Mum creates incredible £10 Christmas basket for her son and people are loving it
Christmas can be an expensive time, but even if money is tight, you can still create an amazing atmosphere for your children.
Savvy saver Katie Keilkowski is living proof of this, after making her three-year-old son Chase an incredible 24 Days of Christmas basket for just £10 using items from her local charity shop and her chemist.
Katie, 34, from Harrow, Middlesex, posted her clever creation on moneysaving Facebook community Latest Deals, Extreme Couponing & Bargains Group.
She wrote: "Thought I’d share my little 24 days off Christmas basket I made up for my little toddler so cheap to make little paw patrol mini  collectables £1 each and  Peppa Pig and Thomas the tank engine books all 20p from my local charity shop brought him the big brand Advent calendars last year and not wasting my money again this year they were load of rubbish least he loves reading so no he will get plenty off joy from these bits Not everyone’s taste but I like it.”
Her post soon went viral, receiving over 930 likes and 115 comments from fellow bargain-hunters who commented “Perfect, less waste less plastic” and “what a brilliant idea”.
Katie, a stay at home mum, told LatestDeals.co.uk: "I decided to do this for my little boy because I think the big branded advent calendars are very overpriced for what they are, especially the Lego ones as the little ones usually lose all the pieces by the time it’s Christmas and you have opened all the doors!
“My little boy loves to read so this was perfect as I could choose all of his favourite books and know that he will get lots of joy in reading a different one every night.
"I bought Peppa Pig and Thomas the Tank Engine books for 20p each (RRP£3.99 each) all from my local charity shops - 17 books would have cost roughly £67 if I bought them brand new from a book store. I also added mini Paw Patrol collectables that I got from my local chemist for £1 each, and a basket that I already had.”
Katie says her idea isn’t just personalised, but also helps in the war on plastic.
“This also helps cut back on all the plastic that is used in most shop-bought advent calendars for children,” she adds. “There is also no company currently that I could find that makes personalised countdown to Christmas stuff.
“Look around in your local charity shop for ideas - there are loads of great kids’ books, DVDs and toys that you can use to do these baskets. You can also make gift baskets for friends or family using beauty bits, cook books or scarves from charity shops - plus, all the money is going towards a great charity."
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, says: “This is a fantastic idea that enables parents to save money, help the environment and also provide their kids with an advent calendar full of items that are tailored to their interests. Check out your local charity shop for ideas, and don’t forget to shop this Black Friday weekend for creating last-minute calendars!"