Martin Lewis shares ‘hacks and tips’ for last-minute Christmas shopping
Martin Lewis has shared his best Christmas shopping “tricks and tips” to help people keep costs as low as possible this festive season.
The personal finance guru’s Money Saving Expert team has compiled dozens of ways to ensure shoppers always get the lowest prices and know their consumer rights.
The money-saving service says it’s “difficult” to give tips for this period, explaining: “Christmas is approaching and many people still have things to buy, so while we want to show you tricks and tips to help you, we don’t want to get caught up in the retail excitement that leaves too many people paying for the big day in debt in January.”
“So, make a budget (a list of the things you need and can afford to buy) and stick to it. Don’t let discounts target your spending impulses. Then, use the tips below regularly to buy the things you planned with less hassle and cost.”
Analysis by discount finding site VoucherCodes recently revealed Brits are set to spend £3.43bn over the pre-Christmas weekend, up 12.8 per cent on last year. They found that 49.6 million people were ready to shop this weekend, with more than 36 million of them heading to the high street.
Here are some top tips Mr. Lewis recommends for sustaining the holiday shopping spree:
Abandon cart and wait for discount
One of the lesser-known tips is to take advantage of the ‘abandoned cart discount’, which MSE describes as a trick that stores “don’t want you to know”.
Many retailers will offer discount codes to entice back customers who have added an item to their online cart and seemingly changed their mind. Mr Lewis added that people had reported varying success and wait times using tipping, which would typically be around 48 hours.
Shoppers say they’re getting up to 50 per cent off from retailers like Asos, Currys, Harvey Nichols, The White Company and more by using this trick. Some have also been sent flat-rate cash discounts from supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco.
Many retailers now also offer discounts for signing up for their mailing lists, often meaning 10 to 20 percent off orders. This is an easy way to secure a discount and there’s never any obligation to stay subscribed after purchase.
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Did you get the money back?
Money experts also recommend that shoppers find out if they can get cash back on their spending; This gives a nice return on spend and will generally be compatible with any discount codes.
Many high street banks now offer credit and debit cards with small cashback. For example, Nationwide is currently offering 1 per cent cashback (up to £60 per month) for a year after bankers switch to a Nationwide FlexDirect account (which will earn them a £175 bonus).
Lloyds similarly offers an ‘Ultra’ credit card that offers one per cent unlimited cash back for a year. As with all credit cards, it’s important to pay it in full each month to avoid penalties.
Cashback can also be earned for customers of digital bank Monzo, which offers returns when shopping at select retailers (participating stores are constantly replenished). This will bring regular offers of 10 per cent off from retailers such as Asda and ASOS.
Know your rights
Mr Lewis advises that it is also important for shoppers to know their consumer rights, especially during the Christmas period. Due to a quirk in the law, consumers are actually better protected when shopping online than when shopping in person.
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, shoppers have a 14-day ‘cooling off period’ after placing an order during which they have the legal right to change their mind. They then have a further 14 days to return the goods (this excludes certain items such as perishable items).
By the way, purchasing in the store does not guarantee the right to return the product unless it is faulty. Some stores may allow returns, but this is not required by law.
Mr Lewis advises: “It might lose some of the romance of Christmas, but if you’re buying someone an expensive gift it’s worth opening it and checking it’s not faulty before you run out of time to return it, just in case.”
