A mum who hasn’t bought anything new for the entire year so far, in a bid to cut costs, has shared her top budget finds – including designer hauls costing her just pennies.

Heidi Ondrak, 51, from Plymouth, Devon, vowed for her 2022 New Year’s resolution that she would only buy second-hand for the rest of the year.

The fashionista found she had been overspending on clothes and struggled with the rise in living costs.

"After spending lockdowns of eating and online shopping, I decided to take a pledge to only buy pre-loved," Heidi, a programme manager, told NeedToKnow.online

"The food price rises had already started to have an impact, and I noticed a £70 shop was costing about £85!

"My energy provider had also gone bust so I’d been transferred to another supplier, but my bills rose from £98 a month to £168 a month.

"I'd bought into fast fashion during the lockdown and it was time for a detox.

"And I knew that re-using was one of the most sustainable ways to shop after re-wearing what you have already."

Since starting her detox in January, Heidi has found some amazing items from luxury dresses to high street shoes.

She said: "I bought a Maria Grachvogel lilac beaded dress for £3.50 and when I got home I Googled it and they retail for over £2,000!

"I found a Madeline Thompson jumper for 50p, so I googled it when I got home and found out it retails for £400.

"I also found a pure silk maxi dress with a label that said Deborah Aungiers, so I googled her and found that she was a dressmaker and a grad of the London School of Fashion.

"I tracked her down via Facebook and she remembered the dress I bought; it was made for a wealthy family in London whose daughter was attending a party in 1980.

"It was made from a re-purposed silk wedding sari I love that as it ended up 400 miles away and was immaculate and is over 40 years old!"

Over the last few months, Heidi estimates that she has saved up to £5,000 on her credit card from buying pre-loved.

She added: "I am an emotional shopper and fix my feelings buying nice stuff, payday treats, or something to lift my spirits.

"Sometimes even just the lure of an e-mail or ad on social media prompting me to buy would have me adding to the basket.

"It’s hard to quantify, but if I go to a car boot sale and spend £20, I can come back with over £400 worth of stuff at the retail process, I stick to £1 to £2 per item and find some amazing stuff."

Heidi decided to start a TikTok page (@duchessofthrift) where she shares money-saving tips, tricks, and her recent buys – and she has built up a following of 15,000 people.

She said: "I love to share my second-hand styling tips. I can take 1 x £1 skirt and style it in 14 ways to show that you can maximise your wardrobe using accessories and thinking outside the box!

"TikTok came about when the food process skyrocketed and the energy bills went up again. I refurbished space at work using only re-purposed furniture and it led me to think about all the things that I do naturally, being common sense to me but may help other people!

"I didn’t know what to expect but the ideas were popular and it made me feel useful knowing that they might help people take some control of spiraling costs.

"I'm just a mum trying to make ends meet like everyone else, I don’t have a silver bullet for this awful crisis and the impending energy hikes.

"I still like treats and I don’t want all my wages to go on bills, so I try to shave costs off where I can.

"I am controlling the bits that I can in this situation and look at it as a challenge. I grew up in the 70s with very little and am dusting off the skills my mum used back then to make ends meet."

ENDS

EDITOR’S NOTE: Editors must credit Beckie-Ann's Instagram in the copy.

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