Thrifty Thursday – savvy sale shopping

Jacket from Rohan and top from Saltwater

Here are my tips for getting the best possible deals in the sales without ending up with buyer’s remorse:

1. The sales allow you to make your money go further, but always remember you are still spending money not ‘saving’ it!
2. Don’t buy anything in the sales that you wouldn’t be tempted to buy at full price. If items purchased in the sale won’t be worn or used they are a complete waste of money, no matter how much you ‘saved’ compared with the recommended retail price.
3. Do lots of research before the sales start so that you have a plan of action.
4. Get on e-mail mailing lists and facebook pages of the shops you are interested in. That way you will be the first to hear about sales and any additional discounts.
5. I find it easiest to shop online in the sales, having looked at items (and if necessary tried them on) in the shops beforehand. No sharp elbows required for online sale shopping!
6. Online shops usually give some indication of stock levels. If they only have a few left of the item(s) you want, then buy them at the beginning of the sale. But if there are plenty left, it may be worth waiting a week or so to see if the price drops further.
7. Beware of sale prices that are actually more expensive than previous offers (e.g. £5 off a single item may be less of a saving than the 3 for 2 offer available a few weeks ago)
8. Check the postage costs and whether you can return sale items bought online. One option I use is ‘deliver to store’ as this is usually free of charge and gives you chance to check things and try them on in the shop.
9. Consider whether you could get some Christmas and birthday presents for family and friends in the sales. I’ve already started my Christmas shopping in the summer sales. This is a way that I can get better presents than I could afford at full price, as well as spreading the effort and cost throughout the year.

So those are my tips – what are yours?