Online shopping is one of the few pleasures in life that we have not had taken away from us during the pandemic and its many ensuing lockdowns. However, because of the unemployment and work shortages brought on by the pandemic, many people are now shopping on reduced budgets. Don’t worry though, as there are tons of ways that you can buy everything that you like but on a budget. This article will outline a few of those ways:
Price Comparisons
Finding the cheapest prices has never been easier. Price comparison sites will scour the internet to find you the cheapest deals on your selected items, whether they be clothes, electronics, or anything else. These websites will search leading retailers like Amazon and eBay for you, as well as less popular websites.
Basket Ditch
Selecting an item, dropping it into your basket, then taking it out is a great way to get access to hidden discount codes. Websites will email you if they notice you have left an item at the checkout, sometimes with discount codes. These codes can be as high as 15% off the product that you were going to buy. It’s a tried and tested method, so give it a shot.
Chinese Products
A good way to get ordinary household items cheap is to buy from Chinese websites, like AliExpress. You can get huge savings on items that are the same quality as you might find in your local department store. However, you must buy carefully. Poor quality goods do exist, as do fakes and scams.
Online Outlets
Because of the pandemic, many discount outlets are listing and selling their goods online. Previously, you would have to visit an outlet in person to get access to their deals. Bicester Village, for example, now allows you to view boutiques online. Checking out discount outlets is a fantastic way to get a more reasonable price on clothes and other goods.
Free Delivery
Delivery can sting sometimes. If you are $10 short of free delivery or the cost of delivery is the same as the gap between your checkout and free delivery, then see what you can buy. The more you buy, the less you pay. Pushing your basket past the free delivery threshold is a tried and tested trick to get more for less.
Flash Sales
If you have specific stores that you frequent, online and offline, then you need to stay on top of flash sales. A lot of designer clothes stores run ‘membership clubs.’ These clubs give you early access to flash sales. They also give you exclusive access to flash sales that ordinary people can’t get into! You can get discounts on otherwise expensive designer clothes, like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.
Discount Codes
Discount codes are one of the most popular ways of getting discounts online. Fashion retailers like SHEIN and the House of Fraser regularly have discounts listed online, for example. Finding a SHEIN coupon can be as simple as keying the brand’s name followed by ‘discount’ into Google. The same goes for other brands and websites. Discount vouchers are usually updated daily, so if you pick a good discount website you should be able to stay one step ahead of the discounts.
Cashback Credit Cards
Cashback credit cards offer cashback every single time you use them. You can get one quite easily, though you do need to maintain repayments. If you do not repay your card, you could find yourself in bad financial straits. Your credit score could be impacted, and debt collectors could be dispatched to collect the overdue payments.
Department Stores
Browsing department stores can be a great way to find discount codes and sales. For example, most department stores will give you a 5% discount if you sign up for their newsletter. The same goes for most fashion and home-supply retailers. Check a department store’s newsletter to find out if they have any discounts. Browse their website to find sale items, too.
Seasonal Sales
Seasonal sales are one of the best times to pick up your favourite items for less. They run at the beginning and end of every season. Christmas is a particularly good time to pick up sale items. You can also find sale items during the Boxing Day sales. Waiting for seasonal sales can be a bit long and drawn out, but it is a good way for you to pick up your favourite items for less. If you’re patient, then they could be the best way for you to get a discount!
When you are buying anything, the intelligent thing to do is to try and find it for less (unless you’re made out of money.) All of the tips here should be very useful in your search for discounts.
