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2023 seems to be the year of rising prices. So most of us are always looking for ways to try and save money every single day.
But did you know that it’s often possible to buy things cheaper than full price? Whether it’s groceries, clothing, electricals, holidays or pretty much anything else you may be able to get a better deal if you are aware of a few tips and tricks.
Let’s take a quick look at eight ways to get a better deal on your shopping:
Cashback is a way for you to get money back from retailers when you buy goods online. If you buy your items from the cashback website rather than directly from the retailer, you could typically receive back 1-5% of the cost of the product.
Retailers send this refund to the cashback website in return for the website sending them your business. So, if there is something you already know that you want to buy from a particular retailer, check out various cashback websites to see if you could buy it via them instead.
Some of the best known cashback websites are:
A similar principle to cashback websites are cashback apps. These enable you to get cashback or other discounts on food shopping. The way they usually work is that you pay for your shopping as usual, then later scan your receipt into the app. Any discounts or cashback are then paid into your Paypal account.
Some of the most popular apps currently available are:
In many ways, your shopping receipts act as coupons when using cashback apps, except that the discount is refunded to you later rather than being taken off before you pay.
But old-fashioned coupons do still exist! Here are a few places to look:
It can take a bit of organisation to collect coupons then remember to use them before the expiry date, but they can save you quite a bit of money on things that you were planning to buy anyway.
A similar concept to coupons are vouchers, and there are a variety of online voucher sites including:
Vouchers from these sites really can help you to save money, offering ever-changing discounts on a wide variety of goods and services. So, if you are looking to buy something such as clothing or technology from a big high street name, or want to find vouchers for services such as restaurants, or health, beauty and fitness, it’s definitely worth a browse.
Many of us have an impressive collection of loyalty cards but don’t really use them effectively. Some cards give you points on your shopping which you can then change into vouchers, and others offer personalised deals on items you buy frequently.
A relatively new development is that some major supermarkets – including Sainsbury and Tesco – are now offering special loyalty card prices on an increasing number of goods. So keep an eye open for these as you shop, and you could make significant savings.
Also check any loyalty card related vouchers that may be given to you on checkout, as these could either give you more points or special deals on items you buy regularly.
In many countries, haggling is a regular part of the shopping experience, with the stated price being viewed as a starting point rather than the final price. This is not the expectation in the UK, but there is a lot of truth in the saying “you don’t ask, you don’t get”.
So, if there is something you want to buy, it is always worth asking if they could do a better price on it. This can be done face to face, or on online chat on a store website. It’s always worth a try.
Haggling could be particularly productive if the item is reduced anyway. Word on the street is that if a price ends in a 7 or 8, it usually means that model is either clearance or end-of-line which means that they may well accept a lower offer to get rid of it.
If there is something you want to buy online but you are not in a hurry, a little bit of patience can pay off. If you place the item in your shopping basket, but don’t checkout immediately, many online retailers will offer you an incentive to complete the purchase. This could be free delivery, a discount on the item, or a voucher for another purchase if you do buy the item.
It doesn’t always work, but is worth trying for a couple of days to see if it leads to any kind of discount. A bit of time could help you to save money.
One final tip is that if you are shopping online, see if you can avoid paying delivery charges. Many online retailers offer free delivery anyway, or you can sign up to free delivery with an annual payment. But if you are on a site that only offers free delivery over a certain amount then it could make sense to top up your shopping to that amount.
For example, Amazon offers free delivery on orders over £10 for books or over £25 for other categories. So, if your shopping total comes to slightly less than that, you could buy something to bring it just over the free delivery threshold rather than paying for delivery. You will pay less and have more!
There is a simple tool to help you do this on Amazon, called Super Saver Delivery Tool. But the principle can be applied to any website that charges delivery under a certain amount.
We hope that the above tips will help you to get the best deals on all your shopping and save money in the process.
Do check back here soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Loans 2 Go.
Loans 2 Go is a trading name of Loans 2 Go Limited, registered in England and Wales. Company number 4519020. ICO registration number Z720743X. Registered address: Bridge Studios, 34a Deodar Road, London SW15 2NN. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 679836). *Payment by bank transfer once application approved, subject to our working hours of Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm and Saturday 8am to 5pm. All loans are subject to eligibility & affordability criteria.
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