Bargains galore and where to find them

Bargains, they are such a temptation...

Thing is, I've always had an eye for a bargain.  I love coming across a hidden gem at an amazing price.  Gone are the days of sales only in January and August - now bargains are all around us at any time of the year.  Is this a good thing or not?

Clearly, we have just too much stuff available to us.  If you are lucky enough to be in a job earning enough to get by then it is very easy to be tempted to buy more and more - especially if they are 'bargains'.

Outlet shopping

There is an argument to say that if something you buy at a reduced price isn't really something you need then it isn't really a bargain at all.

However, I am fortunate(?) enough to work close to an outlet mall.  Here there are a good number of shops all selling their products at reduced prices. Maybe the stock is last season's, but not always.  It is very, very tempting, and when a new pair of shoes costs only £4.99 you begin to think 'why not'  rather than 'do I actually need new shoes '... Most shops offer a minimum of 20% discount and I would guess that over half the shops are offering over 50% off with some specials at up to 70% off the RRP.

Bargain shoes

Having downsized to a smaller house (ie. wardrobe) I now have a golden rule:

1 in = 1 out

If I buy something new then I must get rid of something old - this usually means taking it to the local charity shop.  Sometimes I try to do 1 in = 2 out, although that is much harder.  It also makes me stop and ask myself what could I part with in order to accept the new item into my life (and wardrobe). This does tend to curb some of the sillier impulse buys.

Clearance

Thinking of bargains, if I make myself get rid of an old handbag because I bought a new one, am I really saving much money if the old handbag still has life left in it. On the other hand, if it still has life left in it, then it will be good for someone else and the charity will benefit too. So that has to be a good thing, right?

One bargain that doesn't take up space in the wardrobe is chocolate and there are bargains to be had here too.... although this MUST be tightly monitored so I don't have to start buying even more (bigger sizes).

Chocolate bargains

If you are not as fortunate as me with access to outlet shopping there are still many opportunities for bargain hunting online.

Here are some suggestions to help:

1. Find products / stores you like and sign up to the store's mailing list, you will then be sent details of sales.
2. If you are looking for something specific, research prices beforehand so you will know for sure when you spot a bargain price being offered.
3. Take a look on eBay to see if what you want is being sold by someone who no longer needs it.
4. Follow your favourite stores on facebook  or twitter  as they might have discount codes published from time to time.
5. Amazon is a good place to check out prices.

These are some of my favourites:

Marks & Spencer  for clothing, home, food, wine, beauty and flowers.  The web site has regular offers that change frequently but can be found here - Offers

John Lewis for virtually everything (except food), this is the current link for offers too - Offers

I really like Boden and if you sign up with them you will get advance notice of sales.  They have up to 70% off in their clearance section at the moment - here - Clearance

Happy (bargain) hunting!

PS the Outlet Mall I often frequent is a small one called  Freeport in Talke, Staffordshire (near Stoke-on-Trent).  Here is the link if you are nearby:
Freeport