Charity Rocks.

When you’re broke, it’s no use comparing bank balances. The only way to cope is to get creative with the little money you have. For me, picnics, a walk in the park and a spot of budget friendly shopping are the perfect way to beat the financial blues. So I suggested to a friend recently we headed to deepest darkest south London for a fun day out on the cheap in the local charity shops. But, she wasn’t much keen. Her dilemma with the charity sector was that she loved vintage but claimed it was hard to find cute kitsch in today’s charity shops, where as I begged to differ. Preferring online stock, she thinks it’s easier to find quality vintage on online. This may be true, but the charity sector is still cheaper, by a looooong stretch. So in defiance I headed to Mitcham (top tip, Mitcham in itself is hardly picturesque, but with much fewer fashionistas in the borough than say Notting or Primrose Hill it can be great for finding a top notch bargain) to find some key pieces to prove there are still many quality items available in the second hand sector. When I arrived I found one of my fave Charity Shops had been knocked down (broken heart) leaving only three charity stores standing. But I did manage to find a few key pieces, which I had to post online as a couple of the pieces were ultra cute. Amongst today’s spots I found a gorgeous vintage belt for £1.00, A Parisian vintage leather handbag for £2.00, retro tennis rackets for a couple of quid and a crazy but very loveable leotard (one for the bold, but bang on trend with the right accessories)for £2.50. She agreed by the end of the day there were definitely bargains to be had, you just had to bring you eagle vision along for the day. So follow our lead for an added bit of cheap chic to your wardrobe, and get rummaging in a charity store near you.