for hundreds less. She also keeps a running list of things her children show interest in throughout the year to avoid expensive panic-buying. Even the adults in her family have ditched Christmas presents altogether, a decision made two years ago that has taken some of the festive pressure off.
Isabel, who runs a social enterprise lending reusable party kits, hopes community initiatives such as The Big Toy Swap will make secondhand gifting more popular. She added: "It's the thought and the history and the love that makes that present important, not how much you spent on it or didn't."