Our second hand Xmas was great!

**khaski** · 12-30-2009, 01:57 PM

This year has been financially trying, to say the least, with a family crisis that lead to my oldest (11) living with my father, 3 hours away. Aside from the emotional strain for everyone from the situation, the financial strain was a trial to say the least (I not only no longer GET child support form my ex, I now PAY OUT child support to my father for my son). Long story short, we were hit with a $1k drop in $ every month, suddenly, without warning, at a time when my husband's business as a manufacturer was dead and I stay at home with the kids full time.

One of the saving graces? The 'swap shop' the next town over, and the 'Green Center' that just opened in my town as well. People drop off gently used (or sometimes new) clothing, household goods, toys, etc, and who ever wants them can take them. EVERYTHING is FREE, always, these shops are run by volunteers.
I haven't bought new clothes for any of us all year, save some undies and socks here and there...and we all have extensive brand name clothing in our drawers, even my fast growing little ones.

Maybe 85% of my 1+ 3 year olds' toys came from there this Xmas,
maybe another 10% purchased used, and 5% new from store. I 'stocked up' all year, and what a blessing it has been for us...Christmas would have been slim without the local 'freebies'!

I also always feel good when I bring in items from OUR household and see someone else wander out with it with a smile on their face.

We spent about $14 to give gifts to my BF, her hubby, her 3 kids- most of it was FREE, and there were multiple gifts per person (she doens't care, she does the same, we go together!)

YAY swap shop! Does anyone else have such a thing near them, or is this limited to my area of s. NH? Never heard of 'swap shops' tiol we moved up here.

**mauimagic** · 12-30-2009, 02:51 PM

I am gad that the holidays were so successful for you - regardless of the stress and strains of the year. Mahalo for sharing about swap shops - I've never heard of them, but sure hope that they catch on!!

Love your part of NE - I went to UNH a million years ago!!

**miss_thrifty** · 12-30-2009, 04:07 PM

one christmas when the kids were small i got all second hand clothes, and that summer before toys and books bearnstein bears. . my kids loved them. all i had to get was a few stocking stuffers . We all do what we have to do when its a bad year.

**imagine** · 12-30-2009, 05:59 PM

We have a toy shop that children can go pick out a toy for free once a month or so. ( they are toys that have be refurbished and fixed up)
Kind of like a toy library but you don't have to return the toy. But I have heard most children bring in an old toy and trade it for a "new" one.

A church has a free shop that you can go and pick out clothing you need.

I haven't been to either but have heard about them from word of mouth.

**tripleb** · 12-30-2009, 06:13 PM

What an awesome way of doing things. It's a shame what people end up spending for the holidays. There is always pressure to do better than the year previous.

**Luckybustert** · 12-30-2009, 06:43 PM

I haven't heard of swap shops before either. Sounds pretty interesting....kind of like Freecycle, but with a centralized location for distribution. Surprised I haven't seen any of these near where I live, as things like Freecycle seem pretty popular and the thrift stores are also doing a very brisk business.

**ramblin' rose** · 12-31-2009, 10:57 PM

The Swap Shop is a great idea!! Nothing like that here, altho my mother's church has a clothes closet for children where parents in need can get clothes for them.

**frugalwarrior2** · 12-31-2009, 11:04 PM

Wish we had a swap shop here. We did have clubs that did that but you had to take all of 1 size and it got complicated.
When my kids were little most of their stuff was from recycled venue. I used to resale from Garage sales and take it resales and make tons of money to buy gifts. They don't know or care. Interest is lost so quickly anyway. Congratulations on a clever solution to a common prob.-$$$ scarcity.

**scooby8themall** · 01-22-2010, 08:36 AM

My step mom took me to their free shop at their transfer station they have a small building and people drop off usable clean items volunteers take care of every thing it's kinda like leave things take things . She once found a L.L.Bean jacket with tags still on it.
Wish we had one I see a lot of things at our transfer station that people throw out that I wonder about.