THE HIS & HERS TEAM’S TOP FIVE WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ONLINE SHOPPING

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saving money when shopping, Clueless

REGULAR READERS MAY HAVE SPOTTED THAT THE HIS & HERS TEAM FINDS IT HARD TO RESIST A SPOT OF ONLINE SHOPPING (OR INDEED OFFLINE SHOPPING).

Realistically, we’ve accepted that we love a little daily dose of retail therapy and it’s far too late to try and replace this with a less expensive hobby!

So, as going cold turkey isn’t an option, instead, over the years, we’ve learnt to rein in our worst shopping excesses. And after years of, ahem, ‘research in the field’ we’re finally ready to spill the beans on what has worked for us in terms of guilt-free shopping.

Prioritise:

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Spend some time identifying which of your purchases you’ve genuinely appreciated over the years and which tend to gather dust after the initial thrill of acquiring them is over. Personally, I’ve found that I really do appreciate spending a little more on groceries, as my breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack breaks are all very important to me! I’ve also learnt that if I invest a little more in expensive skincare, I tend to really enjoy using it, but I’m quite happy supplementing designer cosmetics with simple supermarket buys. Once you know what you’ll really value day-in-day-out and what just gives you a short-term thrill at the checkout, you can prioritise your spending accordingly, meaning more appreciation without any extra spending!

Save:

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Sometimes you can get so caught up in the desire to make the thing that’s caught your eye yours that you lose sight of what it costs, whether you can afford it and whether you might be able to snap it up more cheaply elsewhere. Once that panicky sense that you must make your purchase before someone else snatches it away from you kicks in, it’s easy to lose all sense of perspective and find yourself in some mad eBay bidding war which makes all kinds of sense when you’re online in the early hours, but which doesn’t seem so clever in the cold light of day when your very expensive purchase arrives through the post. To avoid this kind of retail remorse, take your time and check out discount sites like sello.com, where you can shop around for the best deals online. We’d also recommend avoiding bidding in auctions of any kind (whether online or offline) when drunk. We’ve seen too many friends make some very expensive mistakes this way!

Savour:

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If you’re determined to avoid the shops and to save some money, why not invite a close friend to help you sort out your wardrobe. In the process you’ll almost certainly spot some forgotten outfits that you really love, but which have been hidden in plain sight towards the back of your wardrobe. You’re also likely to spot some old outfits which you can take to the charity shop, which is basically ‘anti-shopping’, enabling you to give something back, de-clutter and generally feel super organised and a tad smug. You’ll now have the opportunity to savour old purchases and enjoy feeling like an excellent grown-up with your neat, organised and streamlined wardrobe.

Plan:

If there’s a big item that you’d really like to treat yourself to, rather than denying yourself, why not create a realistic time-frame in which to make it yours. Perhaps you could cut down on some daily treats to create the extra budget, or set aside an amount of money in an instant access savings fund every week. Or maybe you could take on a little extra work to justify the expenditure. However you do it, there’s something very satisfying about owning something that you’ve wanted for a long time.

Analyse:

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Most of us have certain items which we end up buying again and again. Personally, I’ve always had a weakness for little black dresses and used to own far too many virtually identical LBDs. Then I’d always end up choosing to wear the same one for nights out anyway! If you suspect that you’re in a bit of a shopping rut and are basically buying different versions of the same thing, speak to your closest friends just before you make a purchase to ask: “Do I already own something virtually identical to this?” They’re likely to give you an honest answer which could save you some money!

We’re very proud to bring you this feature in association with Sello. For more shopping-related features, please pay a visit to our fashion page.

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