We’re all feeling the pinch these days, from students like myself, to the working population and pensioners.
So how must charities be faring when most struggle to manage from day-to-day? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a way everyone could benefit in some small way? There is, and it’s literally right on our high streets. Charity shops.
There appears to be a stigma attached to buying clothes from charity shops for fear of being perceived as ‘cheap.’ Clearly this view forgets the premise of a charity shop.
In my experience the people who think this have never crossed their threshold, and so without shopping in charity shops I strongly question this judgement. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
Despite this, since the recession the numbers of people spending in charity shops has increased rapidly with a high of nearly £1 billion being spent in 2012, a 34% increase on 2011.
The main group depending on charity shops are single and young mothers, although there has also been a rise in the number of middle class people shopping here.
With these statistics in mind I recently decided to set myself a challenge. Over Easter I took £20 and decided to see how much I could get for my money in Hill Street’s charity shops, from Cancer Research to Oxfam and the British Heart Foundation.
I didn’t think this would be an ambitious task because I’m well aware of the quality of goods available.
I ended up purchasing a beautiful French Connection dress, a jumper, a brand new Topshop shirt, an overnight bag and a clutch bag. All for just £20. Not a bad day at the office.
Getting some great bargains and high quality goods was not the best part of the day.
With some of the charity shops I visited being close to my heart I felt as though I had done something worthwhile with my money, benefiting others, whilst gaining a small perk myself. What more could I want from a days shopping?
Ultimately, for those on a budget or those looking to save a bit of money but don’t want to skimp on quality I would highly recommend trudging through the charity shops of Newry.
Although you come across the occasional questionable item on the style front, having a good hoke almost certainly guarantees you finding something you’ll like.
At the same time helping out many good causes is a huge bonus and helps everybody out in tough times. So why not give it a go?