Tricia writes:
There’s quite a bit of snobbery involved in shopping, especially in a charity shop. Some folk won’t go near a charity shop, others go overboard the other way. There is a more relaxed approach. You can just pop into a local charity shop or two every couple of weeks to have a quick look for anything you require.
Recently I’ve purchase egg cups in perfectly good condition and items for the Christmas shoe box for children in Eastern Europe, as at this time of year you can pick things up really inexpensively, which would be a different story near Christmas time.
The obvious advantage of using a charity shop is that it is the perfect way to recycle goods; brilliant not only for the charity but also for the environment. Your budget will benefit too. 
A year ago, I had a lucky find of a pair of light brown Gap trousers. They looked brand new, fitted perfectly and cost just under £5.00 . I have worn them time and time again and they are still in good condition. Last month, I spotted a perfect Joseph top. It was exactly the style I love; this designer label top was in new condition and retailed at £3.75. To match my outfit, I purchased a brand new pair of shoes in Scope by ‘Skills’ at just under £14.00. A top, trousers and shoes for around £23.00 with the charity also benefiting. It may not happen often, but it's perfect when it does.
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Tips for Purchasing in a Charity Shop
Keep popping in from time to time to pick up an occasional bargain.
Have a list of your wardrobe requirements in your beauty notebook to keep you on track. If you already have six black tops you don’t need another one even if it appears to look lovely and be a ‘bargain’.
Check for holes, worn patches, underarm marks, worn ends of sleeves and hems.
Check for stains, marks etc. (remember to wear your glasses if necessary).
Look at the garment label. If it is in new condition the garment will have hardly been washed, if it is faded and soft the garment has probably been well worn.
Don’t be disappointed if nothing seems to suit your requirements. It’s hit and miss.
London shops and shops in larger or wealthier towns may have a better selection.
Ensure you do require the item. It’s easy to get carried away with a ‘bargain’ you will never wear.
Tricia's Experiment at acquiring Free Stuff
It was with hesitation that I decided to undertake a ‘free stuff’ experiment for looklovely.net. My task was to try out the freebie sites offering samples and free products.
Why would anyone want to give away anything free and would I be bombarded with junk mail?
My first task was to take care that I used a different email address to my usual work related one. I didn’t want to be ploughing through heaps of advertising junk mail to find my messages. Internet users are often entitled to extra free email addresses from their provider e.g. from a source such as Sky. Using a dedicated email address avoids your inbox being overloaded so it’s worth bothering to set up a specific account for use for freebies if you have this facility.
My second thought was that many businesses are struggling in the present climate. I decided to only apply for free products if I had a genuine interest in the item as it felt unfair to the company otherwise.
Over a period of a couple of months I have received:
Free samples of skincare products and shampoo. These are handy to use when travelling or for visitors.
Tomato seeds and a salad leaf selection for us plus wildflower seeds for the children.
Arm bands for swimming for the children. These were a real find.
A make up travel compact - loved this.
Two wonderful filter coffee samples which both made a whole pot.
One delicious breakfast muesli sample
One lunch box of nuts, seeds and berries
£5.00 Mammas and Pappas voucher
A book of vouchers for money off nappies.
An exercise stretch band
Samples of pet food
A free glossy magazine.
From magazine offers, I have received a lovely selection of bulbs for the garden, herb seeds and a shopping bag.
The negative aspect of internet treasure hunting is that it takes time. I browsed on the laptop in the late evenings with the telly on in the background which was quite relaxing. On a positive note, it was fun when the post came, wondering what would arrive.
If you do decide to try this out, remember to be very careful to check or uncheck the correct boxes regarding advertising mail according to your preference, as it is often easy to miss a box or misread one. A few products require postage, consider the value of the product against the postage costs carefully. Do ensure that you are searching a freebies website which is applicable to your country.
Also, be on your guard for sites that offer tempting gifts but ask never ending ‘survey’ questions. Few folk must ever get to the end of the questions to gain the product.
Watch out for the offers regarding plays for gambling sites as it’s easy to get sucked in and waste your money. These sites are set up for the owners to make money, not us! The odds must always ultimately be against the player or the sites would not exist.
My conclusion is that, although I won’t spend heaps of time searching for free stuff, I will have a little browse on the freebies page of the hotukdeals website and search a freebies websites a couple of times a week. There is something rather delicious about having a lovely breakfast of free muesli and coffee which is a little addictive.
