Your A-Z of never paying the full price for anything!
Budget-boosting tips
Alerts!
Retailers shout loudly about the big discounts they’re offering, but it’s hard to work out how much you’re really saving sometimes. Last year, research showed that over half the deals available on Black Friday (23 November) were actually not as good as those on offer in the months before! Check uk. camelcamelcamel.com, which tracks prices over a product’s lifetime, so you know if you’re really getting a great deal.
Budgeting apps
To help you keep track of spending, we rate Yolt. Rather than downloading an app for every bank and credit card company you have an account with, the
Yolt app brings them all together in one place, allowing you to view them on a single dashboard.
Charity
Head to an Oxfam shop on 27 November (Giving Tuesday) and give something back. If you donate a bag of clothes to Oxfam, you’ll receive a £5 M&S voucher, as long as the bag contains one item of M&S clothing. This can be used against spends of
£35 or more on clothing, homeware and beauty products.
Discounts
Don’t shop without checking the regularly updated list of codes and vouchers for major UK retailers at moneysavingexpert.com.
Early bird
Get up early on Black Friday and Cyber Monday as the best deals in-store are often gone by lunchtime. But keep an eye out online, as offers are released throughout the day.
Food!
Get money off eating out by using online vouchers and discount codes
(check on individual websites or visit vouchercloud.com) and use Tesco or
Nectar points. Or consider taking out a 60-day trial at tastecard.co.uk for £1 to get more discounts.
Getaway
There are loads of ways to save on your travels. Check out Megabus for coach tickets from just £3. Travel by train regularly? Get a railcard! Plus, compare flights with skyscanner.net or kayak.co.uk.
How much am I saving?
Buying in bulk can save big on some things, but don’t assume this works every time. Compare the ‘price per unit’ rather than the ticket price to check if you’re really saving money. If mental maths isn’t your strong point, go to mysupermarket.com with your list – it does the work for you.
Investigate!
Scams are on the increase, so if something is much cheaper than anywhere else, it pays to be suspicious. Check customer reviews by googling the company – don’t rely on the ones from the seller’s site. Protect yourself using Paypal, or a credit card if the item’s over £100. Never be duped into paying by bank transfer, as it’s like paying cash.
John Lewis
The store’s Never Knowingly Undersold policy even extends to Black Friday offers. If you see a product cheaper elsewhere, John Lewis will match the deal* – meaning you can do all your shopping in one place and still be sure of getting the best prices.
Keep track
Create a watchlist on Amazon to receive an alert when deals go live. In the app, click the bell to see upcoming deals, then select the ones you’re interested in to get a notification when the price is lowered.
Local
On 1 December, local shops will be running special offers and promotions to encourage people to shop locally. On Twitter, follow @smallbusiness saturdayuk
Many happy returns!
To get freebies and offers around your birthday, (eg free Prosecco at Prezzo), sign up to retailers’ newsletters with your date of birth.
No delivery charges
Check which retailers offer free delivery (or what minimum spend for free delivery is) at freedelivery.org and find free delivery codes at vouchercodes.co.uk.
Off-season
Buy items off-season to save. It’s cheaper to buy a swimsuit in autumn than in spring as retailers try to shift stock, or get double glazing in summer when business is slower.
Pass the parcels
Did you know that sending a 3kg parcel within the UK costs £15.85 with Royal Mail (1st class) but £8.99 with DPD (next day) Compare on parcelmonkey. co.uk and parcel2go.com.
Quids in
Learn to love a cashback site. Sign up to Topcashback and Quidco to get money back whenever you shop. For example, Quidco offers 6% back at Marks & Spencer and up to 15% at Currys PC World**. Instead of buying direct, go to the cashback site first and then shop your favourite retailer via the link.
Refurbish
Big stores – including Argos, Tesco, Currys PC World and Lakeland – have discount outlets on ebay. They sell end-of-line stock, refurbished gadgets and returns. Around 70% of ebay items have free delivery, too.
Stocard
If your purse is bulging with cards, download the Stocard app. It lets you store your loyalty cards virtually for easy scanning at the checkout. Christmas is the ideal time to use loyalty cards, like your Nectar, Boots Advantage and Tesco Clubcard, as there are often bonus offers and boosts available to make your points go further. (And don’t forget to check for gift cards or vouchers languishing in your purse!).
Tuesday
The best day for discount shopping, according to vouchercodes.co.uk.
Unwanted gift cards
Did you know you can buy gift cards at knock-down prices? Sites like zeek.me allow people to sell unwanted gift cards at a discount. This means you can save around 5%-10%, – worth doing if you’re going to a specific shop.
Village
There are more than 30 outlet shopping villages throughout the UK, including Bicester Village and Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet. Visit outlet-malls.eu for a full list – you can search by country and even for your favourite brand.
Walk away
Fill your online basket but don’t check out immediately. If a store spots items sitting there, they’ll sometimes send a discount code to persuade you to spend. This is no myth – we’ve tried it and it works!
X-display
Haggle for money off items with marks and scuffs or those that are ex-display. Speak to a decision maker, such as the floor manager, not junior staff. For telecoms deals, ask for the disconnections department.
Yellow stickers
Wait until 7pm to bag fresh foods being marked down by 75% at the supermarket. Save up to 70% buying groceries nearing their ‘best before’ date from approvedfood.co.uk, or try the Too Good To Go app – it flags up places offering 50% discounts on leftover food.
Zero hour
For last-minute gifts, check Amazon’s Warehouse Deals – there’s even sameday delivery on Christmas Eve in some cities.