For over a year I’ve been obsessed with grabbing myself a good sale bargain, but not just any item, an item I really want. I have managed this successfully by watching various stores that I like, learning their sale patterns and using it to my advantage. Whilst this is a very time-consuming process, which requires almost checking the websites daily, I have come up with a short list of tips and methods that can help any shopper with less effort required. 

So please, if you wish to get a bargain, read on!

Knowing what you want!

The most important point of all when sale shopping, is knowing what you want. Perhaps the type of item, the style or colour. If you know what you want, and you find it for a good price, then you have found a bargain!

A bargain is not a bargain unless it is something you want. DO NOT buy an item simply because it fits and is cheap. This is not a bargain and will most likely become an item that you rarely wear if at all, thus being a waste of money. Most of us have done this, I certainly have. If you have not yet made this mistake yet, you are lucky!

Favourites Bar Method

The majority of online websites have the option to select an item as a favourite. This is a fantastic tool that I highly recommend you use and is very effective for getting a bargain. Often it requires for you to sign up to their website, which is great as the promotional emails they send generally offer good discounts and for some sites such as H&M, all members get free delivery all of the time!

To make effective use of this tool, when browsing your desired fashion site(s), follow the favourite all the items you like/want, no matter what the cost is. Once you have finished browsing, check over your favourites bar and refine it if needed.  

These items will stay in your favourites bar for a period of time typically between 1-2 months, during which you should stay alert for sales or promotional codes offered. When you become aware of a sale or code, go back to your favourites bar and see what items you can get for a lower cost. This means when a sale breaks out you do not need to scroll through all the items available, you simply just have to go through your favourites list.

Such process is ongoing, when the store releases a new range, scroll through it and favourite the items you like.

This process allows you to grab the items you want as soon as they go on sale, and can help you get yourself a good bargain. 

NOTE: I must note that sometimes the items you favourite will go out of stock, the method isn’t perfect for that. So if there is something you really want and that you are willing to pay for then sometimes it is best to do that straight away. Yet, the following two methods can help prevent this:

• Look out for stock information. Some websites either show the amount of stock left or give some sort of indicator. You can use this to make sure you buy the item before it goes out of stock, whilst also avoiding to purchase it straight away, giving you time to look out for discount codes or sales.

For example,

MISSGUIDED – Favourites bar and captions on the item.

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For example,

• Know a store’s audience. This gives an indication on whether the item you want is likely to sell out or go in the sale. TIP- Try searching for items you want on a store that doesn’t fit your audience, as if they have it, you are more likely to get it as a bargain.

Missguided has a young student audience. They tend to sell trendy clothing for school, gym and parties with less focus on smart modest work clothing. Therefore, a modest work blouse is most likely not going to sell as much as a sexy revealing blouse. So in this situation, you are more likely to get the modest blouse as a bargain.

You can tell this from the store due to not only their clothing but how they promote it. I have highlighted the keywords which show this.

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Low to High Method

The majority of websites give you the option to sort your search results depending on a variety of factors, one being the price. This method providing a great short term way to sale shop on the day instead of doing all the work in advance. Through filtering your results to show the cheapest first, you are able to see all the best possible bargains available from that store. 

NOTE – I would suggest that you still know what you are looking for when using this method. Search for keywords of what you want and see if any options fit your criteria. 

The filter name/place varies depending on the website, for example,

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Overall, whilst I adore sale shopping, you must consider that the price of an item is in the number of items you wear it. If there is something you really want, and you haven’t seen it in the sales, but it is something you will wear a lot, then it is still worth the money. For example, classic pieces such as black suits, tend to not go into the sale and if they do there is likely something different or wrong with them. However, if you are required to wear a suit all the time for school or work, then you will get your money’s worth out of this item. Whilst as mentioned in my first point, there is also no use in buying something cheap that isn’t what you want as if you do not wear it, it is a waste of money.

Have a lovely day!

Sarah