Martin Lewis shares savvy shopper’s trick to buying designer clothes for 20p

MARTIN Lewis has shared a savvy shopper’s trick to buying designer clothes for as little as 20p.

In the latest episode of Martin Lewis’ Extreme Savers series, Lauren Reynolds revealed she’s saved thousands of pounds by switching to sustainable shopping.

Lauren Reynolds, 23, has saved thousands of pounds by switching to sustainable shoppingCredit: Martin Lewis Extreme Savers/ITV

Martin said: “[Charity shops] have long been a hidden cash of designer and vintage bargains for style fans who know where to look.”

Lauren, a 23-year-old from Surrey, started buying clothes from second hand sources, such as charity shops, car boot and jumble sales, in 2016.

She’d just finished school and started an apprenticeship, which paid a low salary, but Lauren was still keen to keep up with the latest fashion trends.

To make sure it was financially possible, Lauren started shopping second hand sale rails.

Lauren says she has bought all of her clothes second-hand since 2016Credit: Martin Lewis Extreme Savers/ITV

Lauren told viewers: “On average down at a charity shop you’re looking at prices for jumpers around £4 or £5, for dresses around £5 or £6.”

But Martin revealed how charity shops are getting savvier and increasing their prices, so Lauren looks elsewhere to “drive down prices”.

She said: “Down car boots is where you can find real bargains. You wouldn’t be looking to spend more than £1 or £2 on an item which just makes things so affordable.”

“It’s so important to think: ‘Do I really need it? And do I really want it?'”

Sharing some bargain finds from her wardrobe, Laura revealed a mustard yellow midi-dress she picked up for just 20p at a charity warehouse sale.

The dress usually costs £150 at the retailer.

Lauren’s charity shop tips

LAUREN Reynolds, 23, shared her top tips for charity shopping with The Sun last month.

You need to go in the right frame of mind. They’re not really places to just pop into if you’ve got a spare few minutes.
Have a few things in mind you’re looking for, if you look through the whole shop you will get bogged down, because they have so much stuff in there. I tend to go in looking for a few things – maybe a midi dress, a midi skirt and a jacket. That also helps you with overspending and stops you buying things you don’t need.
Make sure you try things on, in a charity shop you see all these different brands, so they size up differently and you could be disappointed. The changing rooms aren’t open at the moment because of Covid, but normally this is a big one.
Try a different area. Last year for my birthday, my boyfriend took me up to London’s Portobello Road, Notting Hill, to look in all the posh charity shops. You definitely see slightly better brands in a slightly better condition if you go to a more affluent area.
Don’t be afraid to rummage. I would only go when I had the free time to look at everything.
Have a budget in mind, some days you will go in and you will find nothing, but other days you could come out with a whole armful of clothes. It does add up, so it’s about knowing how much you want to spend before you go in.

She also found a £50 dress for just £4 with the tag still on it – her friend had bought the same one online for the original price just one week earlier.

Lauren told viewers she also uses Facebook Marketplace and recently picked up a pair of new second hand £180 Doc Martens for just £20.

She said: “My biggest goal when shopping second hand is just to never let an item go to landfill if it doesn’t need to.

“So if I’ve decided I don’t really want an item any more then I will resell it or re-donate it just to keep it in the cycle.

“On top of that it means I’m never out of pocket, which is great.”