Money Saving Tips

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I have written this post as I’m trying to win an iPad 2 in the iSave, iWrite, iPad competition from PlayPennies.com!

I like to buy things, it has been said in the past I am a marketers dream, and I won’t argue too much on that one. BUT I also love to save money and get a bargain, I hate paying the full price for anything and see shopping as a challenge.

I do often think I enjoy the hunt of an item more than the buying it – again I won’t argue with this too much!

There are various websites and tools I use on my quest to grab a bargain, so these are my top tips

One of the most important things is not to buy crap you don’t need/want/will use. And with all the money saving sites around it is so easy to think you want/need/will us when you won’t, it is just cheap.

Ebay

My best bargain was an immaculate gas cooker for £4.50, I was moving into a house and I needed a gas cooker and so started my 6 week long quest to get the cheapest gas cooker I could. So I did a search on ebay with the distance I was willing to travel and then save the search & get them to email you when new items are added. And then wait. Decide your max price and don’t go over it, my max price was higher than the £4.50 funnily enough!  I am currently trying to get a bargain treadmill and when I say bargain I mean a ridiculously low price!

Don’t be afraid to be a bit cheeky, I was watching 2 footstalls last month and they didn’t sell so I emailed the seller to ask would he sell them to be for £5 less than the starting price – he did as wanted rid of them.

Try and remember that nearly everything is sold on eBay – often new too. Before you buy elsewhere just do a quick search to check.

Quidco

What a wonderful way to get what I call free money that is money that you can earn doing the same thing you were going to do but in a different way.  I have been a member for 3 years and so far earned £856.19 in cash back. That is free money into my bank account.  How did I earn all that, by simply clicking here before I buy things, or change insurance mainly.

I have got a few big cash backs from new mobile phones, new virgin TV package, car insurance etc but there are lots of little ones too here and there. But the figure above proves it all adds up.

Bargain Hunting

When I have had to buy a new big purchase, TV, ghd hair straighters, laptop, camera etc I always decide a budget before I start looking around, as it is so tempting to see the pretty shiny new things you need and get carried away.  But I do tend to set my budget way below the usual price of the item. I am a geek and love features and functions on items. I don’t like the basic model on much, but I also don’t want to pay for it.  So how do you get these two things to merge? Well time and the internet are your friend.

Research using

Hot UK Deals

Money saving Expert I wanna buy it or do it

And then also google and search.  A word of warning though, once bargains hit these sites they sell out fast, so no dithering, click and buy.

Selling old stuff on

For a lot of things I buy I know before I pay for them what their resell value will be. 90% of my baby items were sold, I allowed myself to buy a ridiculously expensive nappy changing bag (remember marketers dream) knowing that I would get at least 75% of that price back when I sold it on eBay. I actually got 85%.

Same as childrens clothing, a lot of stuff doesn’t sell well anymore but some does, Boden for example sells very well.  I mix 3 boden items a season (I mean age size of course but trying to be posh) with high street and eBay knowing I will sell those 3 items on to purchase the next.

I also had a stall at a recent N.C.T. Nearly New Sale and made £100 from bits I would have given away, free cycled or eBayed. Most areas have these for selling maternity, baby & toddler items.

So in conclusion – yes it takes more time, and for so many of us time is precious, but once you start to think in the money saving, get a bargain way it really is like a new hobby!