13 Steps To Bargain Shopping Success

Firstly, I know a couple of bargain shoppers far greater than myself, so Kerri and Dezzie you are my heroes.

Here's my bargain shopping tips, we'll start with the basics and end with the good stuff:

1.  Know the regular prices of items you are looking for.
You don't know how good a bargain it is otherwise.

2.  Know who the item is for before you buy.
If you are just buying because it's a bargain and you don't have a specific person in mind then chances are it will sit in your cupboard for years and really not be saving you anything.

3.  Stick to your budget.
If you spend more than your budget you aren't saving money are you?

4.  Research before you go.
Know what you are after, it makes seeking it out a much easier experience. And take a list so you don't forget anything.

5.  Keep a record.
Keep a list of items you have bought, how much you paid, who it's for and on what occasion they will receive it. Doubling up isn't going to save you anything.

6.  Shop at the right times of the year.
I don't quite have this down pat yet but what I do know is that right now (late February/early March) stores are clearing out summer stock. They are really down to the last little bits so prices are insane. I picked up a t-shirt for Brian for $1 the other week.

I'm a bit of a believer that the "end of year" and "end of financial year" sales aren't quite as good as they claim to be. It seems the real bargains come a little later on.

For toys, 1st July is your time to shop. This is the time of the year that shops like Kmart, Target and Big W have their major toy sales. They bring in extra stock just for these sales and you will often find items that you can't get at any other time of the year. Toy kitchens, construction benches and bigger toys are king during this month. Needless to say the shops are insanely busy at this time of year so go online, shop using the catalogue and line up on day one for your goods.

Last year I was actually at Target while they were putting the display stock from the July sale on clearance.  If your budget is super tights and you are dreaming of a wonderful play kitchen then this might be your time to hang around - I'm sure tapping the Manager on the shoulder when he/she is looking overwhelmed with what they need to clear might work in your favour and theirs.

7.  Compare stores.
Clearly this is time consuming and really bargain shopping is a lot about doing the footwork and saving yourself money. I'm lucky enough to have the time to do this.

Here's an example for you:
This Fisher-Price Medical Set is $15 at Kmart. A couple of weeks ago it was $19.
It's about $19 at Big W and is $19 at Target. $4 isn't much but if your budget for a gift was $15 this shopping around would make the difference.

One store is generally not cheaper overall than another. Know what you want and keep your eyes out.

8.  Know what's going on in retail.
A couple, or even one visit to your local Kmart store will tell you times are changing. And while I'm not a fan of this it's good for the bargain shopper. Kmart is in the process of clearing out a lot of stock and replacing it with their own home maker brand. This means crazy prices. I picked up a plastic shoe box with lid (to hold our Playgroup's train set) for $1.50 earlier this week.

If you have a Thomas fan for a son you may or may not know that their different ranges are manufactured by different companies. Right now they are in the process of changing manufacturers and renaming sets. This is the sole reason Kevin and I went nuts buying Brian's train set - clearance baby! For the consumer this means stores are clearing out old lines and I'm pretty sure this is why I found some incredible bargains last week. The beauty of Thomas is that the new sets are compatible with the old, they may just look a little different.

My other bargain finds last week came from knowing about the Angus and Robertson issues. If places are closing you can bet they are going to be clearing stock.

9.  Shop at stores that don't have enough staff.
Now we are getting to the cruel bargaining tactics. I saw unbelievable evidence of this last week. I shopped in a shopping centre I've only been to about twice before. When I went to the Thomas aisle it was a shambles. No ticket prices, and products shoved on the shelf absolutely anywhere. Many blocking the view of other products. What this means is that the staff and the customers have no idea how much half of those products are. My secret, go scan them. This is how I found the train set for $6.87. And another tip, if it's a long walk to the scanner, most stores now have mini scanners in the book and DVD sections, so use them.

10.  Shop at stores you often forget about.
(Stop reading Kerri). If you are lucky enough to live by an Aldi store, don't dismiss them. I purchased a gift for my niece from a fancy toy store for $15, only to find a similar item for sale at Aldi the next week for $5! The Aldi product had more pieces too. Aldi publish their weekly catalogues online ahead of time so it's easy to pre-plan.

Around Christmas time a lot of stores get in little knick knack items. Often unique ideas that you don't usually see. They are generally well priced before Christmas but don't forget that after Christmas they have to get rid of them.

Ikea has great prices and a lot of people forget about it because it's usually a long trip. If the person you are shopping for doesn't have access to Ikea then shop there. Also, if you join their Family, you get extra discounts.

Fetes are great places to pick up handmade crafty items. They take a long time to plan so most are on somewhere between May - October. Items get cheaper closer to the end of the day.

Industrial areas are awesome places to find bargains. Research and ask other Mum's about warehouses and clearance outlets in your area. Some aren't the best and sell horrible quality products so my tip is to find good quality products and stores and see if they have outlets. Also places that sell to schools are fantastic and will often also sell to the public.

11.  Give your legs a rest.
If you are lucky enough to find a local warehouse then get on their mailing list so you don't miss out on their sales.

You can keep track of prices by searching online and also most stores have catalogues online too, making comparing a little easier on those feet. Sometimes calling for a price or clothing size is much easier than bundling up the kids and driving to the store.

12.  Plan ahead.
Deciding on a theme (Thomas) for Brian's birthday party (27th June) well ahead of time has allowed me plenty of time to find Thomas bargains.

At Christmas I'm still in the gift giving frame of mind and often will make up a list of gifts to give the following year. I basically already know what everyone in my family is getting this Christmas.  As the ideas are in my mind, if I see something that suits I can keep my eye on it to see if it goes on sale, better still if it's on sale I'll grab it.

Keep a list of children's ages and sizes with you. That way if you find something you can buy them then and there.

13.  Most of all...
stay on your hubby's good side. Let's face it there's a certain thrill to bargain shopping and you don't want that smile wiped off your face when you come home and hubby has seen the credit card bill!