Every year as Christmas gets closer and closer, everything in life seems to get busier and busier and your monthly budget has to stretch even further. I’ve always liked to give really meaningful gifts for Christmas, but sticking within a budget has become increasingly hard.

This year, I had 16 presents to buy for my family, friends, and children’s friends. So as the end of the year crept up, I started thinking ‘creatively’ about how I could make my dollar go further and still tick everything off my Christmas list.

I’ve used Gumtree for many years, to buy and sell items for the home, sporting equipment (I’ve bought at least five bikes for my girls), a dog and even a canoe! I started to notice that many of the items on the site are listed as new, which got me thinking about how Gumtree could be a treasure trove great gifts!

So I set myself a challenge to buy everything from Gumtree and find as many new items as I could, as well as put my match-making skills to the test! Putting thought and effort into buying a gift is so much better than rushing last minute to the shops to buy a bunch of gift vouchers.

I started searching and soon enough I found some amazing gifts, many of them are brand new and in the packaging. A couple of great finds were two brand new Oroton Umbrellas which retail for $95 each and I paid just $25 each. I also bought some books, jewellery and a cheese-making kit for my husband!

Giving second hand gifts isn’t a bad thing as many of them are either new or have hardly been used. One thing I bought was a $400 quilt cover which was on sale on Gumtree (brand new) for just $100. I’ll be upfront with my sister-in-law about where I sourced it from as she may worry I spent too much money on her, especially when we set a mutual budget! I think my family and friends will be so impressed with my savvy shopping so why not tell them where I got it from!

I calculated the full retail price of what I bought and estimated that if I paid full retail price, the bunch of gifts would have cost me over $2,000 instead of the $700 I actually paid.

I also met some really interesting people along the way and saw some new spots of Sydney – it’s been a great adventure.

Buying second hand is great because it’s all local and you’re actually helping the community by taking something off their hands that they no longer need or want. It also saves you hitting the shops which can often be a stressful experience when you’re on a deadline and a budget!

There is still time to get all your Christmas shopping done in an affordable, sustainable and local way! You’ll be surprised what you can find and how much you can save.

Gumtree Australia is celebrating Christmas by spoiling it’s community with a twelve-day giveaway of gifts, all sourced from the community marketplace. Worth more than $50,000 in value, the prizes feature a Tiffany & Co engagement ring, iPhone 7, Harley Davidson motorbike and an Audi A1 Car. 

For your chance to WIN a prize from Gumtree’s 12 Days of Christmas, click here.