Rosie Beech reckons she’s saved £5,000 and even pocketed an additional £400 from selling on garments 15-month-old Jack Beech has outgrown.
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When the 31-year-old fell pregnant she was stunned at how expensive baby clothes and toys were – a few friends recommended online marketplace Vinted so she downloaded the app.
The mum-of-one said she “fell down a rabbit hole” and completely in love with the platform so much that 80 per cent of her tiny tot’s wardrobe has been snapped up from there.
The marketing and social media manager uses it to buy a range of pre-loved clothes, including Ralph Lauren baby grows worth £50, for as little as £2.
The self-professed bargain hunter estimates that her thrifty shopping habits have seen her save up to £5,000 and that she’s also made around £400 from selling on clothes Jack’s outgrown.
But the first-time-mum claims it’s not only been beneficial for her bank balance, but seen her shop more ethnically and be part of an online community.
After reaping the benefits of shopping second hand, the “seasoned” Vinted shopper is keen to encourage other mums to think about doing the same.
Rosie, of Windsor, Berkshire, said: “Using Vinted has helped me beat the cost of living crisis.
“Babies go through things so quickly and it’s lovely going shopping for them, the novelty hasn’t worn off yet and he’s 15 months, but there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s expensive.
“Things have to be tightened and you have to be more wary about how you shop.
“I think if I didn’t have Vinted, I would have felt more overwhelmed and worried thinking ‘he’s growing so quickly, do I need to do an online shop and buy things?’
‘LOVE A BARGAIN’
“I’ve always been a bit of a bargain hunter and love a bargain but since having Jack, it’s gone tenfold.
“I want to get the best for him for the best price and make sure that I’m spending my precious money where I can on things like family days out because things are so expensive these days.
“I’ve saved so much money because people want to sell on their things and don’t want lots of money for them. I think I’ve saved around £5,000.”
When it came around to shopping for Jack, the first-time mum said she soon discovered how expensive baby clothing was and how quickly they grow out of them or get them dirty.
Rosie said: “A couple of friends mentioned Vinted and I fell down a rabbit hole. I’d say about 80 per cent of his wardrobe from the day he was born is from there because it’s such good value.
“The benefits for my pocket have been great, another is being able to give clothes a second life.
“When you have a baby you realise how large your carbon footprint becomes from single-use items that you have to use because your little baby’s a whirlwind of mess.
“So knowing that I’m not contributing towards the landfill where he wears it once and I chuck it in the bin or someone else has worn it once and they chuck it in the bin, [is good].
“When you become a mum you realise that you need a community around you – you need mum friends, your mum, sisters, aunties, girlfriends or whatever.
“On Vinted when you have a conversation with people they almost give you a little bit of a backstory [to the items] and say ‘oh, my little boy came home from hospital in this and has only worn it a couple of times’.
“As well as having the high of knowing that you’ve saved a lot of money, that is nice because if I go on to sell them again third or fourth hand, I can pass that [story] on.
‘IT’S A NO-BRAINER’
“So I fell in love with all of it and also the prices because you could go to a designer outlet and be spending £30-£40 on a baby grow but on Vinted get it for £3 – it’s a no-brainer.”
Some big bargains that Rosie has bagged also include M&S dungarees worth £20 for as little as £2, as well as a £50 pram suit for £4.50.
She also upgrades to bundles when she can, to get more bang for her buck.
The blogger also finds Facebook marketplace useful for picking up bigger toys that she’s not willing to fork out hundreds on, like a toy car worth £50, for just £6.
Rosie said: [The deals are] too good to not buy it there and then.
“Now that I’m a seasoned Vinted person I’ll tend to offer them a price and if they’re happy to go for it, then I get it for even cheaper. It’s worth trying to see.
“I got some M&S items, they’re such good quality and get a lot of wear and tear.
“They’re things that I know he can wear around the house or to a play group and I’m not going to be worried that I’ve spent a fortune on them and they’re going to get ruined.
“I’d 100 per cent recommend other mums to shop in this way. All of my mum friends know I’m the ‘Vinted mum’ and can find bargains, they ask me ‘how are you finding these things?’
“I tell them ‘don’t knock it until you try it’ and to get on there and see, and all of them are now converted.”
A Vinted spokesman said: “We are happy to hear of positive stories from our community.
“We know that financial drivers are key to choosing to buy and sell second-hand, and that the environmental aspect is more and more relevant.
“People come to Vinted to save, get great value for money, make some extra cash and declutter their wardrobe, but it’s also great to notice that no less than 20 per cent are motivated by environmental and social concerns.
“On a mission to make second-hand the first choice worldwide, we want to promote access to pre-loved for all, extending the life of items.
“And today, we’re proud to see that Vinted can be a good place for people to make a little money and find great products for a little less, whilst having a lower climate impact than buying new.”
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