If your shopping habit is out of control, taking part in paid surveys and seeking out the bargains could help your spending. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that everyone loves a bargain. Whether you’re sticking to a strict budget, or just looking to get a bit more bang for your buck, there’s little else like the buzz that comes from stumbling across an excellent deal. Plus, if you’d like to know how to make money on the side, you can sign up to take part in paid market research studies!
So, without further ado, read our list of the top five places to go shopping and grab a bargain, to help make the search that little bit easier.
Outlet centres
Outlet centres are either physical shops or online stores that allow manufacturers to sell their stock directly to the customer, thereby cutting out the retailer and passing the savings onto the consumer. Many outlet centres now describe themselves as ‘luxury’ or ‘designer’, meaning you can expect to find upscale brands selling their goods at much lower prices than you could hope to find anywhere else. A quick browse of the Bicester Village outlet centre website threw up big names including Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, and Ted Baker, giving you some idea of the kind of high-end fashion lines you can expect.
Price comparison websites
Most people are familiar with price comparison websites when it comes to buying things like car insurance, but there are actually many more out there than you think, comparing prices on everything from petrol to groceries. Shopping.com is a great place to start, allowing you to search for pretty much any product you can think of and narrow down your shopping options to the cheapest deal. If you want to find the cheapest food shop, try mySupermarket.com. Simply fill your basket with your weekly shop, and the website will compare prices from each of the big superstores to find the one that will be cheapest.
eBay and other online marketplaces
As of the end of January this year, eBay had a whopping 170 million buyers. It’s a phenomenally popular way to shop and, despite the proliferation of brands now selling through it, still a great place to grab a bargain. Though 81% of items sold through eBay are new, you can still get some incredible second-hand bargains if you search via the ‘auction only’ function, which means you are buying from individual people, rather than an online eBay store. However, eBay isn’t the only online marketplace available. Sites such as Etsy, Bonanza, eBid, Craigslist and Gumtree all offer fantastic bargains if you take the time to look.
Charity shops
Once upon a time, charity shops were the preserve of old ladies, full of dusty knick-knacks and unfashionable clothing. Fast forward to 2018 and charity shops are a big part of mainstream shopping culture and a very popular destination for bargain hunters. Though this has pushed prices up a little, you can still find some excellent items for a fraction of the cost of high street stores, and those with eagle eyes may stumble across some designer pieces that have slipped onto the racks unnoticed. One little-known tip for charity shoppers is to look for items that have had their labels cut out as some high street stores are happy to donate end-of-range clothes to charity shops, so long as they remove the labels.
Discount code mobile apps
There are so many shops, restaurants and entertainment providers offering discount codes that it seems crazy not to take part, but sifting through the internet to find them can be time-consuming work. However, downloading a discount code app makes it super simple to find what you need, and allows you to do it on the move. In fact, mobile apps are better than the web for discount codes because they can use your location, ensuring you can pinpoint exactly where the best bargains are. VoucherCodes is one of the best known, featuring local and national discounts on places from Domino’s Pizza to The White Company.
If you’re looking for a little extra cash to go shopping with, here’s how to make money on the side of a full-time job.
