Hello lovelies, hope you are all well.
Sorry I have been MIA in the blogging world at the moment, I have been very busy job hunting which seems to take up a lot of time!
That is why I have had a huge overload of scheduled posts of tags, which I kept for 'rainy days' - or when I was too busy to write up posts more regularly. In a few weeks time things will be back to normal.
STOP GETTING SIDE TRACKED ZOE!
That is why I have had a huge overload of scheduled posts of tags, which I kept for 'rainy days' - or when I was too busy to write up posts more regularly. In a few weeks time things will be back to normal.
STOP GETTING SIDE TRACKED ZOE!
If I had to define myself, I would say I am really good at bargain hunting. If there is an offer to be had, why not use it to your advantage? We are all living under the recession and saving a few pounds can only do the world of good.
A lot of people compliment me on this, saying I always find great bargains and ask how I do it. I thought it was about time I introduce the ways I do this on my blog.
Here's the list:
Here's the list:
1. I visit a lot of websites every few days which alert you of brilliant offers to be had in certain stores or online. My favourite website is Hot UK Deals. It is brilliant, as it shows you latest deals and gives you plenty of information about the product in hand and how it is available, and has separate sections such as deals, vouchers, and freebies. Another awesome site is Fashion Vouchers This site gives you a heads up on major retailers online savings, for example, if Dorothy Perkins has a limited 35% off all online purchases you can find it here! A great freebie site is Magic Freebies which I definitely recommend. I apply for a few freebies a week, and have had a variety of little beauty samples, coffee, tea bags and other little things come through the letterbox for nothing. For websites like this, you do have to give a little time to go through the deals, to find ones you want to use, print off vouchers or even fill in application forms online to request for free samples. It is a little time consuming but if you give an hour or so every few days (what is an hour, really?) it can save you a few pennies in the long run.
2. Another way to grab a bargain (sortof) is by entering competitions. Be it on blogs or other websites, you have to be in it to win it! It takes literally seconds to enter a competition or give away, you only have to enter your details, and if you change your settings on your computer, they can automatically be set for you. (Chrome is great for this). Again, this doesn't guarantee you win anything, but you have more of a chance of a freebie if you enter! I found inspiration from Victorias blog Victorias Vintage to enter daily competitions online, and have won some lovely things ranging from a brand new hair dryer, make up products and books.
3. Car boot sales. Some can be quite prudish about car boot sales, along with charity shops and jumble sales. As the saying goes, one man's rubbish is another man's treasure. I think they are a great way of getting something you really like for a cheaper price, especially at car boot sales as most sellers just want everything gone. They are usually held on empty land in the Summer on weekends. The best tips I could give would be to go quite early, but also to hang around at the end, as that is when most people want to pack up and go, and will probably reduce prices so they don't have to take anything home with them. Don't be scared to haggle, but ensure you aren't too forthcoming about it.
I have brought some amazing things from car boot sales, jumble sales and charity shops, from the likes of a real DKNY handbag, to French Connection tshirts.
4. Sales. I can hear the fear in your sighs already! I know they are tedious, but they are the easiest way to find a bargain lets be honest. I try to go to the smaller sales which aren't advertised as you are more likely to pick something up that is useful. Supermarket sales are usually quite good, as, if a products packaging is slightly damaged, they tend to knock off a big discount. After season sales are great to stock up for next year!
5. Outlet stores such as Next Clearance Stores and alike are brilliant for getting last seasons products for a much smaller price. There is a Next Clearance store about 5 miles from where I live, so when I fancy something new I travel up there and always find something I like.
6. A brilliant way of finding a bargain is using an App called quick scan on a smart phone. You can scan or type in the bar code of a product, and it gives you a list of where you can get it from and the prices. You can find the cheapest price for a product, and the best thing about the app is it is free!
7. DIY. What I mean is, rather than spend £20 on a take away, cook up a feast in the kitchen with whatever you have in the cupboards. Be creative!. If something is broke, try to fix it before you replace it. I know a lot of people just throw watches away if the battery has run out as it is a tedious job to replace, but watch batteries are quite cheap and with a little time it saves spending another £30+ on another watch. Make a facemask out of fruit and porridge that has sitting in your kitchen cupboards. If theres a book you've wanted to read for ages, go have a look in a few of your local libraries. Its free remember!
8. SHOP AROUND. Just 'cause Pound-world stock something for a £1 (obvs, duh zoe?!), it doesn't mean you cant find it cheaper! I adore UK stores such as Home Bargains and B & M as they are very cheap and usually a considerable amount cheaper to other stores. You can also find listings from News papers /local magazines which list bargainalicous places such as outlet stores, flea markets and lots of other things. Have a looksie, you may be surprised.
9. This sounds silly, and doesn't really help you 'grab a bargain', but it is a tiny money saver! Save your carrier bags! I know most people that I know have a carrier-bag-full-of-carrier-bags somewhere in their home, dont forget to take a few out with you to save a few pennies rather than paying for them.
10. If you are a beauty/cosmetics fan, check out Fragrance Direct, as it often features amazing deals, I even saw an Essie nail polish for £2 on there the other day!
11. FREE DELIVERY. Its rare that I buy online and pay for delivery unless I really have to. Most mainstream stores have a 'deal' online every few months for free delivery. For me, if I have to pay more than £2 for it to be delivered, I may as well go into the store myself, bus fares cheaper!
12. Use store point cards/vouchers or voucher codes. I know so many people that have a Tesco card but don't get in scanned when they do their weekly shop. The vouchers/points soon add up for things like this. Boots, Superdrug and Nectar cards are things most of us girls have in our purse, we may as well use them! Same goes with vouchers and voucher codes online.
13. Own brand goods. I hate people that are prudish if someone uses a Asda smart price body spray, or buys Tesco brand bread. There's nothing at all wrong with it! You may be surprised at how much money you save and the bargains you can get! You can pick of a Asda body spray for the likes of 54p, rather than forking out £2+ on mainstream brands like Impulse. Same as clothing, you can get a stunning outfit from Primark or Matalan all for under £30, do you really need those Jeffery Campbell heels you'll never wear?
14. Give clothes away and get paid? Close to where I live there are a few places that I dont really have a general term for, but basically they are small buildings where you can take bags of unwanted clothing (there are some guidelines on what you can/cant donate) in black bags, and can get paid a small amount per weight of these bags. They are basically going to be 'ragged'; I wont go into too much detail with this, but fopr example, in a Charity Shop, some clothing items which are donated are not resellable- so these are put into 'rag bags'. The people that collect these rag bags pay the charity store a small price for each bag - these stores are basically doing the same as this, but you get paid. As far as I am aware the clothing you donate still does get donated to charity (in different Countries I believe), so dont worry that you are not doing it for a good cause - the Chairty Shops do this themselves. (hope that made sense! I know this as I am related to someone that works in this industry). I am sure you will easily be able to find somewhere local to you that does this, Google is your friend. The stores near me range from £3 to £5 per full black bag, so it is pretty good.
6. A brilliant way of finding a bargain is using an App called quick scan on a smart phone. You can scan or type in the bar code of a product, and it gives you a list of where you can get it from and the prices. You can find the cheapest price for a product, and the best thing about the app is it is free!
7. DIY. What I mean is, rather than spend £20 on a take away, cook up a feast in the kitchen with whatever you have in the cupboards. Be creative!. If something is broke, try to fix it before you replace it. I know a lot of people just throw watches away if the battery has run out as it is a tedious job to replace, but watch batteries are quite cheap and with a little time it saves spending another £30+ on another watch. Make a facemask out of fruit and porridge that has sitting in your kitchen cupboards. If theres a book you've wanted to read for ages, go have a look in a few of your local libraries. Its free remember!
8. SHOP AROUND. Just 'cause Pound-world stock something for a £1 (obvs, duh zoe?!), it doesn't mean you cant find it cheaper! I adore UK stores such as Home Bargains and B & M as they are very cheap and usually a considerable amount cheaper to other stores. You can also find listings from News papers /local magazines which list bargainalicous places such as outlet stores, flea markets and lots of other things. Have a looksie, you may be surprised.
9. This sounds silly, and doesn't really help you 'grab a bargain', but it is a tiny money saver! Save your carrier bags! I know most people that I know have a carrier-bag-full-of-carrier-bags somewhere in their home, dont forget to take a few out with you to save a few pennies rather than paying for them.
10. If you are a beauty/cosmetics fan, check out Fragrance Direct, as it often features amazing deals, I even saw an Essie nail polish for £2 on there the other day!
11. FREE DELIVERY. Its rare that I buy online and pay for delivery unless I really have to. Most mainstream stores have a 'deal' online every few months for free delivery. For me, if I have to pay more than £2 for it to be delivered, I may as well go into the store myself, bus fares cheaper!
12. Use store point cards/vouchers or voucher codes. I know so many people that have a Tesco card but don't get in scanned when they do their weekly shop. The vouchers/points soon add up for things like this. Boots, Superdrug and Nectar cards are things most of us girls have in our purse, we may as well use them! Same goes with vouchers and voucher codes online.
13. Own brand goods. I hate people that are prudish if someone uses a Asda smart price body spray, or buys Tesco brand bread. There's nothing at all wrong with it! You may be surprised at how much money you save and the bargains you can get! You can pick of a Asda body spray for the likes of 54p, rather than forking out £2+ on mainstream brands like Impulse. Same as clothing, you can get a stunning outfit from Primark or Matalan all for under £30, do you really need those Jeffery Campbell heels you'll never wear?
14. Give clothes away and get paid? Close to where I live there are a few places that I dont really have a general term for, but basically they are small buildings where you can take bags of unwanted clothing (there are some guidelines on what you can/cant donate) in black bags, and can get paid a small amount per weight of these bags. They are basically going to be 'ragged'; I wont go into too much detail with this, but fopr example, in a Charity Shop, some clothing items which are donated are not resellable- so these are put into 'rag bags'. The people that collect these rag bags pay the charity store a small price for each bag - these stores are basically doing the same as this, but you get paid. As far as I am aware the clothing you donate still does get donated to charity (in different Countries I believe), so dont worry that you are not doing it for a good cause - the Chairty Shops do this themselves. (hope that made sense! I know this as I am related to someone that works in this industry). I am sure you will easily be able to find somewhere local to you that does this, Google is your friend. The stores near me range from £3 to £5 per full black bag, so it is pretty good.
Did you find this post helpful?
What are your top tips to get great bargains??
Let me know!
xx
What are your top tips to get great bargains??
Let me know!
xx
Great tips! I love the Fragrance Direct website, and clearance stores :) xxx
ReplyDeleteI always wondered what the cash 4 clothes people did with the bags of clothes, haha! Learn something new everyday! :')
ReplyDeletexxx