10 Money Saving Tips from Samples To Shopping Your Stash

I know the photo doesn't match the content but the sunset a few weeks ago was so gorgeous and I needed to use it in one post so this is it! I've published two posts already on money saving tips aimed at students but hopefully these tips are a little more general. If you have any money saving tips or if you know any websites with great offers, deals or discount codes then share in the comments below.

Coupons, Discount Codes & Sales

Let's start with the easiest and that's looking out of coupons and sales! There are a lot of sales going on at the moment which is great for me as I have holiday clothing to buy and also I'm always on the look out for discount codes. Whatever I buy, whether it's groceries on Ocado to books, tickets, clothing and beauty products, I look for a discount code just by searching 'store name discount code 2017', you might get 10% off or free delivery - you never know unless you look. I've been able to find discount codes so often for clothing, books and even Buckingham Palace tour tickets!

Deals & Changing Providers

Everyone has various talents and one which my mum possesses is that she's amazing at saving and looking for deals with different service providers, whether it's electricity, broadband, Sky or car insurance. Recently she's been able to get money off our car insurance which is amazing but sadly those traits definitely haven't pass down to me but I do think that it's worth checking out if you can save money with a different service provider! Even if you just save £50, it's still worth it as then you can buy £50 worth of makeup, skincare or books...that's how it works right?

Switch To Cheaper Alternatives 

Whether it's groceries, clothing, makeup, skincare or homeware, sometimes we have to opt for the cheaper versions. I used to buy a fair amount of higher end makeup but now I'm definitely more of a high street makeup gal, although obviously more expensive makeup is nice from time to time. In terms of cheaper makeup brands there are a few that I'd definitely recommend including: Essence, Rimmel, Kiko and Eylure. Also changing to cheaper, store own groceries helps to save some money and as my mum always says 'save the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves'.

Shop Your Stash

As well as not buying as much makeup this year, I've been shopping my beauty stash instead and I've discovered products that I haven't used for so long. I found my Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect foundation in my stash and now it's been a constant product in my makeup routine for months now when before it was hidden away. Shopping your stash isn't just confined to makeup but look at your wider beauty collection, clothes that are hidden away and even your kitchen cupboards to use products that you haven't yet rather than buying more.

Re-Use, Recycle & Grow Your Own

I have a few products or categories of products that I don't use as much and finding new uses for them means that the money spent on them isn't wasted, for example I use shower gels as hand washes, body cream or facial moisturiser as hand cream, shampoo or hand wash to wash my makeup brushes and even conditioner as an emergency shave gel!

Growing your own herbs is a great way to reduce the money wasted on herbs that you don't use and end up mouldy in the fridge within a couple of days. Also why not try and grow your own veggies from food you already have such as strawberries, avocados, celery and more. Recycling is not only good for the environment but you can use old containers for new products, clothing into something new or get crafty with the wonder that is Pinterest as there are so many recycling ideas on there.

Samples & Freebies 

There are so many freebie websites out their (always be careful about who you are giving your details to!) which I used to use all of the time. I've had haircare, skincare and food samples as well as perfume, toothpaste and tea so it's worth checking out.

In terms of samples, you can get freebies with purchases or just ask at beauty counters as they should be able to give you free foundation samples without having to purchase anything. Also, the MAC UK Facebook page has given away a couple of hundred mascara samples and I've been able to receive two mini MAC mascaras from it so keep an eye out.

Staff Discount 

Some stores offer staff discounts which is worth looking into and as my dad works within the NHS, he gets a surprising number of discounts, the main one we use is for 50% off at Dominos *can I get a hallelujah!*. Apparently if you or someone you know works within the NHS you can get discounts with Sky, Currys, Jet2Holidays, Apple, Vision Express and many more!

Planners, Organisers & Spreadsheets 

Keeping track of what you're spending is key I think and having all of that information in one place or in a planner, organiser or spreadsheet can definitely help. I use notes and spreadsheets for everything as they keep me organised and on track, I don't know what I'd do without my blogging and tax spreadsheets! When it's all laid out you might be able to find things to reduce spending on.

Netgalley & BookBridgr 

This is a very specific tip but as I'm a book blogger, I have to mention it as it's been amazing for me and that's Netgalley. I thought Netgalley was a US only website so I didn't check it out but it is available to book reviewers and bloggers in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe and the UK. If you're an active book blogger, reviewer or youtuber then you can sign up to Netgalley and request free e-books of titles that aren't published yet! As I'm writing this, I've received an amazing 99 e-books, some of which I read months and months before the publication date.

Also a new website and it's BookBridgr which is aimed at book bloggers in the UK that offers free physical books to review. I've only just started, after a long approval time and I received my first book today (Mister Memory by Marcus Sedgwick) even though I only requested it a couple of days ago! Both websites are definitely helping reduce my book buying!

Swap & Share 

The final tip is something a little different and that's swapping and sharing products or books with friends. Instead of buying new books why not swap and trade with friends both online or offline. Also if you have products that you don't want any more or don't use then you could swap with friends (or car bot them?). My friends get blogging items when I don't want them anymore, don't like them as much as other products I have or simply if I just don't have any room!

There are all of my money saving tips from basics to more specific tips and I hope you've found something that's helpful. If you are short on cash then there are always various short term or small loans available that are worth looking into and researching - always do your research first!

Do you follow any of these money saving tips already? Do you have any money saving tips or tricks that I haven't mentioned? 

*This is a sponsored post