I’ve just come back from the UK, and you really notice that in the grip of the GFC, coupon and voucher deals are absolutely rampant over there this Christmas, in fact I’ve often heard people saying “I would not buy anything online without a voucher code” which made me wonder why more of us in Australia aren’t taking the same approach.

Aussie retailers, are much the same as their UK counterparts and very keen to boost their sales at this time of year, with offers, discounts and coupons and yet many of us don’t check before buying that we’re getting the best price. So here are my top 5 tips for saving this Christmas:

1) Check coupon/discount sites like voucheroo! We should be your first port of call before you buy ANYTHING online. We’ve hundreds of codes offering anything up to 60% off the retail price for anything from clothing to holidays.

2) Check the sale days. Many large department stores, like for example Myer, hold 1 off special sales, that only those in the know, like us, get to hear about. Our alert about the “Myer secret sale” for example was picked up by 1000 people in 2 hours! Often they are looking to clear a specific stock line, or department, and so these sales can often be last minute.

3) Do your research. Seen a television you like? Well google the full model name, and see if you can find it cheaper online, or indeed find a coupon code for the very model you saw in the shop!

4) Haggle! If you do find something cheaper online, that you first saw in a shop. Print out where you found it and the price details, and go back into the shop and see if they are willing to at least match it… I do this all the time (not just at Christmas!)

5) Look out for delivery charges. Often P&P can add serious bucks to your order, so look out for free delivery deals and offers.

Oh, and if you do spot any amazing deals be sure to drop us a line and tell us about it so we can share it with all the members of our community!