How To Be Economically Friendly Online.

Well Hello.
I haven't posted in a while, I've been pretty busy. Evertything seems to be happenning all at once.

I've been working on a series of blog posts all about saving your money. This is because I'd like to work on some about organising your house, but I would be very, very hypocritical if I were to do that. So instead I've decided to write about something I know about. And I'm starting today, with some general tips for anyone who might want to save a good few pounds.

Image from Google

I have come to be a saver from not having much money to begin with. I was taught from a young age not to spend too much, and since going on Education maintenence allowance for college, and having a student loan from university, I've learnt a good few things about how to be frugal.

Look out for these upcoming specials:
-Holiday
-Christmas and New Year
-Clothes and Accessories
-Beauty
-Food Shopping
-General Tips

But the first is online. There are some great ways that you can save by going online.
I challenge you to do something frugal with them this week.

Tips !

One very easy way is to use websites to their full potential. Joining comparison sites like comparethemarket, moneysupermarket and gocompare are great for a comparison of insurance and credit cards. But don't forget to look out for ones that aren't on it, like directline. Also it's a good idea to search the web each year to find yourself a better deal on things like gas and electricity. There's usually an even better offer just waiting for you.

When buying on the Internet, whether it be clothes, food or tickets for that show you want to see, always compare, and look out for discount codes and vouchers. Just do a google search, or join a voucher website, like wowcher. An example is codes for H&M and Boohoo.com, and Dominos Pizza. Also, you can get great online deals for tickets for shows and concerts if you go on opening night. I did this and got a very good discount for a theatre show.

If you're a person who likes to reuse items, or update your wardrobe by adding some embellishments. or just generally like homemade things, I suggest you join Pinterest. I have my own pinterest account full of tips and things to do, how to make cheap gifts, make your own beauty remedies and re-purpose items. It's also a pretty cool way of planning things, like your next staycation or party on the cheap, or maybe just places you'd love to go when you've saved up enough money. Check out mine here.

Don't forget, there's always freecycle, to find items for free in your area. And also gumtree, for pretty much everything. Or your local freeads.

Image from Google

Another idea is to use bloggers and blogs as a resource. They'll give feedback on items and how well they have worked and try out ideas for you to see if they're any good.
Recommended blogs:
A Thrifty Mrs
Diary of a Frugal Family
Frugal Queen

Here are some really useful websites I would also recommend.
1. Tips on being frugal (50 ways.. pretty comprehensive)
2. Frugal Living
3. Top 25 personal finance blogs.
4. Best of the web - Shopping
5.Arts and crafts? try this one.

What makes people so ridiculously obsessed with shopping?

Shopping. The first act of cruelty that a female will inflict upon her guy friend/boyfriend. (the second one being the dreaded question: " What do you think?" whilst trying on a horrific dress two sizes too small.)

Most girls, myself included, quite enjoy shopping.
Some girls are completely and utterly fanatical about shopping. I think men need to stay away from these at all costs. That is, unless they themselves like to shop, in which case the woman should question the sexual orientation of this man. If it has been questioned and the result is just a straight guy that enjoys shopping, I reckon those shopoholics are onto a winner.

I must warn you all though, that there is a particularly defective breed of shopoholic. These are what I like to call the 'buffet shopoholics'.
There is good reason for this name.
They will pick out many many items, stack them to enormous heights and devour each and every item. Some will also sample the item, and then return it to it's original place. (I hate these people at buffets.. what if you eat it? Ew.)

Theres another type. The 'sale fiend'. (This isn't actually my name for them, I just thought of it and liked it.) But these people are easily spotted. Just take a look at their home.
-Are there 10 bottles of shampoo lining the bath/window sill/cupboard?
-Do they have an overflowing/unshutable wardrobe? (Which when you look inside it has 3 pairs of the same jeans, the same top etc)
-Is there many random items decorating the house? (Such as odd little trinkets and ornaments)
-Is there a secret stash of toilet roll?
-How about endless amounts of tissue boxes and packets?
-Last but not least, is there a random unused/used once item? (Mostly these wil lbe something in the kitchen, such as an automated apple peeler or something, most likely to still be in the box with a bright red sale sticker on it, stacked up high.)

Now if you're nodding to all of these, you do indeed have someone worthy of being called a sale feind. My mum is just like this.
She also has a friend who had endless amounts of toiletries and make-up in boxes, toilet roll, clothes and items of furniture in her attic. Ridiculous.

Now, I know this blog is supposed to be about shopping, but really, I quite like ranting about how ridiculous more people than you may imagine are.
So to make up for ranting about people who love to shop (and I'll admit, Even I'm like that sometimes, I am still a woman after all), I shall give you my top three favourite websites to shop at.

1. http://www.amazon.co.uk/
2. http://www.newlook.co.uk/
3. http://www.ebay.co.uk/