thrift store

According to a study provided by What to Expect in November, parents on average spend about $173 on each child for Christmas. Each child. You don’t have to be a math whiz to see how quickly that adds up (especially if you have multiple kiddos) and that’s on top of all the other gifts, decorations, special foods and every other investment made to conjure up some Christmas vibes.

And sure, you can hope for Black Friday deals to save your wallet on these endeavors, but let’s be honest, many supposed “bargains” are just fabricated to get us to spend more. And even if you do save some money, doesn’t it sometimes (not always, but sometimes) feel like there’s something sort of sterile about this gift giving process? Like, where’s the magic of stumbling upon that unexpected, yet perfect thing and getting to share the story of finding it along with the actual item itself, ya know?

Thrifters know this feeling all too well. One thrifty mom knows it so well she decided to buy her son’s entire Christmas haul completely secondhand, and her incredible finds are pretty darn inspiring.

In a clip posted to her TikTok, mom and “avid thrifter” Natalie Joy shared how her previous attempt at an all thrifted holiday haul for her son was such a “magical” experience (not to mention a viral one, as the clip got over 4 million views) that she decided to do it again this year.

Wait til you see her impressive finds.

Starting off strong, Natalie shows an adorable vintage kiddie suitcase, made even more perfect since it reminded her of the blue suitcase she had as a child which said “Going to Grandma's” and was one of her “favorite things.” Plus, she filled it with thrift books. Both of these things cost her $26. Have you seen the price of kid suitcases these days? You'd be lucky to find one for under $100.

Next up, a lap harp that just needed a pick, and an entire Spirogrpah arts and crafts set, both of which go for around $68 and $27 on Amazon. She snagged them for $7 and $5.

And then there was the beaded alligator purse that her son personally picked out at Goodwill for $4.99, which would likely be five times the price elsewhere and she already knows her kid is gonna love. Win win.

There are just so many gems—including a sizeable box of blocks for making a medieval castle, a shiny holographic puzzle, and a toy cash register—but the real pièce de résistance is a kiddie record player that you can find for about $50 on Ebay, which undoubtedly was one of her son’s “big presents.”

“My husband owns a record label so vinyl is a very big deal in our house,” Natalie explained. “I got it at an estate sale for $18 and I plugged it into the wall. It works. I'm gonna set up a little record area in his room. I just... I'm so excited.”

But wait, there's more. Natalie also got a precious stuffed elephant, a brand spanking new Little Tikes Story Time Projector at half the price, and Lincoln Logs. Man this kid is making out like a bandit, for real.

There was one toy that Natalie’s son did specifically ask for—a Bruder crane truck—which she knew would be difficult to procure from a thrift shop. However, in trying to stick to her plan, she got a used one from Facebook Marketplace for $25. Unfortunately, this one was broken…which is sometimes the risk of buying secondhand.

But, Natalie just used this as an opportunity to get “creative.”

I have decided I'm going to put a note from Santa in the cab of the truck. The note is gonna say that a couple years ago this fell off of his sleigh and it broke. And he's just had it in the back of his workshop waiting for the right kid who he knew would appreciate it even though it has a flaw. So Santa's gonna add a little extra magic,” she said.

Seriously, freakin’ genius. And certainly more of a fun adventure than simply inputting credit card information and a shipping address.

Lastly, Natalie swiped an assortment of fun shaped scissors, an “I Spy” game, red winter gloves, a rubber snake, a little bag of ocean animals, a bag of marbles, some stamps as stocking stuffers and a handful of seashells. All of this will be wrapped with…you guessed it… thrift wrapping paper, which is apparently in abundance at estate sales. Who knew?

So, what’s the total on their incredible Christmas haul? $154. Still less than the average, and a whole lotta stuff…each with really cool memories and stories infused into them. So cool.

Now, part of the trick to thrifting is allowing enough time for the items to be found. It’s definitely more of a treasure hunt than a regular shopping experience, and you’ll often fare better seeking out multiple sources—goodwills, estate sales, the occasional online marketplace, etc.—and making it a bit of a hobby. This is a luxury not many of us can afford, schedule-wise…which is partially why Amazon is so darn tempting (and booming). But at the same time, you’d be surprised at how much you can find even going to a thrift store every once in a while. Plus once you feel the sweet satisfaction of saving big and earning the bragging rights to tell everyone about it…it gets pretty addictive.

Not to mention that when you offer someone a gift that was thrifted, you’re also giving all that time, thought and love that was put in in order to get it. What’s not to love about that?