NI mum on her thrifting success: ‘I love sharing my bargains and I’m never embarrassed to pay less for something’

In two years, the mum-of-six has attracted over 26,000 TikTok followers by promoting eco-friendly living, sharing bargain finds, and encouraging others to rethink fashion and consumerism.

Speaking to this newspaper, Laura shared how thrifting — a family tradition — has become central to her lifestyle, including purchasing her wedding dress on eBay.

She says: “The love of thrifting is generational. My granny worked for a family who donated clothes, which she passed on to my mother.

“My mum has been into charity shopping since I was young. Kids go through clothes so quickly. It doesn’t make sense to buy expensive items that won’t fit in a few weeks.

“I wasn’t always into charity shopping, especially as a teenager. Back then, I wanted brands because I thought they made me somebody. I should have listened to my mum because now I know there is nothing to be ashamed of.

“I’ve taught my own children that it doesn’t matter. I’m always finding things for them — 50% of the items I find still have tags. It shows people are throwing money away and not returning things.”

As people become more eco-conscious, charity shopping is gaining popularity, and Laura acknowledges that it hasn’t always had a positive perception. She decided to start posting on TikTok to share her second-hand finds under the term ‘thrifting’.

“There is definitely still a stigma around charity shopping. When I started posting on TikTok, I called it thrifting because people often view charity shopping negatively. I received a lot of criticism for using an American term, but I don’t mind, it sounds cool and trendy, and it gets people interested”, she says.

“Initially, I tried posting on Instagram, but I didn’t enjoy the content I was creating. I found myself mimicking other creators and not being my authentic self, so I gave up on that and switched to TikTok. Within two months, I gained 10,000 followers and thought, ‘This is actually crazy’. Eventually, people who knew me began to discover my page.

“After a while, I overcame my embarrassment and realised, ‘So what? I’m no different on TikTok than I am in real life’.”

Laura’s talent for finding bargains extended to scoring her wedding dress on eBay for just £150.01, including postage.

“I love sharing my bargains and I’m never embarrassed to pay less for something. I bought my wedding dress on eBay for £150, with a penny for postage. I took it to Las Vegas and got married in 2009.”

The Derry woman shops “almost exclusively” for pre-loved clothing, and believes that taking a step back from the cycle of fast fashion has helped her find her own sense of style.

“I couldn’t tell you the last time I was in a mainstream shop. The prices would make me want to cry. Whenever you come away from the mainstream, you start to find your own identity again with clothes. If you’ve just been following the trends, you’re going to look how everybody else does at the end of the day. We all have different body shapes, heights, and skin colours, so how can we all be wearing the same stuff?

“I’ve always loved fashion because it can make you feel confident and transform how you see yourself. I don’t want to spend a fortune on it and I don’t have to.

“As a mother, if I spent a lot of money on clothes, I’d feel guilty and probably wouldn’t buy anything for myself. But by spending a little here and there, I feel good about myself while ensuring my kids have everything they need.”

Having recently moved into their family home in Donegal, Laura searches for quality pieces to furnish the home and has a talent for finding furniture she can DIY to elevate her space.

“I love old furniture. If you want high-quality oak in a mainstream shop, you’re going to spend hundreds. You can find real wood pieces in charity shops with proper runners and hinges that won’t fall apart.

“When you use your imagination, you can paint, re-stain, or strip pieces to fit your home. Plus, they last so much longer. When we got this house, I knew I’d find all the right pieces, and I didn’t care how long it took. Everyone knew my house was a bomb site for a while as it was a work in progress, but I wanted it to be different — something nobody else had.

“As for ideas, I get some on my own, but I also love browsing Pinterest for inspiration. It’s great for opening your eyes with fresh ideas.”

For Laura, thrifting means more than simply rummaging to find a good bargain.

“I’m trying to be a lot more conscious and bypass the fast fashion brands in charity shops. It’s pointless to buy something you can only wear once. I look for higher-quality pieces when I’m thrifting. I want to build a good wardrobe, and I don’t want to spend a fortune on it either.

“We can’t keep going the way we’re going with fast fashion. If we stop making clothes now, we’d have enough clothes in the world to last until the day I die. People feel so pressured — they watch social media influencers and every other day they have a new massive haul. But where is it all going? Into landfill.

“I feel I’m not contributing to overconsumption. Once I’ve worn everything, I re-donate so someone else can enjoy it. The constant production of clothes needs to stop at some point. I feel like I’m helping a wee bit, part of the money goes to charity, and I like that. I hope my TikTok account has opened people’s eyes. A few people have commented saying they wouldn’t go into a charity shop, but it’s made them try it out. This is the new way to shop.”