**This is a sponsored post in partnership with Kijiji Canada. All writing and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands who keep this blog full of fresh content.
I am just finishing up my year long partnership with Kijiji Canada this month. I was already a big Kijiji user and second-hand shopper before we worked together but I’ve learned so much more about the second-hand economy over the past year and I am so happy to share that knowledge with others. Beyond the amazing achievable savings by shopping second-hand on Kijiji, it truly is an amazing way to combat consumerism and reduce waste. Today, I’m so excited to be sharing my tips for saving a bit of money during the holiday season - namely how you can save big on all of those gifts you want to have under the Christmas tree!
It only took me a couple of Kijiji searches to find that there were SO many brand-new, in-box items to be scooped up. This Christmas season I was mainly hunting out cool, educational gifts for my son (who also has a birthday on December 30th) and I was amazed at how quickly I was tracking down all sorts of amazing gift ideas for such great prices. That being said, when you’re shopping for brand-new, in-box items please be aware that they go VERY quick. Especially at this time of year when many people are looking for ways to save a few extra dollars.
Since my son can’t read yet and doesn’t have regular Internet access, I’m excited to share the gifts I found for him on Kijiji as well as all the money I saved from buying second-hand, without the fear of him finding out!
Jack has always been very interested in planets and the solar system. We’re lucky to be able to see a lot of stars from the windows in our home and Jack’s room has a particularly great viewing spot so I thought getting a telescope would continue to foster his interest in astronomy. I found a brand-new one for $30 on Kijiji, which was an approximate savings of $40 from the retail price.
I am constantly taking photos for personal and work matters so it is only natural that Jack has shown interest in taking photos as well. As easy as it would be to just hand over my phone, these days I’m hyper paranoid about my phone being dropped so I figured getting his own little point-and-shoot would be the best option. I looked into “child-friendly” camera options online but they looked like pretty low quality and I wanted to get him something that would last. On Kijiji, I found this Polaroid Digital Camera new, in its package, for $40. At regular price, the cameras are around $69.99. With the money I saved, I was able to buy a new mini SD card for $20. I’m so excited to see what kind of images he captures.
Keeping in theme with photography, one of the best things in the world (at least to me!) is instant photography. Ironically, the digital camera I found was made by Polaroid and the instant camera I picked up is made by FUJI. I was lucky to find a gently used FUJI Instax Camera on Kijiji along with an unopened package of film for $50 total. The film alone usually goes for about $20 in-store and a new Instax sells for $89.99 at places like Urban Outfitters. I think we will have loads of fun with this over the holidays.
Jack is also very interested in science and exploring nature, especially since he started going to pre-school which is an indoor/outdoor program. I thought a microscope kit would be the perfect gift idea that will continue to grow with him as he learns more about science and the world. I bought it for $20 and when I looked it up they sell it at London Drugs for $49.99.
Overall, I saved $150 on all of these great technology and science gifts for my son! I am so excited to see him explore his creativity and curiosity in the year ahead. The financial benefits from buying used versus new are incredible. For example, according to Kijiji’s 2018 Report, you can save an average of $825 a year!
There is so much more than just great kids gift ideas on Kijiji; you can truly find something for everyone on there. You can find beautiful antiques and vintage items for the people in your life who love long-lost treasure. You can also track down an almost-new video game system complete with all of the games you could ever want (pro-tip: these go super fast! I was eyeing a couple of listings and they were gone before I could even think twice about it).
Seeking out second-hand holiday decor is another really great way to save some money this time of year. There is truly a never-ending surplus of second-hand decorations - think about shopping someone’s haul of twinkly Christmas baubles before hitting up the store for new decorations.
Or perhaps you’re on the other end of the buy/sell equation and you’d like to make a little extra cash at this busy, expensive time of year. Selling your unwanted things is a great way to find new homes for unused items that are sitting in your home. You can also gather some side income for your own holiday shopping. In fact, Canadians can earn an average of $1,134 by selling their second-hand goods – just think of all the amazing gifts you could purchase for family and friends with that money.
I hope you all have an amazing holiday season full of togetherness and joy and big savings! Happy second-hand hunting!