Savvy shopper?

Everyone shops differently, some of us wait until we have a list of exact things needed in the wardrobe before hitting the shops or websites or others can spend hours shopping online and wouldn't dream of trawling through the shops and some are a little bit of each!

There is nothing worse than the following things happening when shopping:

• Buying it and then promptly seeing it a week later in the sale for less than what you paid for.
• Not trying it on and getting home to realise it doesn't actually fit.
• Finding a 'dupe' of a popular pricier product to realise the quality is awful.
• Saving up for a particular dress/watch/top etc to find that the shop doesn't have it in your size or even worse...it's stopped selling it altogether!

(Source: Google)

So I've come to the conclusion that with a little bit of internet research and the knowledge of where to find  some cheeky tips all of those pesky common shopping problems can become a thing of the past!

Student Discount

Being a student has it's downs due to constantly being pretty poor BUT one definite good thing to come out of being a student is the student discount you can often obtain from shops by simply showing your student card (as long as it has an expiry date). The website UniDays is amazing, they also have a Facebook page which is pretty clever as they know a huge amount of students use Facebook. To register with UniDays all I had to do was give them my e-mail address so I can get the latest offers and deals they have to offer as well as your university so they can double check you are a registered student. Minimal faff but a MUST for using websites such as ASOS and BOOHOO as you get 10% off! 

UniDays is great for still getting student discount online and not just in-store! No one likes paying full-price and it all makes a difference if you can start saving here and there!

ASOS Marketplace

This is an amazing part of the ASOS website where you can buy vintage and pre-owned clothes from little boutiques and people just like you and me that are finding new homes for their clothes. It's a bit like eBay but with the familiarity of the ASOS website without being limited to their usual stocklists! 

Within minutes of looking on it I always find something that seems a bargain. I love this vintage Lacoste Lemon Cardigan I found on there for only £16!! When a trend starts to emerge the chances are that it's already been round at least once before, sellers are quick to put their clothes that they think will be popular on here and a mega bonus is you can see how they have styled it- no crumpled clothes on hangers in sight!!!

TK Maxx

For many the thought of TK Maxx and it's rails and rails of messy clothes brings them out in a hot sweat just thinking about it! Some people always manage to find the gems in there- my friend is a mega bargain finder in TK Maxx! It always surprises me how few people look on their website to see what they can find!

With no messy rails and easy sections to navigate around- 'New In' and 'Clearance' as well as 'Women's' it's so nice to have a browse through and you never know what you might find and the chances are no-one else will have it! I bought this play-suit from TK Maxx for £15 and absolutely love it! I mostly team it with tights like I have in this pic but it's great for a beach layer as well.

Vouchers/Voucher Codes

On almost every website now when it gets to the stage of you having to part with your money they often have a 'enter promotional code here' box.....so why waste a golden opportunity to save yourself a few pounds or pennies on something you were going to buy anyway! Fashion Vouchers offer a variety of codes, such as an extra 20% off Dune's sale!! Perfect if you've found a pair of shoes for your holiday! Or 15% off Urban Outfitters Festival range!! Or if you are going on a shopping trip the chances are you will get a little bit peckish due to all of your retail therapy so have a little look on Voucher Codes offers on restaurants, with a printable voucher for Prezzo entitling you to a free pizza if you buy one full price! 

Overall tips

So there you have it! My best internet haunts of where you can save yourself some money and often time as well. Here are some extra pointers to help make shopping more efficient:

• Make sure you know your measurements- sites like ASOS and Topshop will have their own sizing guide, you might be a size 12 in New Look but ASOS may have different measurements! That way even if your buying online you still can be confident it will fit you when it arrives!
• Do your research if your buying a 'dupe' of a product! There have been so many shops releasing their own versions of the famous American Apparel Disco Pants, at £70 they aren't exactly cheap but how can you be sure MissGuided's version will be ok? The answer- RESEARCH! Look on blogs to see other people's reviews of them before parting with your money!
• Plan in your head how many outfits you can make out of your new top/dress/shorts etc! You don't just want to buy it and be restricted to just one way you can wear it. A good purchase is something that can see you through the current trends/season without people thinking "oh no they are wearing the polka dot top again"!!
• And my last tip is to enjoy!