One survey asked parents how much they spent on presents each year — and it turns out that on average, parents spend $173 for each kid. So, if you have three kids, you’re shelling out over 500 dollars on gifts during the holidays just for the kids.
While we can always try to find a good deal on Black Friday or save up for a gift budget, there is nothing like digging up an amazing thrift find. One mom decided that she was going to thrift her son’s entire gift haul for the holidays, and she seriously scored. Her video is truly inspiring if you’re looking to save a couple of bucks and not contribute to the never-ending landfills!
“Last year I thrifted my son’s entire Christmas and it was so much fun. He loved opening it. It was very magical. And you guys loved it too because I got over 4 million views. So that was wild. And of course I’ve done it again,” Natalie says in her video before going through her haul.
First up, an adorable vintage kid’s suitcase.
“When I was a little girl, I had a blue suitcase the same size that said ‘Going to Grandma’s.’ It was one of my favorite things. When I saw this and it says "I love grandma" it’s not perfect but I know he’s going to love this. I filled it with books,” she noted.
A brand new kid’s suitcase plus 10 kids’ books would cost around $50 alone. She snagged both for $26.
She also shows a kid’s lap harp (which run around $26 brand new on Amazon) and an entire Spirogrpah set. If she purchased both brand new, she’d have spent $34.
Next up, she found an adorable beaded alligator purse.
“So, he actually picked this one out himself when we were at Goodwill. It was… $4.99. It’s just perfect. I mean it’s an alligator purse!” she said.
Afte some sleuthing, it appears this purse was made by a company called The Alligator Farm Gift Shop. They run for around $20. She snagged it for under five bucks!
She also showed a box of blocks that make a medieval castle, a puzzle, and a toy cash register. Brand new, she’d have spent $82 on just these three items.
Then she shows an adorable kid-sized record player.
“I am most excited about this one. It’s one of his big presents. My husband owns a record label so vinyl is a very big deal in our house and… So cute. I got it at an estate sale for $18 and I plugged it into the wall. It works. I’m gonna set up a little record area in his room. I just… I’m so excited. He already has some records that we just play on our normal record player but of course when I saw this, I also got him this to give him with the record player,” she shared.
The record player she found it actually a vintage DeJay portable record player. You can find them running for about $50 on Ebay. She snagged hers for under $20.
She also got her son a stuffed elephant, a Little Tikes Story Time Projector (in the box!!!), and Lincoln Logs.
“One item that my son specifically asked for was a Bruder crane truck, and I knew that that would be hard to find from a thrift store. So, I did go on to Facebook Marketplace for this one. It’s the only one that I got off Facebook Marketplace and not just from normal thrift store. I got it from a 13-year-old boy for $25,” she explained before sharing her adorable idea after the truck came broken.
“It is broken. So I knew I had to get creative and I’ve been thinking about what to do. I have decided I’m going to put a note from Santa in the cab of the truck. The note is gonna say that a couple years ago this fell off of his sleigh and it broke. And he’s just had it in the back of his workshop waiting for the right kid who he knew would appreciate it even though it has a flaw. So Santa’s gonna add a little extra magic,” she explained.
Lastly, she picked up some fun scissors, an “I Spy” game, a pair of winter gloves, a rubber snake, a little bag of ocean animals, a bag of marbles for their marble run, some stamps and a handful of seashells.
She concluded, “I had so much fun doing that. I got thrifting last January, and I took my time finding things that I know he would love and it’s just been a blast. I love thrifting his Christmas. I will do it for as long as I possibly can and I hope you guys loved it too.”
Okay, I did some Googling and research, locating almost all of Natalie’s exact items or close comparisons. I found what they are listed for online. Overall, Natalie could have spent around $485 on everything she got for her son. Instead, she spent $152. GO MOM!
Disclaimer: This story has not been edited by us and is published as shown on Scary Mommy.
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