How to Never Pay Retail Again
“It’s not your salary that makes you rich, it’s your spending habits.” — Charles A. Jaffe
Growing up, I was taught how to live a frugal lifestyle by my Mum. We would frequent garage sales in search of hidden treasures and host market stalls to fund our exciting adventures. Seeing this in practice, friends often comment that I get the best deals and ask me for advice, so by writing this I hope it helps you too.
Being based in Australia, these tips may be a little different from your home country but the principles remain the same worldwide and are worth a try. After all, a penny saved is a penny earned!
Bigger Ticket Items
When purchasing white goods, furniture and expensive tech, ask for a discount. It may seem too simple but works especially well if you’re willing to pay with cash/a savings account and are ready to purchase that day. If your request is met with resistance, have a figure you’re willing to offer and at the very least — request free delivery. Be firm, be fun and if all else fails, move on to the next store as someone will always be desperate for your cold hard cash.
The last time I asked I saved $600 on a furniture suite and free delivery was thrown in too. It pays to ask.
Give Me My Money Back!
We all know about coupon sites and sale periods like Black Friday and Boxing Day. Unfortunately there isn’t a coupon for everything and sales are not always on. When you have to purchase something that would otherwise be full price, consider a cash back website. Use the following cash back sites/apps that allow you to shop on all of your favourite websites and receive a portion of your purchase back.
Example: 12% cash back on Booking.com or up to 7% cash back on Amazon.
Shopback — My preferred cash back website.
They often have coupons or bonuses available and can be installed on your Google Chrome bar for easy savings.
Cash Rewards
Some stores may be available on one and not the other so be sure to have a quick look on both. Different websites are available in different countries, use the search term ‘cash back website’ to see what is accessible in your country.
Cheap is Good (Free is Better)
Of all the ways to nab a bargain, this is my favourite.
The second hand economy.
Browse your local classifieds, Facebook Marketplace and groups, Craigslist or Gumtree for items you need before thinking about buying new. You help someone make cash while you save cash yourself!
The second hand economy is especially good for: clothing, homewares, wooden furniture, plants and books.
Purchases to be cautious about: electrical goods, linen, mattresses and rugs.
Test items before purchasing and if you are considering fabric couches, rugs and mattresses you can opt to have these professionally cleaned after picking up (factor in $50-$150 for professional fabric cleaning). My partner and I saved $1000 dollars on a couch by purchasing second hand. Even though it looked clean, we wanted to be sure. After seeing all the hair and dirt that came out during the professional cleaning process… trust me, it is worth getting done.
Freebies are often posted online when people move, want to get rid of things quickly and from deceased estates. The best time for free goodies is December — January when op shop donation bins are full, so be ready to move quickly!
Some other cheap and free habits to get into:
— Join ‘Buy Nothing’ groups in your area on Facebook
— Swap plant cuttings with friends, neighbours or others in your community
— Utilise local swap libraries (bring a book, take a book)
— Upcycle, restore or paint old furniture
— Go for a drive/browse during your local curbside collection
— Borrow things you only need temporarily like: tools, blow up mattresses and snow gear
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