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10 things you're better off buying used

Some tips to get you upcycling, reusing and getting more for your money: and we’d like your suggestions too…

IT’S NO SECRET that consumers have less cash to burn these days than ever before, but there are plenty of ways to save that don’t require diving headfirst into a sales bin.

For some products, there’s just no point paying full-price when you can find the same quality in a second-hand or used product.

1. Bicycles

Like cars, new models of bicycles come out every season, which means you’re likely to see older models pop up on sites for a fraction of the cost during colder seasons like autumn and winter.

If prices at your local bike shop aren’t appealing, try sites like Adverts.ie, gumtree.ie or a scheme like this one at the Rediscovery Centre, Ballymun, Dublin for ‘upcycling’ old bikes as part of the rethink, recycle, remake initiative.

Think about commuting to work on your new ride and watch your savings grow even more.

Before you buy online, be sure to use due diligence. If an ad seems fishy or uses a stock image, the bike might have been stolen.

2. Textbooks

University students in particular end up with massive bills for course-required textbooks, especially in science subjects. When possible, renting, borrowing or buying books secondhand are the simplest ways to save. Schooldays.ie runs a free facility on its site for parents to buy and sell secondhand school books directly to other parents.

Schoolbookexchange.ie is also worth a look, and also has a section for third-level texts. Abebooks.com is also useful and many third-level institutes run second-hand book services, for example this one at UL, run through the Students’ Union bookshop.

3. Children’s clothing

We wouldn’t recommend going the used route on important items like car seats or pushchairs, but when it comes to children’s clothing – which is likely to get wrecked by smashed carrots anyway – there’s no shame saving.

Try browsing reputable charity shops in your neighborhood or, of course, asking friends and family for handmedowns.

4. Cars

The new registration number divisions might get you over your ’13′ superstitions but most of us know that a new car is an extravagance many can’t consider.

“A used car that’s five years old can typically be about a third of the price of a new car, and the insurance is a lot less than it would be for a new car,” according to Investing Answers.

Buying used cars is an economical choice, but you’ll want to be wary of hitting the used car sales yards before doing your research. Sites like Car Buyers’ Guide, carzone.ie and autotrader.ie are great places to get an idea of how much a used car should be worth.

5. Household appliances

Before you cart off lots of euro worth of new kitchen appliances , think about buying big ticket items from friends and family or online.

Things like refrigerators and washing machines are plentiful on sites such as the ones mentioned in the ‘bicycles’ section above, and smaller kitchen appliances like blenders, mixers, and microwaves are easiest to score.

You’re in real luck if you have a pair of friends who recently moved in together. Chances are they won’t want duplicate appliances cluttering their cabinets.

6. Toys

Do yourself a favour – especially when children are younger – and hold a swap party with friends who have children of a similar age or older. Rollercoaster.ie also has a classifieds section laden with children’s stuff and babybay.ie is worth checking.

Chance are your five-year-old won’t remember whether the Tonka truck you bought him for Christmas was used or not when he’s pushing 30.

7. Furniture

New beds and mattresses – we get the appeal. But we like a poke around auction rooms for house contents clearance and retro finds, as well as projects like Oxfam Home which manages the double whammy of selling unwanted furniture for reasonable prices, and benefitting charity too.

8. Wedding attire

Remember, no bridesmaid should pay full-price for a gown she’ll only wear once. As well as the reasonably-priced ranges from stores like Monsoon, Debenhams and Coast (for bridesmaids), brides-to-be on a budget should check out the chat forums on the large number of Irish wedding websites out there – there are always good deals to be had on gowns that a former bride no longer has the room to store.

Barnardos Bridal Rooms in Carlow and Dun Laoghaire stock new wedding attire from leading Irish designers and retailers but at a fraction of their original price. And again, it has the feelgood price tag of contributing to charity attached.

9. Pets

Dropping hundreds of euro (or slightly less) for a new pet seems almost criminal when you get down to the cold, hard facts. Animal shelters all over Ireland are full of healthy, vaccinated pets looking for a good home. Last summer the DSPCA had to issue an alert that its shelter was completely full and that it had noted a rise in the number of abandoned pets since the recession began.

So have a heart and if you have the time, space – and finances – to properly look after a pet, think about saving one from being euthanised.

10. Designer threads

If you are lucky enough to have a glitzy event to go to,  asos.com is a good bet for pulling off the latest red carpet trend on a budget. But you can still wear the real labels by looking for dress rental services in your area, eg The Ivory Closet, Limerick; the Dress Bar in Cork; Covet in Dublin; Corless Formalwear in Galway (hello, gents) etc.

What else would you never consider buying new these days? Have you any helpful hints and suggestions? Let us know in the comments section.

- Mandi Woodruff, additional reporting by Susan Daly.

What do you do with your old bicycle?>

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46 Comments
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    Mute Atticus the Accuser
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    Apr 19th 2015, 3:59 PM

    Bit ridiculous it’s not a reflection on a person’s character what their ancestors did. I’m sure if you go back far enough in most people’s family tree, you’d get all kinds of “characters”.

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    Mute YFG Account
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:01 PM

    Sometimes as recently as the 70s

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    Mute Jimmy Jim-Jim
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:20 PM

    There is a trend in America of calling for reparations from descendants of slave owners. Given his wealth he may be a target for claims, and given his political activism I can’t see how he could refuse without loosing face.

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    Mute J. Dunn
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:24 PM

    When someone tries to measure you against the actions of your long gone ancestors just tell them, ‘Well, if not for the murderers and rapists in your family tree you probably wouldn’t be here today.’.

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    Mute Jack Dunne
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:28 PM

    Weren’t all white people potential slave owners back then

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:31 PM

    What ever you do don’t mention black slave owners or the debt owed to the hundreds of thousands of white soilders who died to bring an end to slavery.

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    Mute Deco James Connolly
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:33 PM

    Blacks owned slaves first .

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    Mute Jimmy Jim-Jim
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:53 PM

    The Aran slave trade makes for some interesting reading. 10-18 million slaves taken, about 1 million of them from Europe. Male slaves were castrated, which is why there aren’t large groups of descendants of these slaves around the middle and near East.

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    Mute Jimmy Jim-Jim
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    Apr 19th 2015, 6:42 PM

    *Arab

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    Mute Agrippa
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    Apr 20th 2015, 12:03 AM

    Yeah didn’t they grab over 100 people from baltimore and enslave them in Algeria

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:08 PM

    When will these people ever learn that the more you try to hide this stuff the bigger it comes back to bite you in the ass.There is nothing to be ashamed about here. Ben Affleck didn’t own slaves.Its part of history and should be used to learn lessons from that god-awful period.

    I mean if he wants something to be ashamed of might I suggest Daredevil.

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    Mute Alan Ball
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:11 PM

    Sooo true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:34 PM

    I’ll tell ya if he fecks up Batman I’ll be wanting words with him.

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    Mute David G
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:44 PM

    It’s called the Barbara Streisand effect

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:53 PM

    What ? Fecking up Batman ? ;-)

    Ill grab me jacket.

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    Mute Art Vandelay
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    Apr 19th 2015, 3:59 PM

    I’m sure in a few hundred years time his family will be hiding the fact that they ever knew or were related to an Affleck that was an “actor”..Gigli? Never heard of it…

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    Mute An Observer
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:31 PM

    ‘Batman v Superman’ is yet to be released…. Gigli might be a distant memory after that…

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    Mute Tap Solny
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:09 PM

    People should be held accountable for their actions today not for the deeds of their ancestors.

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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:12 PM

    Tap sometimes I think you’re the only person here who talks any sense.

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:29 PM

    Tap, does that apply to countries, also? If so, some commentators on Journal.ie should take note.

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    Mute James Lyons
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:06 PM

    “It’s history” is a forgiving phrase for a reason.

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    Apr 19th 2015, 3:58 PM

    I think it’s important that we never try to sweep history under the rug. Some actions are always wrong regardless of prevailing beliefs at the time or historical context. Those who murder or treat others poorly should always be held accountable as the criminals they are.

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    Mute Top Cat
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:05 PM

    It’s a delicious irony that uber leftwing commie like Afleck is descendant from slave owners.

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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:09 PM

    Top Cat I’d say you’re great craic at parties.

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:38 PM

    There’s got to be a limit to the number of times you can use the “I’d say you’re great at parties” line.

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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:47 PM

    Off topic but where did your username come from?

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Apr 19th 2015, 8:01 PM

    Don’t be coy YFG, we all know you’re talking about FG and AGS’s role in the planning, carrying out and cover up of the Dublin/Monaghan Bombings.

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    Mute Bill Rooney
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:42 PM

    Slavery was abolished in 1833 by an Act of Parliament – in Britain, of which we were part.

    Many weathy people in Ireland owned slaves – as part of their ‘balenced’ investment portfolio. Just like now, investments will include (say) – oil, property, gilts and drugs.

    Gladstone’s family (4 time English Prime Minister – with a major involvement in Irish affairs!) – had over 2,500 slaves, working on 9 plantations in the West Indies.

    In 1833, the Gladstones received £83 million (modern equivalent) in compensation. Staggeringly – getting paid for the ‘loss’ of slaves.

    The families of David Cameron (and his wife’s) had about 400 slaves on their books; they got £4 million in compensation.

    But so far, nobody has researched (as far as I know) the involvement of Irish investors. But – it is believed that many of our ancestors had a considerable slice of the pie, mainly in the Pale…..

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    Mute Deco James Connolly
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    Apr 19th 2015, 4:32 PM

    Democrats are and were the real racists , poor old Ben ,his back will be raw with self flagellation .

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    Mute Brendan Julian
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    Apr 19th 2015, 8:18 PM

    Seems he only made things worse by trying to hide the fact. In your face Ben

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    Mute Amity Bodega
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    Apr 19th 2015, 9:47 PM

    His brother Casey Affleck was arrested for rape but that was covered up too. Also noticed there is very little about the actors on Wikipedia which is strange for such well known actors

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    Mute David G
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    Apr 20th 2015, 9:53 AM

    There is a huge amount on Wikipedia about Ben but less about Casey so that comment is inaccurate.

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    Mute Bernard O'Brien
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    Apr 19th 2015, 10:05 PM

    A third of the people in Ireland are supposedly decended from Nial of the nine hostages which explains a lot !

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