Money Savings Tips on Shopping
Want to go on a pocket-friendly shopping trip? There are some tips you can take with you on your next low-budget shopping spree:
Plan it first
It all starts with a planning before you go out for shopping. A good planning and execution can help you save a lot. Make a list of the essential items you need to buy and keep a separate list for the occasional or one-time usable products. Whether it is clothing and accessory shopping or everyday grocery purchase, a planning would build a solid foundation of an enhanced saving.
Know your store
Yes, it matters a lot. If you’re a regular customer of a store, you can get loyalty points or membership benefits. There are multiple supermarkets that give you a membership card that earns your rewards every time you shop with them. These rewards points, when accumulated, can earn you various discounts and deals. For example, shopping at Tesco can earn you club cards that give you rewards points and a number of partner deals.
Collect coupons and vouchers
…and make full use of them. There are multiple merchants that provide you with vouchers and coupons when you shop at their stores. These coupons and vouchers come with a validity period and you can use them wisely and timely in order to enhance shopping savings.
Keep a solid record of your expenses
One of the biggest and most common mistakes that we tend to make is relying on our estimates. When you skip keeping a solid record of your expenses, you fail to manage the expenses well. So it is highly recommended to keep all the receipts and bills with you instead of rounding off and taking in account the expenses’ estimate for your record.
Also Read: Best Reasons Why You Should Save Money
Shop during sales
The best time to go for a shopping is during the sales time. There are many occasions when you can find the product you need on a relatively lower price. This includes year-end sales, stock clearance sales, CNY (Chinese New Year) sales and many more. If you’re running low on budget and you can see any of these sales approaching near, you can wait for some time and get your desired products on a cheaper price.
Hold on, until you really need it
Before you decide to go out for shopping even when your wallet doesn’t provide you a strong support, you need to evaluate the need of the product. If it is not very urgent, hold on to the purchase. Plan it later once your budget improves.
Use the credit cards, and use them wisely
There is a range of credit cards that earn you various cash rebates and/or rewards points with shopping. Know your card, and use it on the right place to earn cash back on these purchases. Some of these cards are HSBC Amanah MPower Visa Platinum Credit Card-i, Alliance You:nique card, Citi Cash Back and rewards cards.
Buy in bulk, but only the necessary things
When your budget is low, it’s highly recommended that You stock the essential things. But you have to make sure you do not repeat the same action for the ‘not-so-essential’ products. This can help you with grocery shopping and help you save money.
Brand conscious? No-no for now!
When you go for shopping with a low-budget, you need to follow your wallet before following the trend. At times when your shopping budget is low, it’s more about function and lesser about the fashion.
Target the closer, cheaper markets
Want to save money on shopping? One of the basic steps in order to achieve that is by saving money on the travel to the markets. You can do a bit of research and find markets closer to your house and save on traveling to distant markets. Also, you can target the cheaper local markets for now instead of going to the malls every time.
Stay updated on latest shopping promotions and deals with mobile shopping apps
A mobile phone is one of your best partners that can keep you updated on latest deals and offers in the market. Subscribe to the Shopping deals through mobile apps and make full use of them in order to get better savings.
Last, but not the least, shop after having a meal
Yes, it can actually help you enhance shopping savings. This can keep your shopping eyes open and prevent distraction of eating out. When we go out for shopping, we tend to spend money on unplanned dining. This can be prevented when you go out for shopping with a satisfied stomach.
Also Read: Best Finance Tips to Manage Your Money
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