An 11-year-old girl has taken to selling her toys to help her family cope with the rising cost of living, as households across the UK struggle with increased bills and expenses this Christmas. The girl, whose mother spoke to BBC News NI, is among many families finding creative ways to reduce spending during the festive period.
Hannah Christie, from north Belfast, said her family has been “really good at communicating and divvying up responsibilities” to spread costs. The adults in her family are doing Secret Santa and have agreed a budget for children’s presents. “It wasn’t just about trying to save us money, but also have a more enjoyable time of year,” she said.
Hannah has bought clothes from online marketplace Vinted and toys from charity shops, and has given away and received items for free in Facebook groups. She also sells her children’s clothes online, creating what she calls “a bit of a circular economy”. For her son, she is making pretend food by sewing pasta into brown paper bags, and plans to make boxes of baked goods with her daughter for family members.
Charity shops are seeing a surge in shoppers. Kelly Higditch, manager of an Age NI store, said December has been “crazy” and that some shops have a free box of toys for those who cannot afford them. Bety Smith, browsing in Newtownards, said “everybody’s trying to save money” and that the stigma around charity shopping “should be gone”. She made her own Christmas wreath using foliage from her garden.
Kelly May Johnston, also from Newtownards, has been buying presents for her children in charity shops, noting that unopened gift sets can be snapped up for a few pounds. She has had the same Christmas tree for about 10 years, adding baubles from charity shops. Fiona Anderson, manager of Oxfam Holywood, said charity shops are “a lifeline” but added that stigma around second-hand shopping persists.
