Charity shops have been available on the high street for many years, and although I use them to donate my old items, I had never considered purchasing goods. When I started the goal to save 10K I knew that I would be stepping out of my comfort zone, and entering new territory. This included finding new, cheaper ways to purchase clothes.

With two growing children, clothes are bought several times throughout the year, and every time I go to buy some, they appear to be getting more expensive. There are some incredible low cost high street stores, but they can still add up by the time you reach the till. I needed to find an alternative, and charity shops seemed to be the way forward.

This type of charitable organizations are usually formed in accordance with the country’s charitable laws. In fact, many legal professionals, like H3 Solicitors, tend to advise charity trustees and potential trustees on the formation and registration of new charities, including choosing the most appropriate form of charity for their proposed activity. This typically includes guidance on how to deal with applications that have been denied, the appeals process to the Charity Tribunal, the removal of charitable status, and so on. Non-profit organizations are legally also obligated to respond to requests for financial records in a way that varies from traditional businesses. This may explain why some non-profit organizations tend to hire experts from organizations such as UpMetrics and similar agencies with experience and knowledge of the intricacies of nonprofit management via software provided by them.

Making money out of other people’s second hand clothes is big business, and BBC.co.uk reports how the prices are rising. I needed to see for myself if the quality of the clothes were good enough, and if the prices were worth taking the time to search. Charity shops are a little unorganised, but I was ready with an open mind to see if I could save money.

The reputation of charity shops has improved a huge amount over the years, and they will not attempt to sell damaged, worn or dirty clothes. These organisations understand that times are hard for many families, but quality should never suffer. It amazed me how the clothes in the shop were such good quality, and many items were nearly new.

Far too many people buy their clothes on an impulse, and do not consider if they need the item, which is how it ends up unworn and in charity shops. The girls were not impressed that they may have to wear charity shop items, but I was determined to show them that there were bargains to be found. I took the girls with me to the shop, to ensure that they had an input into the shopping.

After a while, the girls got into the spirit of the shopping trip, and even managed to find one or two items that they liked. This was a huge relief, and assured me that the items would be worn, and not simply discarded. If you enjoy searching for the one off items which you have not seen before, charity shops are ideal.

Alongside the clothes and shoes on offer, some charity shops are also offering larger items such as furniture. This can be the ideal way to save even more money, and I will be returning when something breaks in the house. I can honestly say that I was surprised at the quality and price in the charity shop and although I will not be buying everything from there, I can include it to my list of bargain shops.