When it comes to money I am more of a saver than a spender. When I was younger my parents used to call me a meiser and I used to make piles with my pocket money and count it over and over again. Don’t get me wrong I like nice things but I also want more of them, so getting the best value for my money is really important to me. This doesn’t mean I want to skimp on the quality but do like to shop around and get the best value for my money.
Take birthdays for example – I would much rather receive a cheap card and the money be put towards a present; and the amazing bunch of flowers my husband got for my birthday were even more special when I knew that he actually got them for a steal (£7.50 instead of £20!). Now I have my husband’s birthday to think about and we are going to start by making him cards. I feel that this will make them even more extra special. When it comes to his present then shopping online makes it all the more easy to get him something special which he deserves, but without spending more than I need to. Plus it is so much easier and more convenient: You don’t have to get dressed and there’s just no crowds! But the best thing about it is you aren’t under that buy it now pressure and can shop around for the best price and apply discount codes and vouchers.
Things to think about to Save Money Online
If you are new to thrifty shopping then you may not be aware of some of the things that you can do to save money online, here are my top things to do:
- Compare: Never go with the first price you see. Whether it is a product or a service there are loads of different comparison sites to make sure you get the best price. This includes sites like kelkoo.co.uk; booking.com; comparethemarket.com – but remember that not everywhere is listed and so you may want to add some other sites to your mental comparison list.
- Discount Sites: Then there are discount sites which offer products and services at reduced prices. This can either be because they have been bought in bulk and sold off individually; or because there is a short term offer that they are helping to promote. These include places like Groupon and Wowcher. Just remember to read the fine print and consider any additional costs and/or limitations.
- Cashback: Then there are sites that offer cashback – whether it be actual cash or their form of currency. You can also do other things to gain extra points as it were. I would just be wary and check whether the price is the same before and after signing in with these sites. I have also had a bad experience of a big spend not being honoured.
- Codes: And finally of course there are codes: Both the ones you collect like with The Sun Holiday Codes (to get a bargain break); or voucher codes which are the equivalent of those good old fashioned paper coupon codes. These can range from money off certain products and services, to special deals.
What things do you do to save money and keep thrifty?