Apologies for this late posting – I had begun to draft last week’s but I never completed it. So I thought I would combine the past two weeks’ instead….

1.I’ve had some luck with picking up second-hand bargains. I bought these used books at the monthly bric a brac sale held in the church hall:

I’m a big fan of the Mapp and Lucia series of books by EF Benson and am looking forward to re reading them 🙂

2. I went to visit a friend in South Wales and we enjoyed rummaging the charity shops and stalls in Monmouth. I picked up these two LPs for £7:

I’ve wanted ‘Rio’ for about 30 years (!) and Van Morrison’s ‘Moondance’ is one of my favourite albums.

3. I also found an amazing bargain in a local hospice shop – Boden ankle length trousers for just £4.50! I’m in need of some casual work trousers and have been looking for some ankle length ones. Being Boden, these are in great condition too.

4. Apart from some second hand shopping I also managed to get my watch fixed this month. I haven’t worn it for about ten years but, now that I’m working, I really need it. So I got a new battery and a new watch strap. This cost me £20 but was money worth spending.

5. I started Christmas shopping (!). I worked out my budget – based on the regular monthly amount we save into a dedicated account – and the number of people I’m shopping for. I made a small start on the children’s presents but was also able to buy some hand crafted gifts for friends at a local craft fair. This year I am determined not to buy from Amazon and to try to support independents as much as possible.

Have you started Christmas shopping yet?

I’d love to hear about your Thrifty Finds too! Please  share your Thrifty Finds on my facebook page, or use #thriftyfinds on Twitter or instagram