Fashionable bargains for the Savvy Shopper

Saving money on fashion isn’t difficult and there are plenty of options available to you. Savvy shoppers are always on the lookout for a good deal, perhaps even more so now that money is tight for many households

Follow these guidelines and you can save a lot of money.

Best times to shop
According to an article on the Daily Finance there is a prime time to get clothing and other items at rock bottom prices. By just considering the time of year and even the day of the week can make a difference in the prices you pay.

If clothes haven’t sold after six weeks of arriving in stores, managers start lowering prices during the week. Tuesdays are the best day to find online deals with many retailers wanting to improve their profit margin from the weekend if sales didn’t go to expectations.

Thursdays are the best day to take a trip to the shops with later opening hours to offer longer purchasing hours. Many people find it hard to shop through the week due to work commitments.
Which consequently leaves the weekends to offer the lowest discount and sales as this is prime time for many people to shop – so retailers charge full price for the majority of the clothing.

 
Buying out of season
Buying your clothes at different times of the year from when you would wear them can save you a lot of money.

The months May to June can be the best time of year to buy sandals as the first round of markdowns on summer shoes appears from the shoes that were firstly seen in stores around December – February time.

April and May is the best time to shop at an op shop, as you can find a wealth of gems, so hit up these merchants in early spring. Many people tend to clear out their houses in April and May, causing donations of unwanted clothing.

Dec 26th the day after Christmas is the first day of the best sales week of the year for clothes, but only if you’re willing to fight through the hoarders of shoppers will you find the best deals and selection.

Benefits of Op shops
Charity shops can offer good quality second hand clothing – both designer and high street – at excellent prices. You’ll also be helping a good cause. Pick the area where you go looking carefully and you could end up with a real bargain. Remember, if it doesn’t fit and you have to get it altered professionally, it might not be the bargain it seems so shop with caution.

Unwanted clothes
There are many options available to you for deciding on what to do with unwanted clothes.

You could take to the interwebs and have a go at selling on an online store such as ASOS Marketplace, Ebay and Etsy – all of which are great sites to list your items on.

You could alternatively make a little cash back from your items by going to a ‘cash for fashion’ store they will pay you in cash or trade on the spot for pieces they are willing to accept.

Another option and can be a great night in with your friends – clothes swapping. Invite your friends round preferably those that are of a similar size and tell them to bring along any unwanted clothes with them. This is a great way to swap clothes with friends whose outfits you have been envious of or just generally finding some new styles and colours you might not have wanted to buy or dare try.

Web Checking
Online shopping has become much more the norm now, with many retailers offering a variety and better choices for the buyers, but also comes with a great convenience of searching in the comfort of your own home.

Make sure you search websites to check for available offers, exclusive discounts or generally to save time rather than having to trail onto the high street. Looking online allows you to observe everything that the retailer has to offer without being easily distracted. You can use the search box to only look for things you need rather than being distracted by miscellaneous items that you don’t need but rather that you want.

Wish List
By making a ‘wish list’ before letting yourself loose either in the shops or on the online stores gives yourself guidelines to follow so that you only purchase what you need (and more importantly LOVE) rather than being distracted by bargains and impulse buying.

Voucher codes and discounts
Many online retailers give the opportunity to redeem vouchers or online codes to give an exclusive discount to the buyer – it is important to do you research before checking out your basket to benefit from these offers. Also it is worth asking the shop assistant is there any discounts that they give such as student, armed forces, emergency services, working for the local council or just general store discounts – remember if you don’t ask you don’t get!

Laura Woodhouse works on behalf of online fashion retailer ASOS and is an expert in finding fashionable bargains.