As in many towns and cities in the UK, the Algarve has its fair share of charity shops and you can find some absolute bargains in them. I love them, some of the knick knacks really fall into the category of being antiques and if you are looking for clothes, then there are many examples of clothes for sale that have not even been worn.

There are many charity shops in the Algarve that are the equivalent to the ones in the UK but there are also several that raise money for Donkey sanctuaries along with other types of animal rescue charities. When you go to these local charity shops in the Algarve it is common courtesy not to try and haggle the price down. This is a time and place for everything but these charity shops in the Algarve are not the place for haggling.

Even though the charity shops in the UK play an important part with regards to raising money for the various causes I was surprised how much of an important part of life they are in Portugal, many of the projects that they represent really rely on the income that these charity shops bring in and all of the volunteers that work in the charity shops quite rightly take their roles very seriously. The fact that they are prepared to give up their time so freely holds them in high regard by the rest of the Portuguese population.

You will also find that many people will choose to use these charity shops wherever possible instead of using the more traditional shops, not just because they could very well find a bargain but because the population of the Algarve are only to aware that the income that these shops raise will go to a very good cause. Many of the charities that these shops represent don’t receive grants like many charities in Europe do, many of these charities have been set up by individuals who dedicate their life to helping others. When you start to realise that the whole set up of these charities is slightly different to the UK for example, you will start to realise the importance of them.

I, like many others, often pay above the price for various items, safe in the knowledge that every Euro will be going to a good cause and not paying for a business lunch for the charity director which often happens with some of the more well known charities in the UK.

Thanks for reading my blog post and I hope you enjoy our expat tips. I love living in the Algarve and sharing my stories with you.

Thanks for reading

Samantha

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