Hand-me-downs and other stuff

Spendless

Does anyone benefit from things other people pass on.

Last week my sister turned up with 2 bags of nappies (one unopened the other half full) and half a pack of swimming nappies. Nephew has come out of nappies so she gave them to me for my daughter. They don't fit her yey but i'll keep them till they do.

Sister also passes on clothes from my neice to my daughter who is 2 years younger. Can't do the same for the boys though, cos nephew is a similar size to my son though son is a year older.

2 of my friends - one with a boy and a girl, the other with 2 boys also pass on clothes to my children.

In turn i pass on out-grown baby clothes to hubbys cousin for her baby.

I also save neutral vests and t-shirts that son has out-grown for daughter.

Curry_Queen

I always remember my mum being grateful for the hand-me-downs her friends gave her for us kids. Coming from a large family money was always tight and she had one particular friend who always shopped at M&S, which my mum could never afford, and the stuff she passed on was like new so we were always kitted out in decent clothes

I've never been averse to accepting stuff from other people either (and often buy stuff from Ebay too) but my best freebies came from a friend who worked at Oxfam (sorting out the clothing donations) and she would often give me top brand clothes for the kids (Nike, Ellesse etc) and they were like new! I was very grateful for those as I couldn't afford to buy that stuff new at the time, and you know what teenagers are like when it comes to clothes :rolleyes:

I did feel slightly guilty about receiving the stuff free, but I now compensate for that by donating back to them all our outgrown clothes which are often like new or even unworn

tiff

I'm still struggling with buying second hand clothes for my kids from Ebay, but I think I will - total cost for the dressing gown I want is £3 and the item is described as immaculate. Dont get hand me downs from anywhere as none of our family has children except my sister. I bought her son a coat in Asda the other day half price at £3.50. Will be great for when he starts school in September.

Lillibet_2

I love hand-me-downs. It's liek Christmas. It's better than Christmas, it's like the shops comming to your home & you don't need money!!!!!
I don't get much now (as a working adult I think there is a mis-conception that I can easily afford nice things!) but as a child my mum was a great believer in both giving & accepting hand me downs. One particular family friend used to run Church jumble sales. The day before each jumble sale she would visit with bin bags full of stuff she had picked out, we would rummage through & keep anything suitable, in return Mum would always have bags of stuff to donate along with a hamper of home made goodies for the cake stand & raffle as a thank you.
I stopped telling people at school though, they all took the mickey that I was dressed in "jumble sale rejects" when I proudly displayed my latest freebies, even if it was the latest fashions & names. I have the last laugh though, now my best friend from primary school is jealous of my thrifty lifestyle & is picking my brains for money-saving recipes & budgeting tips!!!

Galtizz

Hand me downs aren't just for kids clothes. I had a huge clear out of my wardrobe at the weekend and passed the clothes on to my Aunt so I guess these were hand me ups! She'll raid it for anything she and my cousin want, then the rest goes to charity.

It is such fun getting a bag full of stuff and going oooh, I'll have that, or yuck, when did you buy that; 1942??!!

Lucie_2

With an older sister & older female cousin I always had plenty of hand me downs as a kid. Thinking about it now I seem to hand more out than I get back??!!
I'm going to see my sister this weekend & have got a bag of stuff for her - books, my old mobile phone (still trendier than hers) a Gap jumper I've got fed up with & a pair of old trainers for my niece. My Mum gets my old trainers for running (I go through lots of trainers) & old fleeces for gardening. My nephew gets all sorts including a Timberland coat just before christmas (old ski jacket).
Maybe it means I'm better at getting rid of my unwanted clutter than the rest of them!

VickyA_2

Some of the clothes that I no longer wear have gone to my mum, maybe I should try to lose weight and reclaim some of them! Also, when I was a growing girl and I moved up a shoe size, my mum would steal/take without asking my old shoes.

When we were little, my parents got hand me down clothes from the vicar's children. The clothes were passed to me, then my brother when I'd grown out of them. Oh, and the terry nappies I used to wear went to my brother (in a clean state!) when it was necessary. They're now being used as towels for the dog!

Lastly, books. I swap them with my nearly-MIL and nearly-SIL and another friend, so they get read at least 4 times before they're sold at the next car boot sale.

madmummy_2

We've always moved clothes around in my family. growing up with lots of cousins meant bags of stuff arriving or leaving each season. Family photos are a hoot. You see the same T shirt about 8 times but with different heads sticking out of it.

Things havn't changed. My cousin has a daughter a few years older than mine and send all her stuff down. My little girl is now 7 yrs and I rarely have to buy more than underware 'n' socks for her. Sometimes I buy something even thouigh she doesn't need it just so I can say I bought that for you!

Edit: Posted by MATH. Why, oh why, does she log me out like that. It's most vexing

madmummy_2

Edit: Posted by MATH. Why, oh why, does she log me out like that. It's most vexing[/QUOTE]

Edit posted by Madmummy - I don't log you off. I generally open a new window out of courtesy. Unlike some people I could mention. Grrrrrrr

Anyone got any ideas how to solve the 1 'puter, 2 users problem? Perhaps I should tempt him with a bag of tumble drier fluff to distract him?!!

Jeryth

madmummy wrote:

Edit: Posted by MATH. Why, oh why, does she log me out like that. It's most vexing

Edit posted by Madmummy - I don't log you off. I generally open a new window out of courtesy. Unlike some people I could mention. Grrrrrrr

Anyone got any ideas how to solve the 1 'puter, 2 users problem? Perhaps I should tempt him with a bag of tumble drier fluff to distract him?!![/QUOTE]

Sorry, no. I have this site all to myself. But the ones we Do share - I check first to see whether I am logged in as me or him.

And I have to hold my hands up and admit that I thought MATH was a female for ages. Sorry.

Jeryth

Back to the thread; I had hand me downs as a child from my older cousin. But I kinda stopped growing (taller, anyway) when I was 12, so now I joke that when my OH's god daughter gets older, I'd like HER cast offs, especially shoes. Although I actually wouldn't have second hand footwear.