Good style is all about investing in quality and, somewhat sadly, this is rarely the cheapest option available to the average consumer. Locally manufactured fashion items usually come at a premium due to the increased labour and material costs and so budgets for shopping lose a lot of their strength when you start buying for quality rather than for the sake of cheapness. It’s a question I’m often asked and, if I’m honest, it can be difficult to ease the pain. However, there are a few easy ways to help improve your purchasing power by reducing the cost of your retail therapy. So I’ve listed 4 below that are minimum stress/maximum reward strategies for getting a last second discount before you buy.
Check for Discount Codes
Before you click that checkout button…STOP! Usually you will see a “promo/voucher code” section on the checkout page of bigger sites which gives you the opportunity to save some of your hard earned cash on your online purchase. Simply open a new tab and type in the brand name and “voucher code” to see what is currently live and working on the brand site in terms of discount promos. From “10% off”, “Free Delivery” or “3 for 2” I cannot tell you how much money I’ve saved with this simple hack and it costs nothing as well as only taking seconds to actually do. So next time you’re about to finish the purchase of your online basket, don’t forget to check around to ensure you’re paying the best price you can.
I tend to use Vouchercodes as they have statuses on whether the code has been used recently and whether it has been reported as functioning/removed.
Embrace Preowned Shopping
So don’t go too far when using this tip, I don’t know many people who would be comfortable with preowned underwear. However, when it comes to accessories this is a really great way of getting hold of your favourite items at a greatly reduced cost. This is particularly true for watches where you can literally save hundreds of pounds on your favourite watch by finding a preowned one, rather than a brand new one. The Man About Time has already mentioned a fair few and eBay is already an option, but you can also find specialist bidding/purchase offer sites on a variety of items from high-end designer clothing to top class jewellery.
For all you high rollers out there who are keen to save face when buying your expensive timepieces, you can even find preowned rolex watches from certain sites with full disclosure on savings from RRP and condition/paperwork. So you get your favourite item, keep your pride and spend the money you saved celebrating.
Be Patient With Your Basket
As someone who works in digital marketing, one of the biggest problems large retailers face is when consumers abandon their shopping cart just before checking out. Usually in order to give that final push they offer a small discount for you to complete the purchase if you don’t return within a few days so being a little patient and waiting before you buy can actually save you money. It’s worth noting that this isn’t true of all retailers, but it is fairly common practice for bigger brands like Amazon, John Lewis and Marks & Spencers.
As the old saying goes, patience is a virtue…and somewhat profitable too!
Research Cashback Sites
I’ll be honest, these seemed like something that was too good to be true. The idea of getting money back for purchasing through individual sites was one that certainly raised doubts in my mind. However, now that they have become fairly popular, you can find yourself getting a large amount of cash back from purchases online. It’s worth noting you usually have to wait a period of around 30 days, but you’ll soon find yourself racking up payments back into your account very quickly.
One of the most prominent names in the industry is Quidco, but there are plenty out there to choose from covering a variety of brands.
Thanks for checking out the post and make sure to let me know if you have any tips on saving the pennies when you’re on a fashion shopping spree. You can also sign-up to be notified of new posts and follow The Male Stylist activity. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter or Instagram for style inspiration, gentleman’s musings and general fun.
This post was sponsored by Xupes.
