How to keep op shopping after you become a mum.

All my life I’ve prided myself on being a thrifting ninja… that was until two years ago, when JT arrived.

From that point on, op shopping has been no mean feat.

So if you’re doing the mum juggle like me, but still want to search for secondhand style, here are my top 10 tips and tricks I’ve learnt along the way.

1. Start them young. I'm pretty sure JT hit the op shops in her first week on the planet (I was having withdrawals)!

It’s definitely daunting because everything is so new with a newborn, but make the most of it while they can’t move. Pop them in a pram or baby carrier and bring them along for the ride.

2. When they start to move, find op shops that can close their front door and have no stairs. Keep that kid in lockdown!

3. Invite a friend and put them on ‘Aunty duties’ when you arrive.

4. Ply them with their favourite snacks. That should buy you at least 10-15 minutes.

5. Op shops generally have a toy section, so take them straight to their happy place.

6. Invite a friend with a kid around the same age. That way, they can entertain each other.

7. Play hide and seek... until they get too good at it. I thought I’d actually lost JT the other day, because she’s so stealth. It wasn’t until she’d crunched on a Vege chip that I was able to track her down.

8. Always carry hand sanitiser in case they have a poo-nami mid thrift!

9. Dress for the occasion. Wear something you can change in and out of super quick, in case they start losing it.

10. Most of the lovely volunteers at opshops like small humans, so if they’re happy to entertain your rugrat let them!

The single mum teaching women to get smart about money on I Don't Know How She Does It. 

This post originally appeared on Never Ever Pay Retail. 

Hannah Klose has been thrifting since birth, thanks to her mum’s opshop obsession, and 35 years on she still loves the thrill of the chase - 99% of her wardrobe is pre-loved. When she’s not blogging about the best secondhand hot spots, you can catch her sniffing out a bargain somewhere in Brisbane with her sidekick, Josie. Follow her on Instagram @nevereverpayretail, Twitter and Facebook to see some everyday style that doesn’t have to break the bank.