A mum-of-two has saved herself thousands of pounds by choosing to shop in charity shops and sales.
Christine Cockram, from Newcastle, has lived a second-hand way of life for 44 years. The 59-year-old prefers to purchase everything pre-loved as she "can't stand waste".
Mirror Online reports how she has a wardrobe full of bargains, a rescue dog sleeping on a pre-owned rug and a fridge packed full of yellow stickers and discounted food.
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She has books waiting to be read from eBay, two recycling bins and a second-hand American trailer sat outside for family breaks.
Christine, who is mum to a 17-year-old and 21-year-old, said: "I left home at 16 years old and didn't have a lot of money, so charity shops were the best place for me to go."
While Christine often gets complimented on her quirky style, her 85-year-old mum Christina isn't a huge fan of her shopping habits.
Christine said: "When I moved back to Newcastle after 30 years of living down south, my mam said 'you can get rid of all your second-hand clothes now' and I told her I'd have nothing left in my wardrobe.
"Even now, she'll say 'that's nice' but won't ask me where it's from or how much I paid. We've worn the same M&S trousers before but hers were £25 and mine were £4. She thinks I shouldn't tell people that my clothes are second-hand.
"Many years ago, we got in a row in Monsoon because I only wanted to look in the reduced section so I could purchase two items instead of one. She disappeared and I found her outside crying to my dad."
If Christine does shop new, she prefers to support local and independent shops in the reduced section or sales. She said: "I prefer to be quirky and different from the crowd. Lots of people will ask where my clothes are from when I'm in something nice.
"I always Google how much an item is worth before I buy it to see if I'm getting a bargain. I'll often buy second-hand shoes for a fiver knowing they're worth £40.
"I've not bought second-hand underwear but if it's still in the wrapper, I would buy it. I always buy things that are in good condition."
The single mum says her sons are starting to prefer brands and designer items - but they always grew up wearing pre-loved
Christine said: "Nearly all of my furniture is second-hand, from rugs to curtains. Even my dog is a rescue from a breeder. Most of my books are from charity shops and eBay. I have a second-hand tent and an American trailer that I took the boys camping in.
"I think people generally buy things they don't need and waste so much. I wouldn't live differently even if I had more money."
Christine likes to DIY items of furniture and spruce them up with new door knobs or a lick of paint. She said: "If I need something, I won't go to a normal shop to find it. A lot of my kitchen utensils are second-hand Denby.
"I buy yellow stickers but only items I know will last long or I can freeze. I spend about £80 on my food shop every week. On a good month, I'll be lucky to spend £20 on clothes. It would hurt my heart to spends hundreds on an outfit, like for a wedding."
Christine's top tip for shopping in charity shops is to look in "expensive areas like Ealing in London and Hexham in Northumberland".
She added: "I think it feels great buying something really nice and realising it's worth a lot more."
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