My friends always ask how in the world I can afford to buy new pieces all the time, and the truth is, it’s because it’s all I buy! I’m a huge shopper and I tend to save my money for that new spring jacket rather than eating out for lunch during the work week. It’s a bit of give and take, but I do have some tips that I use to help me stretch that dollar a little further! Read below to check out a few of the ways I save while I shop:
7 Easy Steps to Save Money Shopping
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Shop on discount sites like Ebay or Kijiji
As someone who loves a good bargain (and some reduce, reuse, recycle), Ebay and Kijiji are the most amazing places to snag some amazing finds! I’m also a huge lover of expensive things; a lot that I can’t afford on my student budget. These sites are the perfect place to pick up a few pieces at cheaper price than retail because they’re either pre-owned or even new with tags still attached! I always have a ton of things on my watch list just waiting to be snagged.
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Decide if you really LOVE something
If you absolutely adore something and think about it constantly, buy it. If not, leave it. It’s a simple concept that many overlook. Don’t buy something just because it’s cheap and take it back if you get home and don’t love it anymore. It’ll save you a lot in the long run!
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Use Ebates
If you shop online, Ebates is the easiest way I’ve ever encountered to save money. Literally click through the site to get to your fave shopping sites and get a cheque. It’s really that simple! It takes some shopping to earn money, but I’d rather free money than no money #amiright
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Keep points cards
Points cards do save you money. By only buying Starbucks on your gift card you can get a free coffee every other week. If you’re going to buy them anyways, why the heck not?! My favourite points cards (in Canada) are Starbucks, Airmiles, Indigo, and Cineplex. I can tell you honestly that I haven’t paid to go to a movie in years.
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Sign up for savings
If a store offers you savings to sign up for something, do it! You can throw the card out or unsubscribe to the email later that night, but spend the extra minutes to get the savings. Plus, if you don’t mind a little inbox clutter, your favourite stores usually update you on their sales through emails or they’ll send coupons just for you! It’s a little of a win-lose situation though, because all those extra sales sometimes make shopping a little harder to ignore!
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Pay with Paypal on foreign currencies
There’s nothing I hate more than thinking I found a good deal.. and finding out my cart is in USD. While the exchange rate is a necessary evil, those pesky credit card fees for foreign transactions are no longer when I shop online now. I switched to paying with Paypal for any purchase that’s not in Canadian dollars because they charge any fees for the change in currency; all you pay is the straight amount transferred over to your own currency. Now that’s something I can get behind!
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Buy when it’s on sale
I don’t encourage turning into a hoarder, but if and when something is on sale that you buy regularly, stock up! You’ll save money by buying in bulk at a discount rather than every once in a while at full price. This also applies to Christmas gifts. Throughout the year I keep my eyes open for gifts for friends and family, and if I happen to see something that I know they’ll like, on sale, I’ll pick it up. Christmas may be far away, but any chance I have to avoid spending a huge lump sum in December, I’ll take! I even wait for things I know I want to go on sale before buying like my favourite Hunter Boots. I waited until Black Friday and scored them for 15% off!
Do you have any tips for saving money that you live by? Let me know in the comments!
xx Victoria
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These are really good tips. I always like to buy on sale when i do buy.
http://sugarcoatedbears.blogspot.com/
Me too! It makes your money stretch so much further! xx