Written by Ruby Fitzer and translated by Iestyn Knox
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Anastasia Lewis describes students as being “at risk of becoming the forgotten group in the cost of living crisis.” Students are often seen as in a purgatory of sorts, stuck between dependent and independent financial and living situations. As a result, many students are unsure of how to budget. In her article from the House of Commons Library, Lewis again discusses students’ financial status. She found that 62% of students are spending less on essential items as a result of rising costs.
Many students at Aberystwyth University have found what they think to be a solution in the town’s multitude of charity shops. It seems there is a charity shop on almost every street in Aberystwyth and students are flocking to them. Ryan Ball, a second year psychology student at Aberystwyth University, feels strongly about charity shopping and is a frequent customer for many of the local charity shops in town. “Charity shops are great!” he says, “They are a relatively cheap way to find unique things.” Compared to buying things brand new, charity shops have over a fifty percent price cut on average, giving students and other customers the opportunity to have high end items for a lower price.
Stevie Thomas, a former Aberystwyth student, shares Ryan’s excitement about going charity shopping, “They’re always fun to go to and it's a more sustainable way to shop than buying new things. Especially if you're looking for clothes for a social or something, you can get exactly what you want for less money.” Stevie and Ryan go charity shopping together on almost a weekly basis and both have said that the shops allow for them to buy essential items for a much lower cost, meaning they can purchase more unique items that aren’t necessarily essential because they’ve saved money when purchasing things they need. Oftentimes students may assume that charity shops mainly are for clothing. However, many of them sell a variety of other essentials that students could be saving a lot of money on.
Sophie Peverell, one of the deputy managers at Farplace Animal Rescue Charity Shop, wants students to know that they have “kitchenware and homeware as well…we have pillows, duvets, duvet covers, and lots of other things for really cheap.” Farplace has shelves full of pots, pans, cutlery, glassware, and more, and it is not the only charity shop which has these things. Students often overlook the more practical items in charity shops, but with the rising costs of living, students are beginning to turn to charity shops for these home essentials.
Sophie also emphasized that Farplace is one of the few charity shops in Aberystwyth that offers a student discount. The shop offers a ten percent discount on any purchase for students with a valid student ID. Sophie said that this discount is a great way to benefit both the students and the charity, bringing students in to make more purchases and saving students money on items that they would otherwise pay double the price for.
So if you are looking for anything from kitchen essentials to clothes for a social, try charity shopping rather than buying new. It’s a great way to get high quality items for half the price!
Cymraeg
Mae Anastasia Lewis yn disgrifio bod myfyrwyr “mewn perygl o gael eu anghofio ymysg yr argyfwng costau byw.” Mae myfyrwyr yn aml yn cael eu hystyried mewn purdan o rhyw fath, sy'n sownd rhwng sefyllfaoedd ariannol a byw dibynnol ac annibynnol. O ganlyniad, mae llawer o fyfyrwyr yn ansicr ynghylch sut i gyllidebu. Yn ei herthygl o Lyfrgell Tŷ’r Cyffredin, mae Lewis yn trafod statws ariannol myfyrwyr eto. Darganfyddodd fod 62% o fyfyrwyr yn gwario llai ar eitemau hanfodol o ganlyniad i gostau cynyddol.
Mae llawer o fyfyrwyr Prifysgol Aberystwyth wedi dod o hyd i’r hyn sy’n ymuno’n ateb yn y llu o siopau elusen yn y dref. Mae’n ymddangos bod yna siop elusen ar bron bob stryd yn Aberystwyth ac mae myfyrwyr yn heidio iddyn nhw. Mae Ryan Ball, myfyriwr seicoleg ail flwyddyn ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth, yn teimlo'n gryf am siopa elusennol ac mae'n gwsmer cyson i lawer o'r siopau elusen lleol yn y dref. “Mae siopau elusen yn wych!” meddai, “Maen nhw’n ffordd gymharol rad o ddod o hyd i bethau unigryw.” O gymharu â phrynu pethau newydd sbon, mae gan siopau elusen dros hanner cant y cant o doriad pris ar gyfartaledd, gan roi i fyfyrwyr a chwsmeriaid eraill y cyfle i gael eitemau ansawdd uchel am bris is.
Mae Stevie Thomas, cyn-fyfyrwraig o Brifysgol Aberystwyth, yn rhannu cyffro Ryan ynglŷn a siopa elusennol, “Mae’n nhw bob amser yn hwyl i’w hymweld ac mae’n ffordd fwy cynaliadwy o siopa na phrynu cynnyrch newydd. Yn enwedig os ydych chi'n chwilio am ddillad ar gyfer noson gymdeithas neu rywbeth, gallwch chi gael yn union y hyn rydych chi ei eisiau am lai o arian." Mae Stevie a Ryan yn mynd i siopa elusennol gyda'i gilydd bron bob wythnos ac mae'r ddau wedi dweud bod y siopau'n caniatáu iddynt brynu eitemau hanfodol am gost llawer is, sy'n golygu y gallant brynu mwy o eitemau unigryw nad ydynt o reidrwydd yn hanfodol oherwydd eu bod wedi arbed arian wrth brynu pethau sydd eu hangen arnynt. Yn aml, gall myfyrwyr dybio bod siopau elusen yn bennaf ar gyfer dillad. Fodd bynnag, mae llawer ohonynt yn gwerthu amrywiaeth o hanfodion eraill y gallai myfyrwyr fod yn arbed llawer o arian arnynt.
Mae Sophie Peverell, un o ddirprwy reolwyr Siop Elusen Achub Anifeiliaid Farplace, eisiau i fyfyrwyr wybod bod ganddyn nhw “nwyddau cegin a nwyddau cartref hefyd… mae gennym ni glustogau, duvets, cloriau duvet, a llawer o bethau eraill yn rhad iawn.” Mae gan Farplace silffoedd yn llawn o botiau, sosbenni, cyllyll a ffyrc, llestri gwydr, a mwy, ac nid dyma'r unig siop elusen sydd â'r pethau hyn. Mae myfyrwyr yn aml yn anwybyddu'r eitemau mwy ymarferol mewn siopau elusen, ond gyda chostau byw cynyddol, mae myfyrwyr yn dechrau troi at siopau elusen am yr hanfodion cartref hyn. Pwysleisiodd Sophie hefyd mai Farplace yw un o’r ychydig siopau elusen yn Aberystwyth sy’n cynnig gostyngiad i fyfyrwyr. Mae'r siop yn cynnig gostyngiad o ddeg y cant ar unrhyw bryniant i fyfyrwyr sydd ag ID myfyriwr dilys. Dywedodd Sophie fod y gostyngiad hwn yn ffordd wych o fod o fudd i’r myfyrwyr a’r elusen, gan ddod â myfyrwyr i mewn i brynu mwy ac arbed arian i fyfyrwyr ar eitemau y byddent fel arall yn gorfod talu dwywaith y pris amdanynt.
Felly, os ydych yn chwilio am unrhywbeth o hanfodion y gegin i ddillad ar gyfer noswaith gymdeithasol, rhowch gynnig ar siopa elusennol yn hytrach na phrynu pethau newydd. Mae'n ffordd wych o gael eitemau o ansawdd uchel am hanner y pris!