Casey Major-Bunce, 33, a ‘frugal influencer’ from Portsmouth, buys her four children secondhand Christmas presents each year. Here Casey, who shares Ayron, 13, Kaiser, eight and and five-year-old twins Matilda and Arabecca with partner Adam, 37, shares her handy tips…
Growing up, we didn’t have much money. My mum became disabled when I was six and I had to care for her and my brothers, so Christmas was always about enjoying spending time with each other, rather than receiving lots of presents.
As a mum of four, the cost of Christmas can quickly add up. The average family spends £1,811.70 on Christmas – 80% of the average monthly UK income – according to The Money Charity, which is absurd.
I’ve always been tight with my money, but as my family has grown and the cost of living has increased, I’ve learned first-hand that preparation is a key part of saving money.
By starting my Christmas shopping early and buying second-hand, I’m able to save an average of £100 on gifts for each child. We now budget about £125 per child and spread purchases throughout the year. It makes the end of the year shop way less stressful as I don’t end up panic-buying or dreading a massive bill at the end of December.
Here are my top tips:
January and February are when you can find some of the best deals on secondhand apps because people are looking to get rid of Christmas gifts or things they didn’t need or want. I bought my Christmas tree from Facebook Marketplace in January and got an incredible bargain. I paid £40 instead of the £250 RRP.
2. Buy refurbished electronics
A lot of people don’t know that stores like Curry’s, Amazon and Apple sell refurbished electrical goods, like phones and laptops, for a fraction of the RRP. Last year, I bought my teenage son a refurbished iPhone 12 for £100 from Apple. It works perfectly and still came with a one-year warranty.
3. Save time and money by buying assembled toys and furniture
Last year I found a giant Frozen castle on Facebook Marketplace for my then four-year-old twins. What would have cost me £250 new only cost £25 – and it was built so I didn’t have to give up an evening to assemble it. I love using Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree because you can view the item in person before committing to it and save lots of money on shipping costs. It’s also a great way to get to know your neighbours.
4. Become a pro at eBay bidding
It can be easy to get caught up in the thrill of a bidding war so I’ve learned to give myself a budget for every item. A little tip I’ve learned is to never ‘watch’ the item online, so people don’t know there’s as much interest. Instead, I mark my calendar with the end date and then about eight seconds before the bid ends, I’ll put in my final budget plus an extra £0.01. The extra £0.01 can go miles in helping you get ahead of other bidders and so far, that trick has never failed me. I recently scored a Gap hoodie for my son for £2.99.
5. Check Vinted for new clothing
If my kids find clothes on the high street that they love, I’ll always check Vinted to see if someone is selling theirs. It’s really easy to use if you know exactly what you’re looking for and you can find a lot of brand new clothing that often still has the tags on. One of my favourite finds has been a brand-new Ralph Lauren coat for £25 – it would have cost me £250 full price.
I go to London a lot for work and tend to target different charity shops in more affluent areas as the selection tends to be trendier and better value. Mary’s Living & Giving Shop for Save the Children in Wandsworth, South London, is also great since there are a lot of families in the area. I picked up a LOL dolls house for my girls for £20 – a quarter of what I would have paid if I’d bought it on the high street.
7. Use Google Lens to find the best deal
Google Lens has been a total game-changer, especially when I’m shopping for toys for the kids. I take a photo of the item I’m after and it scans the internet to find the lowest price. I recently found a Rainbow High doll for £8 cheaper on Amazon than I would have paid on the high street. It has been a huge time-saver in finding the best deals. What I love most is that it also shows you the prices and retailers where you can buy them brand new or secondhand, like on eBay.
Find more tips from Casey on Instagram @majormumhacks. Her new book, The Big Book of Major Mum Hacks, is available to pre-order on Amazon now.
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