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In the end, the buying new for the daughter's bedroom because of the lack of goods in the charity shops hasn't been all bad. I get the old cotton sheet and pillow cases to rip up for the compost heap because they are no use for dust sheets (fitted sheet and size) and the daughter uses the old duvet cover for rags (now that shows how old the items are).

Six and two threes I think here. At least the items bought are only replacements and the replaced elderly and worn out items have a second life even if not in the charity shop.

But I have spent some time thinking here. If I am being charged £4.99 for a second hand M&S cotton shirt and can get 2 new cotton shirts for £10 new - wherein lies the cash incentive to buy second hand? Although it may be environmentally and ethically proper to buy from the charity shop, I'm on a pension and do have to consider the income.

Likewise, if I buy from the charity shop, I'm supporting a charitable aim. Whereas if I buy new I am keeping someone somewhere in a job - you aren't exactly keeping shop staff in paid employment in a charity shop - just the older generation off the street.

So which is the correct thing to do?

Flo, you are really confusing me now!! I thought the charity shop thing was right, now I thinking the jobs thing is right! confused pbf.

Yes I'm equally confused when I think about too hard about it. Of course recycling, reusing and supporting charity is good. But so is supporting employment.

I've only thought about it because I've not been able to find the things that are needed in the charity shops locally so had to buy new.

Trouble is - if you set yourself to buy nothing new and stock is there well it's easy to buy things that aren't strictly necessary because you are doing all the ethical things that we support here.

But as I say - there is a dearth of goods to buy at the moment locally and much competition for the things that are available. One of the larger charity shops has exactly half the floor space that is normal dedicated to clothes and the furniture that was filling the other half was also decimated yesterday. Same with most of the other shops.

So I look on the bright side, buy only what is absolutely necessary and consider that my minute spending is some help towards preserving a job somewhere on the high street. In the current climate I consider that is fairly ethical. Strangely the lack of stock in the charity shops is saving me money as I do look there first and then consider whether I really want to buy something if it's not available there.

As a slight aside, haveyou noticed how different shops have different pricing strategies?

Where we used to live there were quite a few - scope, cats protection, age concern, cancer research to name but a few. Most of them were great, but the cancer research had a posh shop in the main precinct (all the others were slightly out of the main shopping area) and charged at least double. It never seemed to have much stock, but had lovely displays rather than racks of stuff.

I'm happy to support charities, and buy second hand, but not for nearly the same price as new.

I think one of the biggest problems with charity shops is that the people who volunteer. Lovely though those folk are; they are often the sort of people who shop in the more exclusive shops themselves and are out-of-touch with "normal" prices.

I help out at one of our local shops (Age Concern) when I can. I have explained to the manageress on several occasions, that the price she wanted to put on an item was MORE than it originally cost! EG a Primark child's coat, cost new £12, she was about to lable it £15. I politly suggested she broused Primark, poundland, etc. She did, prices came down & stock turnover improved and takings overall went up.

Maybe a few more volunteers should get the same "training"!!!

MW