Did you make a resolution to cut down on your clothes spending this year? Or on buying stuff in general? If so – well done, but it doesn’t mean you can’t go shopping and get your hands on some bargains.
You don’t have to buy ‘brand new’ clothes – second-hand clothing is perfectly acceptable. After all it’s new to your wardrobe!
It’s not just bargains in the clothing department but cars, books, DVDs, wedding dresses and even furniture! 2008 saw an increase in demand for preloved (aka: second hand) items in the UK.
Read on for my 5 tips for buying cheaper…
Top five tips for buying on a budget
- 1. Charity Shops
- 3. Ebay.co.uk
- 4. Online discount codes
- 5. Freecycle
1. Charity Shops
Charity shops come in at number one and are no longer the ‘jumble sale’ affairs they once were. They have now been replaced by smart looking retail outlets and despite all looking a bit like on another now, at least they no longer have the fusty old carpet smell or the piles of items to sift through. Instead they offer great quality clothes at cheaper prices.
Sure you can probably buy a shirt at Primark for the same price, but you’re not really helping anybody then are you? the benefit of charity shops is that they raise money for good causes and not to line the pockets of wealthy businessmen.
2. Preloved.co.uk
Not only is Preloved.co.uk a great place to buy good quality second hand goods, it’s also a free way of advertising stuff you want to sell – so it can make you money too! My friend recently sold her wedding dress this way and said what a hassle free experience it was. And it’s not just bargains in the clothing department but cars, books, wedding dresses and even furniture.
Signing up is easy and quick, and then chocks away – you can advertise your items for free. Then just renew every few days to keep your adverts at the top, so they can be found quickly and easily by browsers.
3. Ebay.co.uk
Now everyone has heard of Ebay and it’s a cheap place to buy. There have been no end of times I have bagged myself a bargain here – normally clothes and jewellery. It’s a great way to find fancy dress costumes too. Not all of it’s pre-owned either, a lot of the items listed are brand new – just at bargain prices, as it’s much cheaper to run a virtual store than a physical one.
It’s a relatively painless registering process and the rest of the instructions are fairly straight forward. I prefer to use Paypal to buy with though – that way I know I am protected if anything goes wrong.
Ebay is also a great way of generating cash. You can sell single items or even create your own shop. The only drawback is there’ll be a fee taken off for the privilege but it’s minimal and it’s well worth waiting for the 1p or 5p listing days they promote every now and again.
4. Buy online using discount codes
Discount codes have taken over internet shopping and are a great way to buy things from your best-loved shops. It could be something you sepcifically want such as a brand of TV or it could be 10% off clothes from your fave fashion shop. Either way there are plenty to choose from, such as Web Savings World.
But that’s partly where the problem lies, there are too many, and to be honest many of them are rubbish and actually waste your valuable time! However there is a website that seems to do all the hard work for you. Money Saving Expert updates the best discount shopping codes on a daily basis so you can reap the benefits without the hassle.
You always get to discover what freebies and giveaways are on offer too, and you don’t even need to sign up to get the information (however the weekly emailed newsletters are very handy). it’s completely free and on tap.
5. Freecycle
Freecycle‘s a non-profit voluntary movement that seems to have taken over the UK – and the world. It’s a great way to advertise for free and get rid of unwanted stuff or get hold of items you’re looking for.
It’s free to join – you simply have to sign up to a Yahoo account (if you don’t have one already). It’s a bit of a faff but only takes a few minutes. Once there you join your local group and place your post; Wanted or Looking For. Then sit back and wait for emails from fellow Freecyclers.
You could potentially find a whole treasure trove of items looking for a good home. All you have to do is collect it yourself and it’ll be completely free of charge. What have you got to lose?
(Image from pinknblack73 on Flickr)
I’m thinking eBay is going to get more popular…
Wow, nice tips.
Just found a fantastic website called MandMDirect.com!!
I googled Cheap RainMac and found that you can get Hunter Macs for £166.73!!! that might sound pricey, but get this, they are normally £495!!!! They also sell Hunter Wellies (my daughter tells me Kate Moss wears them?!) for £24.99 in really pretty colours.