Our regular columnist and consumer champion has shared advice on how people can embrace ‘Second hand September’ - and save money without compromising on style.

Jane Hawkes says the campaign, which encourages people to avoid buying new clothes for a whole month, is a great opportunity to ditch ‘fast fashion’ and save money.

Consumer champion Jane, founder of LadyJaney.co.uk saved £90 in just one purchase by embracing Second Hand September.

She said: “Second Hand September is a great time to bag bargains and bank some extra money in good time for Christmas.

“My Second hand September tips are inspired from an impulse purchase I almost made this week. It’s so easy with online shopping to just press ‘buy’ without considering whether it’s something you really need or if you could get it cheaper elsewhere, but with a little more effort.

“My finger was hovering over the button to spend £100 on a brand new dress but instead of hitting the button to purchase, I hit the high streets and picked up the perfect dress for just £3.50 in my local charity shop!

“So not only have I got a new (for me) dress, I’ve supported a good cause and saved myself over £90.

Here, Jane shares her tips for embracing second hand September and how you can not only save money on what you buy but earn money by selling as well.”

Jane’s top tips for a successful Second Hand September:

Think before you click

Avoid expensive unnecessary impulse buys by taking a moment to think before you click. Keep it in the online basket whilst you see if it might be cheaper elsewhere or if you get an email from the store with a handy discount code.

Hit the high streets

The pandemic hugely changed our shopping habits, much to the detriment of local high streets, so close the lap top, put down your phone and do the old fashioned thing of shopping in person. You’ll get a much better idea of the quality (or lack of) and the physical act of shopping provides more awareness of the cost. Online shopping can actually lead to higher spending due to the convenience and the delay in waiting for orders means you don’t have the multiple shopping bags with you reminding you of what you’ve already purchased.
Sign up to reselling sites

Use platforms such as Vinted to pick up high quality branded clothing for a fraction of the retail price. Remember that sellers often price their goods higher than they are prepared to let them go for, knowing that people will want to barter down. If you don’t ask, you don’t get! It’s also a great way of lessening the environmental impact which fast fashion is having. Unlike eBay, Vinted is more of a buyer’s market so the chances of picking up that dream outfit for cheaper is more likely.

Make money before you spend it

Don’t just use online platforms to buy! Have a declutter yourself and use money to buy something for yourself. You can have a rule that you only use money stored on your online account to buy something new.

Make do and mend

Learn basic sewing skills so you can repair, reuse and recycle current outfits. This is easy to do online via Pinterest or YouTube or via community groups. Check out Facebook to see if there are any groups where they can teach you how to sew: it’s also a great way to meet new people and support groups which can help people who might otherwise be lonely. You can also revamp your current wardrobe by accessorising and upcycling older outfits. It’s pretty simple to make a new scarf out of clothing you don’t wear anymore or which might be damaged.

Rent, don’t buy

Rather than purchasing a new outfit for that special occasion, check out rental sites like Hurr and By Rotation. You can also check out clothes swap apps such as Dopplle. Don’t forget, every second hand choice reduces waste, lessens what we put into landfill and cuts your carbon footprint from goods being transported across the world.

Need some more motivation? Track your second hand wins and compare new vs second hand prices to see how much you could save. You can also redirect money you might have spent into a savings account to spend on a much needed holiday or big purchase – or even better, pay off debts.

You can even get competitive with friends to see who made the best saving!