Clothes, thrift & the haul trap
Lesson 9 of 12 in our free Food & Everyday Spending guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.
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Questions you'll answer
A £60 coat worn 120 times vs a £15 top worn 3 times. What's the coat's cost per wear?
Quick facts
- Red flag: “£25 (RRP £400!!)” — A 94% discount on 'brand new designer' = fake, stolen or doesn't exist.
- Red flag: “Message me to pay by bank transfer instead, it's quicker” — Paying off-platform means you lose the app's buyer protection. Classic scam move.
- Red flag: “Lots of interest so first to pay gets it” — Pressure to pay fast stops you checking anything.
- Red flag: “Photos are from the brand website” — No real photos of the actual item = huge red flag.
- Swapping clothes with flatmates for a night out → Glow-up. New-to-you outfit for £0.
- A £120 haul you'll return 'later' (you won't) → Money leak. Return windows close. 'Later' is where refunds go to die.
- Sewing a button back on instead of buying new → Glow-up. Two minutes, free, and you look like you have your life together.
- Buying a new outfit for every photo because 'people have seen it' → Money leak. Nobody is tracking your outfits like that. Promise.
- Checking charity shops in fancier areas → Glow-up. Great donations, small prices. Vintage hunting is a sport.