So since quitting my job and becoming a stay at home mum funds are tight and that means I don't really spend money on myself. It's hard, as before if I saw something that I 'had to have' I would have just bought it and thought about the consequences later but now I can't.
I used to love buying high end makeup but now those items are saved for Christmas and birthdays.
Sometimes though there are just some things that creep up that you can't stop thinking about that you just love and are just 'so you' it hurts. Here is how I have handles such situations.
Not paying the RRP tips!
1. Be patient
I have been after a certain Seasalt dress for the past 3 months. It was nautical and a button up dress I immediately fell in love. However the price tag of £55 was out of my reach so I waited. I waited for it to go into the sale, it did but my size instantly sold out, no! I proceeded to stalk ebay where as after 2,3 weeks one finally came up for auction in my size second hand. There had been new ones in my size on ebay for ages but all at the RRP and above. I managed to get the dress in great condition for less than half price.
2. Turn on ebay notifications
If you are constantly searching for the same thing you can pre set it to notify you of any listing fitting your search criteria. You can set a few of these so be sure to never miss out.
3. Email eBay sellers with a cheeky offer
If something that you want comes up as a new listing and has 6 days left. If it has no bids don't be afraid to message the seller with a cheeky buy it now offer.
4. Is there eBay outlet store?
If a big store has what you want check to see if they have a eBay outlet store. It may be in the sale or cheaper because it's ex display. I recently wanted a new pram for Sophia. I wanted a Mamas & Papas Armadillo pram RRP £249.99 and I knew that we couldn't pay that. Argos had it on sale for £179.99 which was better. In the end I found it brand new delivered for £163 via Direct2Mums eBay store.
5. Join dedicated Facebook groups
So I like Pink Lining baby bags and wanted a new one. I joined 3 dedicated Pink Lining buy and sell Facebook groups. If someone isn't selling what you want then the group members will post on the group the latest places that have a sale on and sometimes even post voucher codes. These groups are great places to get a bargain and some are often selling bags brand new with tags or bags that are nearly new. I got my recent bag nearly new the seller said she had used it once for a 3rd off the RRP. There is some trust in these groups but if it means saving money then I'm all for it. Just make sure that you pay via PayPal goods and services so that you are covered by PayPal protection.
6. Can you hire it?
In this day and age you can hire almost anything from the latest tech to high end clothes and handbags.
I recently wanted a Connecta baby carrier for Sophia and the RRP is £70. I looked around and managed to get a 10% off code from a baby wearing Facebook group, but I found out that I could hire them locally. I had never heard of a sling library but it is very cheap at about £4 per week. You can also hire from dedicated websites. This is great to know. In the end I bought one but it goes to show that if you look you might be able to hire what you want to try it out.
Beware of fakes
eBay is full of fakes, make up, bags and clothing. If it is a smaller brand such as my Seasalt dress I knew that that wouldn't be faked but watch out for the fake Zara items. Even some Pink Lining bags look fake. A tip is to check what else the seller is selling, is it a one off or do they have a load of them for sale? Check their feedback, use your instinct, if it is a fake then open a eBay case for a refund and good luck.
So that's my tips, if you have any money saving tips that you want to share please do in the comments below. X
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