Fashion Shores - Blog by Victoria Burbulea: shopping

HOW TO SHOP FOR FASHION THE FRUGAL WAY!

5/12/2018

There are lots of bargains to be found online when shopping for fashion. Stores and designers compete for your custom by reducing prices to an attractive and affordable level. Fashions change so quickly that it would be a shame to miss out on bargains by paying premium prices everytime a new range is released. You need to know where to look and how to source on trend fashions and this article aims to help.

Cashback sites

Cashback sites literally pay you for online shopping. Some sites will enter you into monthly prize draws so that you have the opportunity to win £500!

The cashback sites work by accessing the store you want to buy from through their link. You need to register on the cashback site and then search for the store you wish to buy from, if it is listed click on the trackable link and you will receive your award once a purchase has been made.

The cashback sites make their money by affiliate and referral links.

Sales

Sales are highly publicised and can result in an almost “scrum like” experience as everyone tries to grab a bargain. Shopping at online sales is slightly less stressful but ensure you log into the site when the sale first opens as bargains go fast. Some stores such as next allow shoppers VIP access to sales, so that they can buy before the rest of the public. Sign up early and use the opportunity.

Often clothes, accessories and shoes enter the sale section of a website well before a sale actually occurs, this is when the real bargains can be found and you may find prices rise at publicised sale times. Check the sale section of your favourite websites frequently.

Alerts

There are websites that will send you a notification as soon as your sought after item is reduced. List clothes that you have your eye on and let the website do all the hard work by monitoring prices and alerting you of price drops.

Ebay

Ebay is full of bargains and there are facilities that are embedded in the site which will notify you when an item goes for sale that matches your wishlist. Often designer clothes sell out immediately after launch. If you’ve missed out, you may be lucky on ebay, as many people buy designer wear to immediately sell on. There may also be items listed by people who bought pieces that didn’t quite fit and they’ve left it too long to return it to the store.

Voucher codes

Huge savings can be made by searching for voucher codes that give discounts on your purchases. There are many websites dedicated to discount codes, so remember to always search before purchase. You may qualify for free delivery with a specific code, or you may be entitled to 20% or more of the total price!

Shop out of season

You may not buy an item that has just been released if you shop off season, but there are many bargains to be had, especially if you choose classic styles that don’t go out of fashion quickly. You may not feel like buying a bikini in October or a winter coat in July. but you will be thankful the following year as long as you remember where you’ve stored it!

lifestyle

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BUY THAT?

5/03/2018

Retail therapy is something we like to tell ourselves we need to do, either to cool off after a long week, or because you’re so rundown on resources that a shopping spree is in order. But no matter what reason you’re heading down to the mall for, there’s a good chance you don’t need half the items you’ve loaded into your basket! Of course there’s always going to be things we want to buy, but do we really need to spend money on them? Money that could be put to better use elsewhere, or simply extending a wealthy investment you’ve dedicated years to already!

So let’s dedicate some effort to stopping ourselves impulse buying! Here’s a couple of quick tips to base your new budgeting off of.

Don’t Take a Bag with You

If you don’t take a bag with you when you’re off to the shops, you’re unlikely to spend as much as you would be inclined to usually. If you’ve got nothing to carry your wares in, and you have to pay for the privilege if you need a bag from the shop, you’re going to hold off on spending money you don’t need to!

This way, only the absolutely essentials come home with you. And then you’re only losing a few pennies on making sure none of the bulging plastic bags in your hands break before you can load them into the car. When you’ve only got pockets to put your money and your keys in, you’re going to be able to keep in mind your new efforts to stay away from the till!

Try To Stay Off the Web

When you’re browsing online, there’s a good chance every site you come across is going to try and sell you something. Whether it’s something the website actually offers, or because they have ads they get revenue from when you click on them, it’s an easy trap to fall into. Ads are based on your browsing history after all, and it’s an easy way to lose a good portion of your income each week; the internet knows your interests, and now they’re coming for your wallet!

There’s been quite a lot of credit card debt worries in most recent memory, and looking towards secured lending through Evolution Money is something a lot of online shoppers are going to think about turning to. Loans aren’t the be all end all when it comes to having good credit, but you need to shop via the web with good moderation. So always be wary of this, and only ever click on ads you know you can trust, and know would be a well made and worthy product you could absolutely use.

Knowing you don’t actually need to buy something, and then buying it anyway, can be a huge drain on both your financial and mental health. You’re always going to be worried about the mistake you made, and your bank account is going to show you why you should be worried.