12 Tips to stop wasting money in the sales.

Once upon a time, for me, shopping was a hobby, a crutch, a thing I did when I was sad, lonely or bored. I wasted so much money buying things I didn’t really need or want. It gave me a few moments of pleasure, but it didn’t last. I still shop the sales some times and get joy from grabbing a bargain, but my spending is more intentional now. A survey done in 2020 showed that adults spend approximately £6,000 on discounted items in sales but that 52% of the items bought were admitted to be a waste of money. When you think about how many hours that you have to spend at work for £6,000 it certainly makes you think.

My whole income is just less than £6,000 and so here are some of the ways I make best use of the sales.

• Don’t buy on a credit card unless you can pay it off at the end of the month. If you start paying interest it will not be a bargain. My only exception to this is when my bank offers me interest free credit for a limited time. I then make sure I don’t use that credit card for anything else and I pay it off before the limited time ends.
• Plan. I have an idea of what I need for my self eg shoes, and what I will need for others eg birthday presents, or toys or clothes for my Grandson who is young and has changing needs.
• Look for items you couldn’t afford before. A couple of years ago I knew I needed wood flooring for the lounge but could only afford the cheap stuff. I waited and  bought it in the sales which  meant that I could get
  better quality for the same price as cheap flooring would have cost.
• Do your research. Mr S and I don’t swap Christmas presents but buy something in the sales that we both want. Last year I really wanted a Ninja grill and air fryer but they were totally out of my reach. We had seen them at £199 and even £299. We got one eventually for £99 by looking and shopping around.
• Don’t buy cheap, or what is fashionable this year. Buy good quality and classical.
• Shop out of season. The coat I am wearing this winter (which everyone complements me on and is the toastiest coat I have ever had) I bought in July  2 years ago in a M&S outlet for £7. It had been £140 the winter before.
• Don’t forget to shop the charity and thrift shops. They have sales too.
• If you are thinking about buying a tool to do some DIY ask yourself if you could borrow it or hire it. Mr S has cupboards full of tools he bought before he met me, and hardly uses.
• Try not to make spur of the moment purchases. If you really, really love something, ask yourself if you will use it, if the cost is worth the amount of hours you will need to work to get it, if you would still want it in 3 months time, and if you can afford it.
• Don’t  buy something just because it is a bargain (I really struggled with this at first as logic evaded me when I could get something really cheaply). It will probably just end up in the back of a cupboard or drawer.
• Don’t shop when you are tired or stressed as you are more likely to impulse buy.
• Check the sizes. I can’t count the amount of times I would go to purchase something with the right sized hanger but had the wrong sized garment on it. Sometimes it wasn’t worth the petrol money to take it back.

What are your tips for shopping in the sales ? 😊