Fashion
I’m a pro bargain hunter – my top five tips on how to find the best deals & why Poundland is the new Primark
IT’S NO secret that the cost of living crisis has got many of us panicking about our finances. From energy bills to the weekly food shop, it seems everything is on the rise.
But there are some who have made it their mission to help people struggling in the current economy get by. Chloe Brewer is one of these people.
Chloe BrwerChloe Brewer has shared her tips and tricks to find the best deals[/caption]
AlamyShe said it’s easier to impulse buy when shopping in a store compared to online[/caption]
GettyChloe said people should work out their monthly budget[/caption]
As a mum-of-two, Chloe, 35, knows how important it is to count the pennies and get the best deals… Which is why she helps run social media channel @ashleighmoneysaver, where she and four others work to share the best deals available out there.
From Primark and TK Maxx to B&M and Aldi, she surfs the internet and walks through the aisles to help people make the most of their tight budgets on a daily basis.
While the channel was first started by a woman called Ashleigh, she’s since left the business, which is run by a team of five people working across TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
Chloe, who is mum to Joshua, 12, and Hayden, five, was approached in March this year after getting noticed for her own award-winning blog Lady Writes.
The blonde beauty has a track record of finding savvy ways to save money and joined the team in a bid to further help people.
“I’ve been a full time influencer for five years now and initially started with my own channel,” she explained in an exclusive interview with The Sun’s Fabulous Magazine. “I love shopping, I love finding deals and as a single mum-of-two, providing for my family myself, I need to look where I can save money.
“I’ve been there [with Ashleigh Money Saver] for a few months now but the success that I’ve seen on the channels have been amazing.”
It was the cost of living crisis that really encouraged Chloe to delve deep into this world of finding bargains and deals as “everyone is feeling the pinch”.
I think it’s really key for me to keep an eye on what all the retailers are doing
Chloe Brewer35
Over the years, she’s developed a set of tricks and strategies to ensure she spends money intentionally and saves as much as she can.
The most important thing she does is keep her eye on the ball with retailers, she explained.
“Most retailers are trying to implement savings. A lot of supermarkets are implementing a reward style system. You’ve got the Tesco clubcard, Morrisons have just got one too. You’ve got Boots with their advantage card.
“If you’ve got an advantage card, you get things cheaper. I think it’s really key for me to keep an eye on what all the retailers are doing.”
Chloe said she’s constantly scouring the internet to see what offers there are out there. But sometimes, they’re a little too good to be true.
“Sometimes the deals can be made to look really good, but actually… When you look at them, they’re not. A lot of my job is researching to find out how much things cost now compared to two, three weeks ago or even a month,” she shared.
Now, with years under her belt in this field, Chloe has shared her top tips for the average person feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis and simply doesn’t know where to start.
Monitor prices
“The first thing I’d say would be to research prices now,” she said. “That’s a time investment. But if you really need to be looking at saving money, the food shop is a good place to start.”
Chloe explained that it is essential to write out a list at home as it reduces the likelihood of spending more in store.
“All of the supermarkets have their prices online, which means you can compare which place will be cheaper,” she said.
A trick she uses is to buy a weekly shop from Asda, for example, and compare it to the previous week’s shop to see if, how and why the prices might have changed.
“It’s just a case of being savvy and monitoring prices on the things you actually need,” she said.
Stick to the list
Number two on her list of tips is to stick to the list you’ve made.
“Sometimes shopping online saves you from impulse purchases in store,” she explained, before adding that kids are particularly good at picking up items along the way that were never on the list to begin with.
She added: “Definitely shop online when you can.”
Get on the loyalty bandwagon
“The third one would definitely be to get as many loyalty cards as you can,” she shared. “They’re usually free”.
Chloe listed some of the best ones out there, including Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.
“Every advantage card style scheme that you can find, be a part of because even if you don’t regularly shop in that place, when you do you’re accruing points,” she continued.
“I did a video a few weeks ago on a moisturiser from Boots, which the RRP was £24.99 but if you had an advantage card, I think it was £17 pounds, which is a really huge saving. So it’s just a case of having all those loyalty cards.”
Shop around
Chloe said that while it’s not easy to go from one supermarket to another for food shopping in store, it can occasionally be more effective to buy different things from different places.
Sharing an example of how she does this in her own life, she said: “I tend to fill my freezer with Iceland food shopping.
“I don’t really buy frozen food from many other places.”
Set a monthly budget
The final tip Chloe can offer is to sit down and seriously take a look at all the expenses going out to get a good idea of how much you have to spend across the board.
“My gas and electric bill is ridiculous at the moment, it’s the highest it’s ever been like it makes my eyes pop out of my head when I have to pay it every month,” she explained. “I think it’s really important to sit down once a month and budget.
“Once the bills have been allocated you can then see how much you’ve got leftover and work it out.”
But it’s not just money saving tips Chloe has up her sleeves as the savvy bargain hunter knows all the best dupes and places to go to get decent clothes and beauty items, too.
While Primark might be all the rage at the moment with its Skims dupes and summer ranges, Chloe said Poundland is “absolutely incredible”.
She explained that it’s by far the cheapest option and has “really on trend” styles that has impressed her.
“The Pep&Co ranges, which is what their fashion is called, is fantastic. It’s very Primark style. I’ve seen Zara and H&M vibes as well,” she shared.
“It’s a bit of a hidden gem for fashion. They do children’s wear, womenswear and menswear, too.”
And when it comes to food, she likes Iceland for frozen and Aldi for the everyday basics.
Let’s be honest, chocolate tastes the same whether it’s in a Santa package or not
Chloe Brewer35
Chloe also likes The Company Shop, which sells short-dated branded products from other supermarkets. While it’s hit and miss and you need a membership for it, she said you can “get some absolutely amazing bargains”.
An alternative to this is Motatos, which is a little known website that sells short date, slightly damaged packaging items that are seasonal.
“Chocolates from Christmas with Santa Claus on it, for example. Let’s be honest, chocolate tastes the same whether it’s in a Santa package or not,” she said.
Ending our chat, Chloe took a moment to share: “I think people are still in the mindset that things cost what they did two or three years ago.
“Unfortunately, they just don’t and I don’t envisage that changing anytime soon. So let’s shop smarter, rather than being caught up on what the price was.”
GettyAccording to Chloe, Poundland’s clothing brand Pep&Co is amazing[/caption]
tiktok/@caroline.shopsThe prices are amazing and it’s very “trendy”[/caption]
IT’S NO secret that the cost of living crisis has got many of us panicking about our finances. From energy bills to the weekly food shop, it seems everything is on the rise.
But there are some who have made it their mission to help people struggling in the current economy get by. Chloe Brewer is one of these people.
Chloe BrwerChloe Brewer has shared her tips and tricks to find the best deals[/caption]
AlamyShe said it’s easier to impulse buy when shopping in a store compared to online[/caption]
GettyChloe said people should work out their monthly budget[/caption]
As a mum-of-two, Chloe, 35, knows how important it is to count the pennies and get the best deals… Which is why she helps run social media channel @ashleighmoneysaver, where she and four others work to share the best deals available out there.
From Primark and TK Maxx to B&M and Aldi, she surfs the internet and walks through the aisles to help people make the most of their tight budgets on a daily basis.
While the channel was first started by a woman called Ashleigh, she’s since left the business, which is run by a team of five people working across TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
Chloe, who is mum to Joshua, 12, and Hayden, five, was approached in March this year after getting noticed for her own award-winning blog Lady Writes.
The blonde beauty has a track record of finding savvy ways to save money and joined the team in a bid to further help people.
“I’ve been a full time influencer for five years now and initially started with my own channel,” she explained in an exclusive interview with The Sun’s Fabulous Magazine. “I love shopping, I love finding deals and as a single mum-of-two, providing for my family myself, I need to look where I can save money.
“I’ve been there [with Ashleigh Money Saver] for a few months now but the success that I’ve seen on the channels have been amazing.”
It was the cost of living crisis that really encouraged Chloe to delve deep into this world of finding bargains and deals as “everyone is feeling the pinch”.
I think it’s really key for me to keep an eye on what all the retailers are doing
Chloe Brewer
Over the years, she’s developed a set of tricks and strategies to ensure she spends money intentionally and saves as much as she can.
The most important thing she does is keep her eye on the ball with retailers, she explained.
“Most retailers are trying to implement savings. A lot of supermarkets are implementing a reward style system. You’ve got the Tesco clubcard, Morrisons have just got one too. You’ve got Boots with their advantage card.
“If you’ve got an advantage card, you get things cheaper. I think it’s really key for me to keep an eye on what all the retailers are doing.”
Chloe said she’s constantly scouring the internet to see what offers there are out there. But sometimes, they’re a little too good to be true.
“Sometimes the deals can be made to look really good, but actually… When you look at them, they’re not. A lot of my job is researching to find out how much things cost now compared to two, three weeks ago or even a month,” she shared.
Now, with years under her belt in this field, Chloe has shared her top tips for the average person feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis and simply doesn’t know where to start.
Monitor prices
“The first thing I’d say would be to research prices now,” she said. “That’s a time investment. But if you really need to be looking at saving money, the food shop is a good place to start.”
Chloe explained that it is essential to write out a list at home as it reduces the likelihood of spending more in store.
“All of the supermarkets have their prices online, which means you can compare which place will be cheaper,” she said.
A trick she uses is to buy a weekly shop from Asda, for example, and compare it to the previous week’s shop to see if, how and why the prices might have changed.
“It’s just a case of being savvy and monitoring prices on the things you actually need,” she said.
Stick to the list
Number two on her list of tips is to stick to the list you’ve made.
“Sometimes shopping online saves you from impulse purchases in store,” she explained, before adding that kids are particularly good at picking up items along the way that were never on the list to begin with.
She added: “Definitely shop online when you can.”
Get on the loyalty bandwagon
“The third one would definitely be to get as many loyalty cards as you can,” she shared. “They’re usually free”.
Chloe listed some of the best ones out there, including Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.
“Every advantage card style scheme that you can find, be a part of because even if you don’t regularly shop in that place, when you do you’re accruing points,” she continued.
“I did a video a few weeks ago on a moisturiser from Boots, which the RRP was £24.99 but if you had an advantage card, I think it was £17 pounds, which is a really huge saving. So it’s just a case of having all those loyalty cards.”
Shop around
Chloe said that while it’s not easy to go from one supermarket to another for food shopping in store, it can occasionally be more effective to buy different things from different places.
Sharing an example of how she does this in her own life, she said: “I tend to fill my freezer with Iceland food shopping.
“I don’t really buy frozen food from many other places.”
Set a monthly budget
The final tip Chloe can offer is to sit down and seriously take a look at all the expenses going out to get a good idea of how much you have to spend across the board.
“My gas and electric bill is ridiculous at the moment, it’s the highest it’s ever been like it makes my eyes pop out of my head when I have to pay it every month,” she explained. “I think it’s really important to sit down once a month and budget.
“Once the bills have been allocated you can then see how much you’ve got leftover and work it out.”
But it’s not just money saving tips Chloe has up her sleeves as the savvy bargain hunter knows all the best dupes and places to go to get decent clothes and beauty items, too.
While Primark might be all the rage at the moment with its Skims dupes and summer ranges, Chloe said Poundland is “absolutely incredible”.
She explained that it’s by far the cheapest option and has “really on trend” styles that has impressed her.
“The Pep&Co ranges, which is what their fashion is called, is fantastic. It’s very Primark style. I’ve seen Zara and H&M vibes as well,” she shared.
“It’s a bit of a hidden gem for fashion. They do children’s wear, womenswear and menswear, too.”
And when it comes to food, she likes Iceland for frozen and Aldi for the everyday basics.
Let’s be honest, chocolate tastes the same whether it’s in a Santa package or not
Chloe Brewer
Chloe also likes The Company Shop, which sells short-dated branded products from other supermarkets. While it’s hit and miss and you need a membership for it, she said you can “get some absolutely amazing bargains”.
An alternative to this is Motatos, which is a little known website that sells short date, slightly damaged packaging items that are seasonal.
“Chocolates from Christmas with Santa Claus on it, for example. Let’s be honest, chocolate tastes the same whether it’s in a Santa package or not,” she said.
Ending our chat, Chloe took a moment to share: “I think people are still in the mindset that things cost what they did two or three years ago.
“Unfortunately, they just don’t and I don’t envisage that changing anytime soon. So let’s shop smarter, rather than being caught up on what the price was.”
GettyAccording to Chloe, Poundland’s clothing brand Pep&Co is amazing[/caption]
tiktok/@caroline.shopsThe prices are amazing and it’s very “trendy”[/caption]Fashion – latest style news and Fabulous trends | The Sun
