I went to a Swishing Party last night …..

In this post, Becky at Baby Budgeting explains 'swishing' for the uninitiated!

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I really think you should hold a Swishing Party and definitely go to one if you are invited. They are basically swap it parties. I am not suggesting you take along your partner and trade them in for a new model  or indeed swap your baby (even if they are giving you sleepless nights.) No,  these are parties where you swap your ‘stuff’. One thing those of us with little ones seem to have  is a lot of ‘stuff.’

My sister had decided on a baby and children's clothes as a them for her Swishing party. She sent out a little invite asking if we would like to go along, bringing any baby or children's clothes we no longer needed  with the opportunity to gain some we did – for no cost! She would provide coffee and cake.  Now I do like a night out, I love cake and I love something for nothing too so I was more than keen. I grabbed some kids clothes I was intending to eBay and off I went.

The whole point of a Swishing party as these swap parties are called  is to give and to gain.  We all laid out the clothes we had bought in the playroom and went off to the kitchen for a a gossip then …..we went shopping without needing a penny! We just helped ourselves to whichever clothes we wanted. Brilliant. I filled a little bag with PJ’s,  a fake lather jacket, a football top, a lime cord skirt, a colourful dress, a party dress, a white long sleeved T and various other fabulous goodies for my two children. Oh and I picked up two perfect snowsuits for my good friend who has just had a baby. Marvellous.

Any clothes left there donated to charity or taken home by the bringer.

We had a good laugh, decluttered, caught up, spent nothing, did a bit of recycling and got some beautiful clothes for our children. What a fab night out! Variations on the theme could be books, children's toys even adults clothes.

I talk about swap it parties in my book  ’How to afford time off with your baby’ and I do believe these are a really budget conscious way to add to your child wardrobe and socialise.

Have you ever been Swishing?