A thrifty mum who shares her charity shop bargain hauls with more than 20,000 fans on YouTube has even bagged her wedding dress at a knock-down price and is planning a second-hand ceremony.
YouTuber Kate McCabe has amassed a following among people who love watching her charity shop vlogs filmed mostly in Great Yarmouth Picture: Kate McCabe (Image: Kate McCabe)
Kate McCabe, who is 40 on Friday, says she has been stunned by the success of her videos which see her diligently trawling charity shops across Great Yarmouth and Norfolk.
The singer and former radio presenter says she is proud of the things she has picked up and loves showing off her bargain buys - as well as her home town - to the YouTube community.
Miss McCabe who is mum to Toby, aged seven, also shops around in discount stores like Poundland and B&M for the best budget buys.
And so far she has garnered more than 20,000 subscribers who love trawling the charity shops as much as she does and are keen to visit the same branches as her hoping for some keen purchases.
Kate McCabe's elegant home is attracting admirers on Instagram. The vlogger, based in Great Yarmouth, shows off her charity shop bargain hauls to the YouTube community and says she has found nothing but support on the platform Picture: Kate McCabe (Image: Kate McCabe)
She said it all began close to two years ago when she did her first Poundland haul to an audience of around 50.
Flushed with success and buoyed by the feedback she branched out to charity shops and quickly found it was something people wanted to watch.
Now she makes a part-time income from skippable adverts on her videos.
She said showing off purchases to friends and family was all part of the shopping experience, but when she came home partner Lee wasn't interested.
Expert bargain hunter Kate McCabe is well known for her 'mug of the day' shots on Instagram. Her YouTube videos have more than 20,000 subscribers Picture: Kate McCabe (Image: Kate McCabe)
"It's quite an intimate thing to do," she said. "You might not think people would be interested but they are. People are really intrigued by what you find. Some people have never been in a charity shop before and are totally converted."
By the end of her first month she amassed 1,000 subscribers and has never looked back.
"I thought it would be full of trolls, I didn't realise YouTube is full of such nice, supportive people. They give me so many new ideas and suggestions, it really took me by surprise," she said.
Miss McCabe also vlogs about car boots in the summer and has a house account on Instagram where she posts about room makeovers and progress on her period property, which is full of bargain buys which look high end.
Charity shop vlogger Kate McCabe shows off another bargain outfit and mug Picture: Kate McCabe (Image: Kate McCabe)
She does at least one major charity shop a week, which is watched by people from across the country who get a shopping fix without leaving their homes.
"I think we have the best charity shops in Yarmouth," she said. "When I go and visit my dad in Wimbledon they are not nearly so good."
She likes the idea of recycled fashion and reducing waste but is still happy for people to buy new "fast fashion" and hand it on.
Anyone that recognises her is more than welcome to say hello and she is passionate about promoting Great Yarmouth, parts of which are "very pretty."
Charity shop vlogger Kate McCabe says her house account on Instagram is growing even more quickly than her YouTube channel Picture: Kate McCabe (Image: Kate McCabe)
She first came to the town in around 2001 as a holiday camp entertainer. She met her partner Lee outside KFC at 3am moving permanently in 2007 for a job at Beach Radio.
Her charity shop top tips
- Put the time in - you need a bit of luck but finding the best bargain is usually the result of painstaking trawling and getting stuck in, not necessarily simply "having an eye."
- Don't just look at your normal size, vintage items tend to be smaller and larger clothes might have shrunk a bit.
Showing off her beautiful home in Great Yarmouth has won Kate McCabe an army of fans on Instagram eager to copy her bargain looks Picture: Kate McCabe (Image: Kate McCabe)
- Look in the window, it's where they put some of their best bits but it's easily overlooked
- If you see it, just get it. If it's affordable and you like it it's best to snap it up, the chances are if you go back it will be gone.
Where to get the best bargains?
Any charity shop can yield a steal but some seem to have richer seams to mine.
Among Miss McCabe's favourites are: Age UK in King Street, Great Yarmouth, which is a clearance shop; Sue Ryder in Gorleston High Street which she describes as "like a boutique"; Barnados in the High Street and at the retail park in Lowestoft, both are said to deliver regular hauls, East Coast Hospice in Caister, and the RSPCA and PINs both in Northgate Street, Great Yarmouth.
She also rates the shops in Grove Road, Norwich.
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