Cheap Yet Chic: THIRTY WAYS TO SAVE A £1 OR MORE!

Bonjour

I know what you're thinking...two 'Cheap Yet Chic' posts in a row, I must be on a money saving mission!

Did you know on April 21st 2013 it is the 30th anniversary of the £1 coin! Nope, me neither, that was until MoneySupermarket got in touch asking if I'd like to be involved in their '30 ways to save £1' challenge! As you all know over the last few years I have become a full-blown bargain hunter and general thrifty lady so here are my tips to save you some pennies :) The categories I have chosen are fashion, food & fun coz that pretty much sums up what all of my expenses go on (apart from rent and bills boo!)

'Fashion'
1) Become an eBay queen. I love eBay and I've found loads of bargains, most tend to be from auctions however if you just can't deal with secondhand there are hundreds of shops selling brand new clothing & accessories. the Daily Deals are usually pretty good too!
2) Charity shops. It's no secret that I love a good rummage in the charity shops. My top tip would be to look in all the sections! I've found my perfect denim jacket in the kids section before and the mens section usually has great jumpers. So don't just stick to womenswear.
3) Customise! How easy is it to just go a bit scissor-happy on an old t-shirt and turn it into a cute vest or crop top?
4) Learn to Sew. I've become a bit obssessed with 'The Great British Sewing Bee' on BBC Two. It's really inspired me to get my old sewing machine out and have a go at some simple alterations.
5) Invest in the best you can. Now this doesn't sound particularly like a money saving tip but if you buy the greatest quality you can afford it will last for much longer than several cheap items. For example-A decent leather jacket will last a lifetime if looked after yet the cheap faux leather ones go a bit funny after a few years so it makes sense to invest when you can.
6) Sell old clothes. Sell on eBay, take some detailed photos and the watchers will soon flurry in! Anything that doesn't sell on eBay goes to my 'Car Boot' pile!
7) Swapping Party. I have never been to a swapping party before but it seems like such a good idea. Get a group of friends to bring round clothes that they don't wear and get start swapping, You get a new wardrobe for free!
8) If you have to wear designer clothes TKMaxx & The Outnet do heavily discounted designer pieces.
9) Look for online discount codes before you click on the checkout button, chances are there will be some sort of code floating around the interwebz. Vouchercodes or Hotukdeals are good ones to check.
10) Compare prices online. You can use the Google 'shopping' search or Kelkoo is a great comparison site.

'Food'
11) Go to the supermarkets in the evenings when all the baked goods are marked down-BREAD & CAKE!
12) Shop at places like Home Bargains or B&M bargains where they have a lot of great branded products for really cheap.
13) Go to your local market for delicious, quality, home-grown, fresh food for a fraction of supermarket prices.
14) If you eat out a lot there are vouchers for most restaurants online.
15) Bulk buy, let's face it you are always going to need teabags, buy more, save more.
16) Make a packed lunch for work everyday. Generally way more exciting then a Greggs pasty!
17) Instead of going out to a restaurant, go all 'Come Dine With Me' and host a dinner party with friends and make a course each!
18) If you're not fazed by food that is coming up to it's best before date (it's a myth!), try shopping at Approved Food for bargain food, drinks and healthcare.
19) Buy branded frozen food from Iceland or Farmfoods as most products are rounded down to the nearest £1 for mathematical convenience ;)
20) Meal plan. For example: buy a whole chicken and do a roast, chicken soup and chicken fajitas, makes food go a lot further!

'Fun'
21) Have a craft day with your closest buddies and make some cute things for your home. Pinterest has hundreds of creative ideas if you're stuck!
22) Instead of buying books, pay your local library a visit and check out some inspiring reading material for free! Remember to return them on time though...
23) Go to your local pub and watch some free gigs, you never know you might discover your new favourite band!
24) Have a mooch around the make-up counters in your local department store, many offer free make-overs and consultations so it's a great way to try some products. The majority offer free samples too!
25) If it's a sunny day, go to the park for a picnic or the beach for an ice cream, people watch & admire nature!
26) If it's a rainy day. instead of going to the cinema have friends round for a film day-everyone brings their favourite film and snacks, LOTS OF SNACKS :)
27) Look on Groupon or Dealmonster for cheap days out near you, or mini-breaks abroad!
28) If you go to a local attraction several times a year it might be beneficial to buy an annual membership. For example my local zoo is £13.50 to visit or £30 for an annual membership.
29) This weekend (20 & 21st April) is a Free Visit Weekend at over 200 National Trust venues, so check out what's happening near you and go and soak up some history :)
30) Go to a car boot and hunt out the best bargain. This works best with friends and family and you unleash your competitive side to see who can grab the best loot!

I hope these tips have helped you think of some different and hopefully more creative money-saving ideas :)

If you have any super tips please leave them below-I'd love to hear them!

Thanks for Reading :)

Rachelle xxx