Australians getting thrifty to curb costs ahead of Christmas

ABC NEWS (Australia)

From the presents under the tree to the food on the table, Christmas can be an expensive time of year. Families are getting thrifty to curb costs, in ways that aren't just good for the hip-pocket, but the planet too.

Transcript

00:00A new approach to the holidays inspired by old treasures.

00:07Well this year we've started a new tradition in my family which is thriftmas.

00:11From decorations to presents, even the outfits being worn to the Gonzales family Christmas are from second hand stores.

00:18You'd be surprised how many things are actually new or hardly have been used.

00:22Beautiful brand names of really good quality.

00:25But one of the greatest gifts is the money saved.

00:28If I was to look at what I have spent versus the retail value of the things that I have purchased, it's thousands of dollars.

00:37It's not just costs that shoppers are trying to curb.

00:40A lot of people are coming to us expressing that they just want to be a little bit more mindful with their shopping.

00:46Particularly at Christmas time, waste is really prevalent.

00:49There's really big challenges around landfill space in our cities.

00:54North Coast, Brisbane and we know Sydney is really at a crisis point as well.

00:58Almost 200,000 tonnes of waste were spared from landfill last year, thanks to second hand shopping.

01:04This and the emergence of traditions like thriftmas show more shoppers are keen to give pre-used treasures a new life.

01:12I think a lot of people are realising that you don't have to go out and buy new, buy expensive presents.

01:18And that there's actually some joy, you know, fossicking through a second hand shop.

01:22You're actually giving twice.

01:24And I think that's really awesome.

01:26So we might be giving to each other but we know that by thrifting we're also giving back.

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