Savvy mother-of-two claims she hasn’t bought new clothes in 20 YEARS

A mother-of-two has revealed how she hasn’t 20 years wearing only pre-loved clothes – saying she even buys underwear from second-hand shops.

Part of a family of super-savers, Angela Morton stashes away hundreds of pounds away every year thanks to her shopping skills.

And the mother, who lives in South Wales, has even convinced her kids, Ben, 17, and Meighan, 16, to follow her lead, as well as dad and husband David, 40.

In a bid to look ‘unique’ from others, she scours charity shops and second-hand online marketplaces, such as eBay and Vinted – and claims she loves the ‘buzz’ her shopping habit brings.

‘I estimate that I have saved hundreds of pounds a year shopping second-hand,’ Angela said. 

The mother-of-two with her children when they were younger. The family are super savers and the kids have been wearing second-hand their whole life 

‘On just three items, I have saved around £1,304,’ she proudly said. 

‘My children have worn second-hand or handmade clothing for at least 10 years and have never had a problem with it.

‘They didn’t know any different growing up and now they are older, they like vintage styles and that they can get more for their money.

‘My son loves the 70s and 80s and enjoys vintage shopping.

‘We enjoy vintage shopping as a family day out.’

For the mother-of-two, she’s previously scored a Vivienne Westwood bag that had only been used once for £56, and two Stella McCartney bags for £40, instead of a whopping £800.

Another one of her bargain finds, a pair of Dr Martens have lasted her for over eight years and set her back just £25.

Angela’s second-hand shopping obsession started when she was 19, with a keen interest in vintage fashion.

Angela, pictured with her mother and her sister, has been raised to buy clothes sustainably and is teaching her kids to do the same 

 Angela has been rocking second-hand clothes all her life and will rarely wear store-bought items 

Angela also purchased a second-hand Vivienne Westwood bag for £56 after spotting it on eBay with other designer item (left) A red leather bag from Stella McCartney that Angela said she bought second-hand for £20 on eBay (right) 

A pair of vegan Dr Martens boots that Angela found on Vinted for £25. New, these could cost ore than £100

Angela said: ‘I have loved the 1950s and 1960s since I was younger, in particular the clothing and music.

‘I have never liked the styles of modern fashion and didn’t want to look the same as everyone else.’

Since then, she’s shopped almost exclusively at charity shops, vintage stores, and on eBay for two decades.

The mum claims 97 per cent of the clothing she owns is second-hand.

The only things Angela has bought are some new socks and some underwear from a sustainable brand – though most of her lingerie is still bought second-hand.

Angela said: ‘I occasionally buy new from brands such as Y.O.U. underwear.

‘It is ethical and sustainable and has a buy-one-give-two model which means that every time you buy a pair of underwear they donate two pairs of underwear to ‘Smalls for All’.

The couple were already rocking the second-hand look in their early 20s, pictured, before they had children 

The couple are experts at finding pre-love clothes to wear to big events, and look good in their second-hand gear

Angela’s children, Ben, 17 and Meighan, pictured now, are used to asking their mother for second-hand clothes 

‘I do buy new socks though. I also purchase second-hand underwear, but they need to be unworn and “new with tags”.’

Her family even ask for second-hand items as gifts for special occasions.

She said: ‘They request second-hand clothing for their birthdays and Christmas.

‘Ninety per cent of my son’s presents were second-hand last Christmas, all of which he chose.

‘It makes me really happy that they have chosen to do this.

‘I feel it’s a better choice.

Ben will ask his mother for pre-loved items for special occasion. His mother proudly said 90 per cent of his Christmas presents in 2022 were second-hand 

‘I talk about the impact fast fashion has on the planet with them and I hope that this helps them make an informed choice.’

‘People need to realise that fast fashion is cheap because someone isn’t getting paid.’

To help others get started with second-hand shopping, Angela has also shared some of her top tips.

She said: ‘If you want to do the same, you need to be mindful of what you need and shop around on second-hand sites like eBay, Depop, Vinted, and Facebook Marketplace.

Angela at her wedding with her daughter Meighan, who is now 16. They are both wearing custom-made dresses 

‘Set up alerts for anything you want. Vinted is great as you can negotiate the price with the seller.

‘Talk to your friends about swapping clothes, too.’ This is a great way of exchanging unwanted clothes. Start off with small changes and don’t be hard on yourself – you don’t need to be perfect to make a big difference!’

The mother’s environmental and ethical concerns about what she’s buying have also led her to set up her own business and as a family, they’ve also tried to cut down on their plastic waste.

Angela added: ‘I’m passionate about not impacting the planet or the people in the supply chain when making purchases.

‘I set up my business, Equalibrium, two years ago to reduce plastic waste in the bathroom.’