Shopping
• Collect coupons, whether they are in magazines, newspapers, on-line, from mailing lists, from store loyalty cards just keep them at hand and you should do well to not pay full price again.
• Join the mailing lists of your favourite brands and then only shop for something when they have sent you an offer.
Sometimes that’s a 10% or 20% off voucher code, free postage and returns and even early warnings for their flash sales with up to 50% off.
•Been out shopping with your friends and come across that perfect top that you didn’t know you needed…instead of buying straight away decide to take a few days to think about it before you buy.
The likelihood is that in those few days you’ve actually forgotten all about it. Turns out you didn’t need it in the first place.
• This goes for food shopping as well as town shopping; always go on a full stomach. Whilst food shopping, if you are hungry you’re more likely to wind up buying fatty foods that you don’t need and come back with nothing much for your weekly dinners.
If you’re going clothes shopping you are bound to get hungry and will end up parting with almost a tenner for a coffee, sandwiches, cake all of which would have been better spent on that outfit, let alone what it will do to your hips.
• This is one for those living in Wales or any small town signed up to the no plastic bags option. Make sure you take plenty of reusable shopping bags with you to get your shopping safely home rather than paying the 5p bag charge, it all adds up.
Instead get your hands on a nice jute bag and look good whilst you shop, knowing that you’re doing your bit for the environment.
• Rather than going out shopping with friends try arranging a clothes swapping party, we are all guilty of owning something that lies at the back of the cupboard unworn, having never fitted but we did not return.
So time has come to offer it out there and hopefully your friends have similar items that you will love and wear time and time again. If nothing else it just might be good for a giggle.
• If there is a magazine that you really cannot do without each month then look into their offers for subscriptions, usually these can at least half the cost of the magazine off the store shelf (maybe more) and will be delivered to your house as well.
Definitely worth it when there is a free gift in the deal as well.