B&M superfan reveals top tips to avoid overspending & how to get items cheaper elsewhere

DESPITE spending days putting together the perfect B&M shopping list, that all goes straight out the window the second we get through the door.

Well if you also find yourself walking out with countless rolls of discounted wallpaper and more cat toys than you could ever need, then you might just want to take a leaf out of Demi Donnelly's book.

Speaking to Latest Deals, the savvy shopper – who is a self-confessed B&M addict – has shared her top tips to avoid overspending in the stores.

The YouTuber, from Newcastle, said: "I try to limit myself when I go to B&M – I have an addiction. When I go to stores like this, I can’t seem to not spend."

After recently spending £150 on a shop that was only meant to cost £30, Demi decided to take a hard look at her browsing habits.

She continued: "I realised I need to stop myself from spending too much so during this trip to B&M I asked myself some questions which helped me to reduce how much I bought."

1. Do I need this?

It sounds obvious – but Demi says if you take the time to actually consider what you're buying, you're less likely to go over budget.

After resisting a bag of mini Jammy Dodgers, Demi was tempted to buy a bargain Superdry mop.

She added: "‘I almost picked up a Superdry mop for cleaning my tiles, as it was only £6.99, but I asked the first question and realised I didn’t need it as my spray mop at home will do the same job."

2. Do I have space for this?

Hey you – the person eyeing up the discounted garden furniture. Do you ACTUALLY have the storage to house that whole set when the weather turns grim?

In a similar sense, Demi almost bought a £9 spice rack which she thought would make her kitchen tidier – before ultimately realising she didn't have space for it on the counter.

3. Is it a gimmick?

When Demi stumbled upon a product that promises to stop your bin from smelling bad, she would have normally put it straight in her shopping basket.

But on second thought, she realised it probably wouldn't work as well as her current cleaning method.

"My usual trick is to put Zoflora in there and if I know that works I don’t need to buy the gimmicky item," she said. "I ended up getting my usual floor cleaner for £1.99 which I know is safe for dogs."

4. Is it good value for money?

That said, Demi turns to stores like B&M to bulk-buy everyday items.

"My go-to store for toilet roll is B&M due to the bargain prices," she said. "I got an 18 pack of loo roll for £3.49 which will do me nicely."

5. Have you finished your last product?

As you're browsing the aisles, it can be tempting to mindlessly add your everyday essentials to your basket.

But Demi says it's worth holding out until you actually need to restock – as it saves you money in the short-term and avoids overfilling your cupbaords.

She continued: "I don’t want to buy something new if I still have an existing product at home. For example, Fabulosa toilet cleaning gel is a brand I’ve wanted to try for a while and it had a good price in B&M for only £1.

"However I need to follow this new rule with my cleaning products so I didn’t end up getting it!"

6. Can you find it cheaper elsewhere?

In order to find the best prices, Demi recommended browsing all the bargain stores – something she wished she'd done before splashing out on a new rug only to find a cheaper alternative in B&M.

Price comparison websites such as Trolley allow shoppers to check out discounted products ahead of time so you can pick your supermarket wisely.

7. Will it last?

As a dog-owner, Demi doesn't like splashing out on things they'll most likely destroy in a few months anyway.

So with this in mind, B&M is her go-to place for dog beds as they're not too expensive.

8. Will it actually make life easier?

This is particularly true of cleaning products – so Demi tends to indulge herself with items that'll make her home sparkle.

She said: "I picked up some glass window cleaning wipes for my glass coffee table because, while my cleaning spray does do a good job, my table gets dirty pretty much every day and I would prefer to give them a quick wipe down instead of getting the spray out each time."

9. Will I actually use it?

It's all well and good to bagging a bargain – but it's not worth much if you're not going to get much use out of it.

The savvy shopper added: "It can be tempting to grab everything in the aisle when they’re discounted, but you could end up with more produce than you’ll end up using.

"For example, I limited myself to three packs of chicken fillets for the dogs, reduced from £1.69 to £1 each. I didn't need anything else and, although the sell by date is tomorrow, we get through chicken quickly in this house!"

For more shopping tips, this Primark worker revealed how to get that must-have item of clothing even if it isn’t stocked in your size.

And Debenhams announced huge online summer sale with up to 50% off – here’s the best deals.

Plus Marks & Spencer slashed 50% off womenswear in huge sale – including these Holly Willoughby approved looks.

Source: Read Full Article