WOTS: Sugar and Spice...Righter than Right...(feature)

You all know I looooovvvveeesss a bargain, so while I'm escaping and trying to deal with life's issues, I've asked one of my bloggirlfriends to fill in for me to talk about some of her most treasured bargain shopping secrets.

Everyone say Hi to ShopGirl!

ShopGirl

Hi Thrifty and Shameless readers. And thank you Miss Rockwell for having me. For those who don’t know me, I’m Shopgirl, aka Emily, and I write my blog over at Sugar and Spice. My greatest joy in life is scoring a great bargain and my blog is filled with my pursuit of this and a guide to shopping with limited funds. When Miss Rockwell asked me to write this post, I couldn’t wait to share my tips with you, so without further ado, here is my guide on

"How to… be a bargain shopper":

Sign up for any newsletter going for all of your favourite stores and more. If you don’t fancy having your inbox filled with "junk", why not open a new email account specifically for the pursuit of a bargain? I have an old account that I had to stop using for everyday as it is literally filled with vouchers and sales emails – so now I browse it when I need to shop!

Stalk the shops. I mean it, the more you shop, the more you will know what you are after in the stores and therefore are more likely to be the first, or one of the first, to catch a sale.

Know what is in your closet. That might sound like a stupid point to make but how often have you been having your quarterly/half-yearly clear-out and found a dress you’d forgotten about that fell off its hanger, or a top still with its tags on stuffed at the back of a drawer? Never? Only me? I think not! This will also help stop multiple purchases of the same thing and you’ll know what pieces are missing from your closet, so that when you do shop, you are shopping for your closet!

Buy bulk, or with friends and share the cost. Many stores do 2 tops for a tenner or something similar – either get two for yourself or go in with a friend who wants one too.

Clothes swap. These parties are all the rage at the moment. I have yet to go to one but I have a few friends whose cast-offs I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on!! If you’re having a clear-out and there are some reasonable pieces in your pile that you think friends might like, why not organise one? Or look out for larger ones organised in your area?

Set yourself a budget. And stick to it. This is the hardest thing for me to do but I do try to adhere to a budget for clothes shopping each month. If I have a special occasion, I will shop my closet first and then set a budget for buying anything I might need to update what I already have to use.

Shop your closet. As above. If you have something specific you need an outfit for, you might already have exactly what you need in your closet. Or at the very least, some of the components, which will save you buying a whole new outfit.

Check the sales shelves right at the end. The discounts are often silly for accessories which might just come in handy in the future. A belt for £1? A clutch for £2? They might be just the pieces to complete a look next month?

Now, I know that charity shop shopping, thrifting and vintage shopping are all cited as ways in which to score a bargain but I must confess to not being the greatest at any of these. I’m not even great at rummaging through the sales racks on the high street, so rummaging through second hand clothes is not something I do very often. But my mum has found me a few wonderful bargains through this and there are plenty of bloggers out there, to tell you how to thrift and find a bargain – Miss Rockwell, herself, included!

How do you shop for a bargain?

Do you limit yourself to a budget each month or spend whatever you want?

Any tips you’d like to add?

Post Title from: Sugar and Spice by Luther Vandross

****Don't forget to get your pretty manicures ready! I'm hosting a DIY Manicure Party on August 12 for FBFF. I would love to see you link up!****