And now for a little me time
THE POWER OF ... SERIES
Colour me in !
The power of thrifting !
by Lorna Gordon
There is no denying that everyone is doing it hard at the moment , rent , mortgage , food and fuel costs are going through the roof , and Christmas is right round the corner . You might be getting creative with your budget to stretch it a little , but have you thought of buying second hand ?
We are so used to buying everything new that we forget our parents and grandparents wouldn ’ t think twice about buying something pre-loved and I ’ m pretty sure all of us would have had some kind of hand me down , either clothing , toys or maybe even a bike . There are quite a few places to get your second hand bargains , and looking for particular things can be pretty fun .
On a Facebook page I saw people talking about prices in some of the op shops locally , but being a happy thrifter myself , I would say , don ’ t be put off and perhaps look further afield for your thrifting fix .
There is a brand new Salvo ’ s opened at McGrath ’ s Hill which is pretty awesome , Seven Hills and Blacktown Salvo ’ s are good , and I ’ ve been told the op shop at Dural is also worth checking out .
Thrifting or op shopping is a great way to get out in the community , it ’ s like a treasure hunt and you never know what you might find when you are out there .
The op shops help to keep perfectly good items out of land fill and are giving back to the charity they support at the same time . You can pick up
PODCASTS
by Lorna Gordon
Sometimes you need a little helping hand to make your life easier and the Lazy Genius podcast has heaps of ideas to help you out . As the host , Kendra Adachi likes to say be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don ’ t .
Each week Kendra looks as something that can be a grind on your happiness and gives you ideas on how to make it easier for yourself or your family . She covers everything from reading lists for you to enjoy , how to handle a busy season ( there ’ s a big one coming up for us all !), how to build a routine that works for you or how to meal prep .
I like this podcast because whatever you are struggling with or need ideas for , she seems to magically have an idea that can let you see it in a different way and move forward with less stress . Right now I ’ m listening to her previous episodes on Christmas and how to
Buying second hand can save you a lot of money and can be fun ! ( Chrissie Kremer Unsplash )
anything from wall art and kitchen goods to shoes , toys and books , all at an affordable price .
You can buy and sell on Facebook Market Place , just be careful of the scammers who are on this , it ’ s good advice to meet in a public place and arrange to have cash on delivery rather than use a payment app you might not be familiar with . Facebook also has some fantastic Pay it Forward pages in your local area where you can pick things up for free . eBay and Gum Tree are websites where you can buy preloved goods and you can look online for ‘ buy nothing ’ websites which are like the Facebook Pay it Forward pages . Also , keep your eyes open for local markets , like the Blacktown Markets at the Drive in Movies which have preloved goods for sale each week .
However you get your second hand fix , you know you are helping your hip pocket , the environment and in some cases a charity when you pick up your deal , so why not give it a try ?
Lazy Genius
make it easier and the summer holiday ones in preparation for our school holidays , but I expect she will have new episodes on these coming up too .
Kenda has also written a few books , including the Lazy Genius Way and The Lazy Genius Kitchen and if you find her ideas useful she has a couple of digital downloads on her website . You can listen to her podcast on the usual apps or on her website www . thelazygeniuscollective . com .
I love to read the Blacktown City Independent Magazine ( BCI ) because it has such variety of interests … Local news . A local opportunity for patronage / volunteering . A specific focus area for each edition . Local photographs . Local council news . Opportunities to win something . Relevant and local advertising . Blacktown links to other NSW councils . Local social scenes . A bit of history . Areas locally that have been enhanced . Local sports . Aspects of interest for all ages . Handy tips for self learning . So it ’ s very easy to pick up the magazine and get lost in it and very difficult to avoid doing so . Lachelle Foxal – Quakers Hill
I love reading the monthly BCI magazine because as a consumer , I prefer the traditional channel as a more trustworthy source than social media . With the worry of fake news and how quickly news stories change , I find it harder to believe what ’ s shared online . Reading is also a very large part of the way I learn . It reduces my stress as there are so much interesting topics to discover that will lighten up my mind . Last but not the least , I always make sure to find myself up to date with the latest developments and happenings occurring in and around the Blacktown area . Apple Salamera – Blackett
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14 ISSUE 32 // NOVEMBER 2023 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT