The UK is teetering on the brink of the worst recession since the 2008 financial crisis. The prices of supermarket groceries seem to climb each week, fuel prices remain high and energy bills are only set to get worse.
Many of us are being forced to cut back on expenses and make less expensive choices. This is where charity shops can help. With all sorts of goods often at dirt cheap prices, you can save dozens, if not hundreds, of pounds on clothes, household items, toys, books and more.
And, with a bit of rummaging around, you can even find some incredible steals - from designer clothing to vintage curiosities. We went along to some of Cardiff's best-rated charity shops to see what was up for grabs and spoke to staff and volunteers to find out the best donations they have ever had - and the weirdest...
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Catwel
When we step into Catwel on Whitchurch Road, it's bursting at the seams. Having been open for a decade, it is entirely run by volunteers, with all proceeds going to the eponymous Cardiff-based cat rescue charity.
"We're extremely busy with donations. We take anything and everything," said manager Simon Evans. "The only thing I'm not taking is duvets - no-one wants a second-hand duvet."
As we browse, it feels like a second-hand shopper's dream, with items covering almost every inch of the store. "Most people like coming in here and like having a rummage. They root through and feel like it's a sense of adventure. We just love the fact that people go through stuff," said Simon.
There are heaps of the usual offerings - clothes, shoes, bags, books, board games, and mugs - and most items start from 50p. Clothes are by far the most popular donation, with around 15 bags alone having been given to the shop on the day we visited, and a whopping 30 bags a few days before. They are all currently selling for just £4 and lower - some still with their tags on - with brands including Karen Millen, Monsoon and Dorothy Perkins.
But we also spy some more unusual finds, like rollerblades, a six-piece raclette grill, and a large wooden rainmaker, which are more expensive. "It's not unheard of for us to sell some things for £20 to £30 - guitars, trumpets, violins," said Simon.
He adds that donations from house clear-outs after loved ones have passed have also unearthed some old and rare items that have passed that have passed through generations. He shows us a vintage tin-opener, a health vest knitting pattern from the 1940s, and recalls that a pair of bloomers were even donated.
Catwel also boasts a haberdashery - with everything from crochet needles to tapestries - which has been especially popular with customers since crafting boomed in the pandemic. On the day we visit, dozens of patterns had been recently donated, ranging between 50p and £1, some of which may have originally been more than £10.
The volunteers also repurpose other material - such as bedding with a mark on it - that can be used for sewing, ranging from pennies to more than £4. "A lady made two dresses out of some elephant print," said Simon. "[The customers] come back and show us what they've made - it's fab."
Asked about the strangest donations they have ever got, Simon recalls they were given a backwards wall clock, which was snapped up by a customer. And as for the best steal in the shop right now? He shows me a Laura Ashley brass folding triptych mirror sitting proudly in the window. Originally £50, it's selling for £25 - and it's in very good condition.
Catwel is open on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10am until 4pm.
Inter-Aid
Inter-Aid is thought to be the first charity shop to have opened on Crwys Road. Its manager Christine Windels, 78, took over the running of the store 40 years ago - and has never looked back. Like Catwel, Inter-Aid is completely run by volunteers, with all proceeds going to animal welfare.
It too is a treasure trove of curiosities. "We take all sorts and we never refuse anything off anybody, as long as it's not wardrobes and beds. People come in and they say the other charity shops have said no to their items," said Christine.
A dog push-chair, which was donated about a month ago, is one of the weirdest items they have received. "Somebody told us [what it was]. I opened it up and you could see there was a dog's collar attached to something inside that went around the dog. That's about one of the strangest," said Christine.
Located in the heart of Cathays - the student hub of Cardiff - clothes are by far the most popular items donated to the store and fill the entire shop. Most of these are at fixed prices, with skirts selling for £2.99, blouses and tops for £2.99, and jeans and trousers for £3, all from a wide variety of brands.
Some of the nicer clothes are selling for a bit more - but even then, they're a fraction of the original price. Christine shows us a Topshop black satin dress, size 6 petite, which is like new and still has the tag on. Originally £49, it's up for grabs for just £7.50.
Another steal is powder blue size 8 Miss Selfridge dress that is also like new. Going for just £9.50 in Inter-Aid, it originally cost £110. Vintage lovers will also be intrigued by an old Timberland plaid windbreaker that is in very good condition. The once-expensive jacket - which is medium to large and would have cost upwards of £100 - is also being sold for £9.50.
But the best part of Inter-Aid is a small room upstairs that is reserved for students. More clothes, accessories and piles of other random items - including a guitar and bean bags - have been squirreled away up here and are selling for even less than the prices downstairs. It's a hugely popular haunt for thrifty students, Christine tells us, and some even pop in while we explore.
Inter-Aid is open every day from 10am until 4.30pm
NuLife Furniture
NuLife Furniture on Clarence Road, which sells all types of furniture and household items, transcends the limits of your average charity shop. It's a project by Cadwyn Housing Association that was set up in 2014. "There was a real recognition that as a housing association we were moving people into properties and they had no essential items," said project manager Alessa Hill.
"We've got agreements with the council, housing associations, and social services. So they will ring us and say: 'We've got a family in need, they're moving today - can you provide them with essential items?'" she continued. Statistics pinned up proudly to the wall state that the referral system has helped 27 families in June this year alone.
Functioning as community hub within Butetown, the project also runs a craft group and are looking to set up upcycling workshops to repurpose items and help people develop new skills. Meanwhile, NuLife's showroom is open for anyone to browse and purchase from three days a week, helping to generate revenue for the project and cover overheads.
The project has gone from strength to strength since it launched, with dozens of collections and deliveries every month. Project coordinator Megan Lawless estimated they do 50 to 60 collections a month - ranging from one or two items to a total house clearance - with 413 items saved from the landfill in June this year.
High quality and practicability is guaranteed with NuLife. Alessa explained that they're "very cautious" about what they pick up. "We've got to be mindful that some people are in small accommodation, so we've got to make sure the furniture is going to fit and is not too big."
All sofas and begs need to have biosafety labels, she added, and they won't take anything that has got rips, tears, sagging or needs extensive recovery. If things require a light repair - such as wood that needs sanding down - they are fixed up by volunteers in the workshop upstairs as part of the project's upcycling programme.
The shop has been a hit with students who are looking for "proper" furniture, as well as young couples moving into their first house and furniture dealers. A quick browse shows why it's so popular, particularly if you're looking for something vintage or rare. We spot everything from a Smeg fridge, to mid-century furnishings and a vintage typewriter.
Other past donations have included telescopes, microscopes, vintage Singer sewing machines and a trunk at least 100-years-old that still had travelling stamps on it. Megan's favourite donation was 1960s parasol, which they sold for £100. Alessa also recalls they sold a navy blue velvet Loaf sofa, which was like new, for £250 - its original price being in the thousands. "We even had a little velvet brush with it," she added.
As for any amazing steals on offer when we visit, we spot a mid-century teak G Plan Unit going for just £100 and two Tretrad Harris Tweed Nairn chairs in excellent condition for only £225 each (the retail price being £1,150 each).
NuLife is currently closed, but will reopen on August 10 and is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10am until 3pm.
Mind
The Mind charity shop on Cowbridge Road East - which raises money for mental health charity Mind - appears to be the most popular of the stores we check out. During our short stay, customers and donators are constantly coming in and out - something which assistant manager Jess Alexander said is the norm.
"We're always busy. Sometimes we can have 20 people standing in the queue," she said. "We've got a huge base of loyal customers, with some coming in three or four times a day."
And it's easy to see why. They appear to be one of the cheapest charity shops in the city, especially when it comes to clothes, which make up the bulk of the items on offer, followed by bric-a-brac. They are selling almost all adult clothes for just £1 and children's clothes cost three items for £1. Shoes are a mere £2, paper back books 20p and hard back books 50p.
There is a smaller rail of clothes with the tags still on, which they are selling for about a quarter of the retail price. And anything that's "really lovely" will go in the window and have its own price, said Jess, but she pointed out they "always price to sell".
"That's why we're always busy, because you can come into this shop and you can buy a pair of Ralph Lauren jeans for £1. I think that's quite important that you can come in and you can find something really special."
As we browse the £1 clothes rails, we come across almost every high street brand, including Zara, Mountain Warehouse, White Stuff, H&M, M&S, Quiz and Boohoo. And there are quite a few impressive steals too.
There is an 100% cotton large Polo Ralph Lauren shirt, which is like new, except for the fact the inner label has been removed, and a blue medium-size Merc shirt, also like new. We also spot a size 16 red Jacques Vert skirt, in excellent condition, and a size 12 grey Hobbs skirt that is also in great condition except for some creasing.
When asked what has been the best donation they have ever received, volunteer Jenny Atkins said gold jewelry is high up on her list. Meanwhile, for Jess, it was a rare pair of Irregular Choice shoes, with Bambi heels, that they sold for just £20.
"Somebody came in and bought them, and as they were buying them, I just checked them out on the internet and they were £579," she recalled.
Mind is open Monday to Saturday, 8.30am to 4pm.
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