3 Ways to benefit from your love of shopping

There is no getting away from the fact that we’re going to buy something at some point, whether it’s something as small as a bar of chocolate or something big like a holiday.

The thing is unless it’s something that appreciates with time, every purchase that we make is making us that little bit poorer.

There are ways of buying goods and services and getting paid, which many of us might already know about but for whatever reason don’t make part of our daily shopping habits.

Below are just three ways that will allow you to earn a little money back from nearly every purchase that you make.

1. Use cashback websites

You should try to make the use of cashback websites a habit when you need to make a new purchase.

How they work

The use of cashback websites isn’t that difficult.  You simply visit the cashback websites, search through their offers to see if there are any offers from the companies listed and click on the link provided.

Once the transaction is authorised the commission should be paid into your cashback account.

You have the option of taking your money in the form of Amazon Vouchers.

Remember: Always try and get the best deal not the best cashback offer, so if you can get it cheaper elsewhere.

Advantages of cashback websites

• Potential to save yourself £100s per year
• You can also earn cashback on the high street

Disadvantages of cashback websites

• Cashback is never guaranteed
• Fee is taken from your earnings for Plus and Premium memberships
• You might need to clear your cookies regularly to make sure that your transaction is tracked

TopCashback

Some advantages of using TopCashback include:

1. Free to join, though there is a fee for its’ plus membership which is £5
2. Choose to have your payment in Amazon vouchers gives you 5% extra on your transactions
3. Tell a friend bonus of £10 or £15 for plus members

View their comprehensive list of benefits 

Quidco

Some advantages of using Quidco include:

1. Free to join but if you pay £5 you will become a premium member and this gets you
2. Access to faster-paying retailers
3. Quidco support and assistance
4. Payout bonus if you opt to have your payment made by Amazon gift card
5. Bespoke promotions and loyalty bonuses

2. Use credit cards wisely

We hear many reasons why we shouldn’t make purchases on credit cards and maybe you’ve heard people say that if you can’t afford it, you shouldn’t buy it.  I’ve got to hold my hands up and say that I was once one of those people.

Starting this blog made me realise that if used correctly, credit cards might not be that bad after all.

I’m not suggesting that everyone should go out and make an application for a credit card today. Not everyone is going to be accepted for one and applying for a credit card can affect your credit score.

So long as you are going to pay it off in full at the end of the month, they certainly have their advantages.

Advantages of credit cards

1. Cashback on your purchases
2. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act protection
3. The money is in your account longer, therefore earning a little interest

Disadvantages of credit cards

1. Can lead to debt if used incorrectly
2. Some cashback credit cards charge an annual fee
3. Incurred additional fees (cash withdrawals, not paying it off in full)

3. The store clearance

If you aren’t all that fussed about getting the latest item on the shelf, you might want to look at whether your favourite store has a clearance page on its website.

Retailers need to re-stock with new lines all the time to keep their customers coming back, so to make sure that they don’t have stock sitting in the warehouses they will often cut the price of these items and put them into clearance.

So if you are in need of an item and can’t wait for a retailer’s sale, it might be worth looking for their clearance page before you head directly online.

If it isn’t so clear whether they do, search “your preferred store + clearance”.

Sometimes not that easy to find, this is a great way of getting some money off your next purchase.

Here are some popular stores to get you started.

1. Argos
2. B&Q
3. Currys
4. John Lewis
5. Mothercare
6. Next
7. Nike
8. Very

Do you have any other suggestions?

If you know of any more ways that my readers could make some money on their purchases, don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comments below