I’m a bargain queen & get my son 50 Christmas gifts – it only cost me £25 & is all from car boots & charity shops | The Sun

A MUM has revealed how she gets her son 50 Christmas gifts but only spends £25 in total thanks to her super scrimping ways.

Sophie Bradbury, 24, from Brighton, East Sussex is mum to two-year-old Albie and is determined to give him a designer kit on a tiny budget.

Sophie says that with just a £5 budget she can secure huge designer names.

Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Sophie says: “I hit the shops armed with just a fiver and plan to buy at least twenty gifts for family and friends.

“My list includes designer names like Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, and Versace for my husband. 

“For my son I have listed Disney products, Vans and Converse shoes and Zara kids clothing while for friends I’ve logged household items from Zara and Next.

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“I expect a lot from my five-pound budget, and I know I will.”

It might sound a bit of a stretch but teacher Sophie, who lives with her long-term partner, accountant Adam, 26, says she can easily treat her nearest and dearest to posh labels for the cost of a double quarter pounder cheeseburger.

Her secret to her amazing cut price gifts is buying second hand and spending hundreds of hours scouring charity shops, car boots, marketplace and giving away sights. 

“I am the queen of second-hand designer finds,” Sophie says.

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“Gift recipients are always stunned when they find their favourite designer label under the Christmas tree, and the best thing is my bank balance isn't taking a beating.

“It is a cost-of-living gift technique. It’s time we learnt to love and appreciate second hand.

“I have made this my passion, and this year I am more determined than ever to set the lowest budget possible and get the most amount of top end and quality presents.”

I get trolled for being a cheapskate, but I am proud to give second hand and upcycle items I would have thrown away in the past. 

For Sophie, the challenge of finding gifts on a budget adds to the excitement.

She says: “I love the adrenaline rush I get when I stumble on a second hand or even new designer finds at car boots, second hand shops or charity stores and only have to pay 20p or 50p an item.”

This year Albie can expect to unwrap a vintage flash card set for 50p, Zara T-shirts for 30p, Zara, a selection of John Lewis vests coming in at 20p a pop and a Next pyjama set for 33p.

She adds: “I found most of the clothes including a set of new designer Vans shoes for my son at charity shops. 

“The Vans shoes were a real find; they have never been worn and they are his size and they cost me just £3.

“Albie loves Peppa Pig and rather than forking out over a £100 for a new toy I have spent over a hundred hours and found a Peppa Pig dolls house, Caravan Mr Bull Digger and Boat at car boot sales and charity stores for a total spend of £4 saving me more than £95.

“He’ll have plenty to open this year, currently he’s got no less than 50 gifts.”

Before Sophie had her son, she regularly spent up to £1000 a year on Christmas gifts.

“I was all about buying new and trying to keep up with the latest trends,” Sophie admits.

“Then after I had Albie, I changed. Quality products, reusing, purposing and saving money became critical.

“My partner and I simply cannot afford £1000 a year on Christmas gifts. 

“I’d often take second hand items to charity stories and loved car boots and I started looking more carefully at items.

“I love a good rummage and I knew I was onto something when I found some brand new Ralph Lauren tops for just 50p for my man.”

He’ll have plenty to open this year, currently he’s got no less than 50 gifts.

Sophie, who is on maternity leave, has spent every weekend at car boot sales and visits her local charity shops and second-hand stores at least once a week for the past year.

“The staff all know me by name,” she says.

“I time my visit to stores for when I know they will have put out new stock.”

For her husband Sophie has a vast array of designer branded clothes which she knows he loves.

Sophie’s efforts have paid off with her now able to wrap up two Ralph Lauren polo tops for £1, a Giorgio Armani top for 50-pence, Versace joggers for a quid, brand new Adidas trainers and Zara polo tops costing just £3 for Christmas.

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“I showed a friend, and she was flabbergasted,” Sophie says.

“They all came from the charity shop. She suggested I on-sell them on eBay and make a kill, but I refused because I knew my man would love them.

“I have also found amazing standby gifts. 

“At a September car boot someone was getting rid of unused gifts they had received the previous Christmas. I haggled down the price and got a box of gift soaps, smellies, and posh room scents for £3.

“I love a good haggle. I love giving myself a budget of just a fiver or a tenner and coming back with gift items that would be hundreds in the stores.”

“I share my ‘shop finds for a fiver’ on social media and have thousands of likes. People love that I record my search and find it on video. It’s like an amazing online shop in a charity store and my followers love it. 

Sophie admits when she tells people she’s only giving her friends and family second hand gifts many stick up their noses. 

“I get trolled for being a cheapskate,” she says.

“But I am proud to give second hand and upcycle items I would have thrown away in the past. 

Sophie Christmas list Albie gifts

Duplo Farm set, x1, £2.00

Peppa Pig House, x1, £2.00

Early Learning Centre wooden trike, x1, £2.00

Next PJs, x1, £0.33

Zara PJs, x1, £0.33

John Lewis PJs, x1, £0.33

Non band name 2 sets pyjamas, x2, £0.66

White company t-shirt, x1, £0.33

Zara T-shrt, x2, £0.20

John Lewis t-shirt, x1, £0.10

Next tshirt, x1, £0.10

Batch other various T-shirts M&S, Primark, x5, £0.50

Vans Shoes, x1, £3.00

Converse Trainers, x1, £3.00

Books, x10, £2.00

Wooden puzzles, x5, £1.00

Wood blocks jgsaws, x5, £1.00

Peppa pig figuriens small, x5, £2.00

V-Tech Tot Toot  Fuire Station, x1, £1.00

V-Tech tot toot separate trai track set, x1, £1.00

Vintage Flash Cards, x1, £0.50

Peppa Big Digger, x1, £1.00

Mr Bull Digger, x1, £1.00

Peppa Pig Boat, x1, £1.00

TOTAL: 51 gifts, £24.38

“Many people are prepared to go into debt to impress their family. I’m not and what I'm doing makes sense.

“What really makes me laugh is when I show off ‘cheapskate haul’ and trolls see the designer gifts looking ‘like new’ their attitude changes.”

Sophie’s ability to buy big for so little has seen her amass over 15,000 followers and 280,000 likes on TikTok.

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She says: “When I tell people I am only given second hand items for Christmas they’re shocked. 

“But for me it is a thrill, value for money and it comes with designer detail.”

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