Online Shopping Archives - With love from Lou

Top Tips For Shopping Online This Black Friday

26/11/2019 by Louise 36 Comments

You may have noticed that Black Friday has become increasingly popular here in the UK over the last few years. And this year it looks like it’s going to be bigger and better event than ever. But after hearing so many horror stories in previous years about people getting seriously injured whilst trying to score themselves a nice little discount, I’ve decided that I won’t be visiting my local shopping centre to see what’s on offer. Instead, I’ll be doing my Black Friday shopping from the comfort of my own home.

By doing it this way there will be a lot more retailers at my fingertips than I’ll find in my local town. And I know I’ll be less likely to make any silly impulse buys that I’ll only regret once I get home. That’s got to be a good thing, right? Today I thought I’d share my top tips to help you make the most of shopping online this Black Friday so you can shop like a pro and get the best products at the best prices during those 24+ hours of deals!

01. Make a List

Start by making a list of any items you know you need (or want), and complete it ahead of Black Friday. Having a list to hand will help you stay focused while you are shopping, and you’ll be much less likely to start looking at loads of items that you didn’t really want in the first place, and making impulse purchases that you may regret at a later date. It will also help to ensure you get everything you’d set out to find for friends and family.

I have to admit that I never used to make a list when I was Christmas shopping, and I would almost always come home with bags full of things for myself that I didn’t really need, and just one or two things that I could actually wrap up and give as gifts! I would end up full of regret a few days later when I had no money left but still needed to buy loads of Christmas presents. And while we’re talking about Christmas presents click here for some affordable ideas.

02. Learn the Prices

If you know the regular prices of the items you need to buy, then you’ll be in a much better position to spot a good deal when you see one this Black Friday. When there’s so much Christmas shopping to do, the last thing you need is to discover that your ‘great deal’ was actually just a couple of quid knocked off the retail price because you didn’t do your homework. A quick search on Google will only take up a few minutes of your time and you should be able to find an accurate RRP for all the items on your list.

03. Sign Up for Newsletters From Your Favourite Stores

Did you know that retailers often send coupons and sneak peeks in their newsletters a week or so ahead of Black Friday? Well, they do. I’ve already received quite a few this week from places like Amazon, ASOS and Rebecca Minkoff, and I’m expecting to be inundated with them come this time tomorrow. If you’re signed up, not only can you snag discount codes for products or shipping, but you can also get a better idea of what each site has on sale. This puts you way ahead of the game come Black Friday morning as you’ll know exactly where the best deals are, and where you can pick up multiple items together to simplify the whole process and save on shipping costs.

04. Use Cashback Sites

If you’re not already, make sure you sign up to a couple of cashback sites that you know carry brands you shop with, whether that’s somewhere like this nordstrom cash back site, somewhere else (or both!), before Black Friday morning. That way, you’ll not only be able to score yourself some awesome products at discounted products, but you’ll be able to get a little bit of cash back as well. How cool is that? I mean, what’s better than free money?

I currently use two really great cashback sites: Quidco, who I’ve been using for years, and TopCashback, who I’ve not been using as long, but think is the better site of the two. They’ve also got a great deal on at the moment where new and selected customers can get 100% cashback when they buy 2 chocolate advent calendars at Thorntons. This means you’ll get them both absolutely free of charge! All you have to do is sign up to their website, authenticate your account, and then type ‘Thorntons – TopCashback New & Selected Member Deal’ into the search bar. You’ll then need to make the purchase yourself, and TopCashback will refund your money within 3 working days! It’s the perfect way to treat yourself or a loved one this Christmas.

PLUS, if you sign up to TopCashback using my referral link, you’ll bag yourself a free £5 Amazon UK Gift Card as well. You really can’t grumble at that!

05. Search the Web for Discount Codes

In addition to coupons in newsletters, you can often find some fantastic discount codes on a plethora of coupons sites around the world wide web. Why not do a search on Google for some of your favourite retailers and save any promo codes you come across to try out on Black Friday? Examples of what you could type into the Google search bar are:

New Look discount codes | Cox and Cox Coupons | Feel Unique vouchers

I almost always do this when I’m ordering something online, and nine times out of ten I will find a coupon for free shipping at the very least. Like I said before, there are loads of different coupon sites scattered around the internet. Many of the codes you find on them won’t work, but it’s worth trying them at the very least as you might find one that’s amazing!

06. Set Up Accounts in Advance if You Haven’t Already

To be fair, you’re more than likely to have already signed up for accounts at your favourite retailers. But if you haven’t, now is the time to change that. Don’t wait until Black Friday morning when you’re wanting to purchase lots of different things from lots of different retailers as you’ll only end up annoyed at yourself for not doing it sooner and wasting valuable time while you fill in form after form after form!

Having an account set up and your login information saved and ready to go at the click of a button will make it so much easier when you’re trying to check out. And, in the case of time-sensitive deals, it could be the difference between snagging that great price and missing out!!

07. Time Matters on Black Friday

You may not have to stand in queues for hours on end or contend with a stream of heavy traffic, but what time you visit a site on Black Friday still matters. Most retailers will have limited stock and limited time offers on the very best deals, so if you’re not one of the first to add it to your cart and check out, you’re more than likely to miss out. Many sites start their sales at midnight, and although you’re free to log on and start your shopping whenever you feel like it, I’d always recommend getting in there as quickly as possible. There’s definitely a reason people tell you that the early bird catches the worm!

08. Think About Your Budget

With all the talk of limited time deals and one-time-only sales, it’s easy to get swept up in shopping mania! But, if like most Christmas shoppers, you have a strict budget that you need to stick to, then you really do need to take care of how much you’re spending. I would suggest only buying the things you’ve written down on your list (see tip one) and spending no more money on each product than the specified recommended retail price (see tip two). This way you’ll have a good idea beforehand of how much you’re likely to spend on Black Friday. If you manage to get more money off of those items than you were expecting to, you’ll spend a lot less and be much happier about it. I realise that everyone loves a good deal, but you don’t want to make purchases that you’re going to regret later because you didn’t really want or need them.

09. Shop at Reputable Stores

Remember, if a deal sound too good to be true, then it probably is! Stick to sites you know and trust to reduce any risk of buying from somewhere unscrupulous. You can even Shop smarter with reviews from fivestarcustomerreviews.com and other similar sites if you want to find new reputable sites to shop on that have high quality products. If you do find yourself at a store you’re not familiar with, do a quick internet search and make sure they have a recognisable web presence. And no matter what site you’re on, the checkout page should be encrypted through a secure connection to ensure your credit and debit card details remain protected. You can easily check this by making sure the web address of the page starts with https (the ‘s’ is for secure) instead of just regular old http.

10. Take a Break If It’s Getting Too Much

If you find yourself wanting to make numerous purchases of things that you don’t really want or need then it’s most definitely time to step away from your computer/laptop/iPad etc and take a break! Every site you visit is designed to keep you shopping, so if you’re noticing a strong deviation from your original shopping list I would most definitely recommend making yourself a cup of tea and having a shopping break of at least 30 minutes before you log back on to finish your list.

11. Keep Copies of All E-mail Confirmations & Receipts

After you’ve completed your purchase, it’s a good idea to take a screenshot of your order confirmation page and save it in addition to the email invoice you get from your retailer. With Black Friday being such a busy shopping day, sometimes retailer or shipping companies make mistakes. If that happens to your order, the more proof you have, and the better armed you will be in getting it straightened out right away. And of course, you can also return any of those pesky impulse buys that just weren’t worth it when they arrive. Phew!

And finally, in addition to this list, please remember that while Black Friday is a great time to take care of some of your Christmas shopping, it’s not the only time you have. There are still another 4 weeks to ‘wrap up’ getting the rest of your gifts. These days you’ll find that most retailers promote deals all year round, so there’s a good chance that you’ll still be able to bag yourself a bargain. In fact, a couple of years ago I picked up a Wii U console with 2 controllers and 4 games for just £152.99 a good few weeks before Black Friday, yet everywhere else I looked they were being sold for £179.99 with just one controller and one game. Needless to say, I was over the moon with that particular deal!

So there you have it, guys – my top tips for shopping online this Black Friday. I hope you found them all useful.

What do you guys think of Black Friday? Love it or hate it?
Let me know in the comments below!
With love from Lou Signature Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | Pinterest

Top Tips for Buying Pre-Owned Luxury Goods Online

25/04/2017 by Louise 72 Comments

For many of us, there’s nothing nicer than treating ourselves to a nice new designer watch or handbag. But keeping up with the latest trends can be expensive. And that’s why these days I like to shop online for pre-owned luxury goods, as I can often find the things I want at just a fraction of their original price!

Over the last few years, I’ve picked up some gorgeous clothes and handbags, stunning second-hand watches, and much, much more. And as I’ve always been over the moon with my purchases, I thought I’d share my top tips on buying pre-owned luxury goods online with you guys today. I hope you’ll find them useful.

01. Know the Original Price of the Item You’re After
The best place to start with any pre-owned luxury goods purchase is to do a little research into what the items would have been like when they were brand new. I always check things like the price of the item when it was new, what colours it came in, and whether or not it had any special stamps or marks on it to prove its authenticity. I also like to find out whether or not an item was difficult to get hold of at its original retail price. This is because buying pre-owned luxury goods can often set you up for a good deal, but if the item you want was very hard to get at the original retail price, you can expect to find a significant markup today.

02. Check Return and Authentication Policies
You’ll find that a lot of resale companies don’t have returns policies that are as generous as those of regular retailers. So I think it’s important to familiarise yourself with the rules of the site(s) you’re planning on buying from before making a purchase. Some sites only offer store credit for returns on pre-owned luxury goods unless an item turns out to be significantly different than described on the website, such as an under-the-radar fake. And for marketplace sites where pretty much anyone can sell their unwanted goods, return policies can vary from seller to seller.

03. Have Reasonable Expectations
Luxury shoppers expect a lot from the goods they buy. And so they should! I mean, what’s the point of buying high-end items if they’re going to be no better than the things you can buy in Primark for a tenner?! When shopping for second-hand goods, it’s important to remember that if you find the item you want at half its original retail price, it will probably show some signs of everyday wear and tear. For example, a designer handbag might have a scuffed bottom or a hardware scratch or two. If this sort of thing bothers you, then pre-owned shopping just might not be for you.

04. Look Out for Financing Offers
Many of the websites I’ve used for buying pre-owned luxury goods in the past have offered some sort of payment plan, with APR’s ranging from 0% right through to around 30%. These services can either make your purchase much more or much less affordable; so it’s important to make sure you read the small print before making a final decision. I’ve been wanting to buy Nathan a pre-owned Audemars Piguet from the kids for Fathers Day, but they are so expensive it’s unreal! I noticed that Xupes, one of my favourite resellers of pre-owned luxury goods, currently have a 0% finance deal on one of these types of watches, so I think I might bite the bullet and buy him one.

05. Trust Your Instincts
And finally, the most important thing to remember when buying pre-owned luxury goods online is to trust your instincts! If something seems off about an item or website, then it’s probably best to err on the side of caution and just avoid buying from there altogether. A quick Google search of the site you’re looking at will soon flag up any problems, as people tend to be quite vocal when they’ve received bad service or fake goods these days!

And there you have it, my top 5 tips for buying pre-owned luxury goods online. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed putting them together. I’m thinking of doing a post on my top 10 places to shop for second-hand goods soon, so make sure you keep an eye out for that too.

Do you ever buy pre-owned luxury goods online?
Let me know if you have any additional tips in the comments section below! With love from Lou Signature Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | Pinterest

10 Tips For Shopping Online This Black Friday

25/11/2015 by Louise 21 Comments

Black Friday has become increasingly popular here in the UK over the last few years, and this year it looks set to be a bigger and better event than ever. But after hearing so many horror stories last year of people getting seriously injured whilst trying to score themselves a discount, I for one won’t be visiting my local shopping centre to see what’s on offer. Instead, I’ll be doing my Black Friday shopping from the comfort of my own home.

In fact, by doing it this way there will be a lot more retailers at my fingertips than I’ll find in my local town, and I’m less likely to make any of those silly impulse buys that I’ll regret once I get home. And that’s got to be a good thing, right? Today I’ve put together a list of tips to help you make the most of shopping online this Black Friday so you can shop like a pro and get the best products at the best prices during those 24 hours of deals!

01. MAKE A LIST

Make a list of any items you know you need and want, and complete it ahead of Black Friday. Having a list to hand will help you stay focused while you are shopping, and you’ll be much less likely to start browsing items that you didn’t really want in the first place, and making impulse purchases that you may later regret. It will also help to ensure you get everything you’d set out to find for friends and loved ones this year.

I never used to make a list when I was shopping for Christmas presents, and I would almost always come home laden with bags full of things for myself that I didn’t really need, and only one or two gifts that I could actually wrap up and give people for Christmas! I would end up full of regret a few days later when I had no money left but still needed to buy quite a few presents for people.

02. LEARN THE PRICES

If you know the normal prices of the items you need to buy, then you’ll be in a much better position to spot a good deal on Black Friday. When there’s so much Christmas shopping to do, the last thing you need is to discover that your ‘great deal’ was actually just a couple of quid knocked off the retail price because you didn’t do your homework.

A quick search on Google will only take up a few minutes of your time and you should be able to find an accurate RRP for all the items on your list.

03. SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS FROM YOUR FAVOURITE MERCHANTS

Retailers often send coupons and sneak peeks in their newsletters a week or so ahead of Black Friday. I’ve already received quite a few this week from places such as Amazon, Models Own and Latest in Beauty, and I’m expecting to be inundated with them come this time tomorrow. If you’re signed up, not only can you snag discount codes for products or shipping, but you can also get a better idea of what each site has on sale.

This puts you ahead of the game come Black Friday morning as you know exactly where the best deals are, and where you can pick up multiple items together to simplify the whole process and save on shipping costs.

04. SEARCH THE WEB FOR DISCOUNT CODES

In addition to coupons in newsletters, you can often find some fantastic discount codes on a plethora of coupons sites around the world wide web. So why not do a google search for some of your favourite merchants and save any promo codes you come across to try out on Black Friday? Examples of what you could type into the Google search bar are …

New Look discount codes | Argos coupon codes | Feel Unique vouchers

I almost always do this when I’m ordering something online, and nine times out of ten I will find a coupon for free shipping at the very least. Whenever I do a search I find that there’s one site that pops up a lot, and this is Deals Daddy, who have over 100,000 offers and deals listed on there. They certainly make saving a little bit of money easy whenever I’m online shopping!

05. SET UP ACCOUNTS IN ADVANCE IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY

To be fair, you’re more than likely to have already signed up for accounts at your favourite retailers, but if not then now is the time to change that. Don’t wait until Black Friday morning when you’re wanting to purchase lots of things from all different retailers, as you’ll only end up annoyed at yourself for not doing it sooner and wasting valuable time while you fill in form after form after form!

Having an account set up and your login information saved and ready to go at the click of a button will make it so much easier when you’re trying to check out. And in the case of time-sensitive deals it could be the difference between snagging that great price and missing out!!

06. TIME MATTERS ON BLACK FRIDAY

07. THINK ABOUT YOUR BUDGET

With all the talk of limited time deals and and one-time-only sales, it’s easy to get swept up in shopping mania! But, if like most Christmas shoppers, you have a strict budget that you need to stick to, then you really do need to take care with how much you’re spending.

I would suggest only buying the things you’ve written down on your list (see tip one) and spending no more money on each product than the specified recommended retail price (RRP – see tip two). This way you will know beforehand how much you’re likely to spend on Black Friday and if you manage to get some amazing deals then you’ll spend a lot less and be much happier about it. I realise that everyone loves a good deal, but you don’t want to make purchases that you’re going to regret later.

08. SHOP AT REPUTABLE STORES

Remember, if a deal sound too good to be true, then it probably is! Stick to sites you know and trust to reduce any risk of buying from somewhere unscrupulous. If you do find yourself at a store you’re not familiar with, do a quick internet search and make sure they have a recognizable web presence. And whatever site you’re on, the checkout page should be encrypted through a secure connection to ensure your credit and debit card details remain protected. You can check this by making sure the web address of the page starts with https (the ‘s’ is for secure) instead of just regular old http.

09. TAKE A BREAK IF IT’S GETTING TOO MUCH

10. KEEP COPIES OF ALL E-MAIL CONFIRMATIONS & RECEIPTS

After you’ve completed your purchase, it’s a good idea to take a screenshot of your order confirmation page and save it in addition to the email invoice you get from your retailer. With Black Friday being such a busy shopping day, sometimes retailer or shipping companies make mistakes. If that happens to your order, the more proof your have, the better armed you will be in getting it straightened out right away. And of course you can also return any of those pesky impulse buys that just weren’t worth it when they arrive. Phew!

And finally, in addition to this list, please remember that while Black Friday is a great time to take care of some of your Christmas shopping, it’s not the only time you have. There are still another 4 weeks to wrap up getting the rest of your gifts. These days you’ll find that most retailers promote deals all year round, so there’s a good chance that you’ll still be able to bag yourself a bargain. In fact, I picked up a Wii U console with 2 controllers and 4 games for just £152.99 just last week, and everywhere else I looked were selling them for £179.99 with just one controller and one game. Needless to say I was over the moon with that particular deal!

One of the sites I like to check regularly to see what’s on sale at my favourite stores is Every Day is Black Friday. They are an absolutely independent service and don’t have any affiliation with any of the retailers they feature, so you can be sure you’re just getting a great deal, nothing more to it.

I prefer Every Day is Black Friday over similar websites as they show a 30 day historic chart at the bottom of each discount so people can see for themselves whether each retailer has given a genuine discount or whether they’d been sneaky and inflated the price of an item for a few days beforehand so they could then drop the price dramatically and make it look like you were about to score yourself a massive deal. Nobody likes to be conned so I think this is a really useful feature, and I love the fact that there over 150 retailers on their database, including some of my personal favourites such as Topshop, John Lewis and Dorothy Perkins. Each discount on the site is shown for a maximum of 3 days, and the website updates every hour so you’ll always find a nice shiny new deal whenever you log on.

What do you guys think of Black Friday? Love it or hate it?
Why not let me know in the comments below?Twitter | Facebook | Bloglovin | Instagram | Pinterest

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Inspiration for your Post Valentine’s Day Lingerie Shopping

23/03/2015 by Louise 4 Comments

The sexiest day on the calendar has been and gone, but need the fun stop there? Romance shouldn’t be confined to ‘special occasions’ or prepackaged, commercialised days. Perhaps, like me, you’re looking for a little extra inspiration to make the Post Valentine’s lull go off with ‘a bang’ again, so to speak!

And, if you’re anything like me – by that I mean you’re also a fussy underwear shopper – you might find looking for those extra special lingerie items a little frustrating. This year, due to various factors, I’ve been undertaking more of my personal shopping online. It’s not something I’ve done much of in the past, mainly because I really like to see and try on items before purchasing them. But with time constraints, the lack of decent clothing retailers in my area and the sheer variety of goods you can obtain from all over the world via the net, I thought it was about time I took the plunge.

I’ve been searching for something a little more luxurious than my normal bra and pants sets, and in my quest I’ve stumbled upon quite a few items I liked, from a wide range of retailers, all of whom trade and ship both nationally and internationally. Check out my suggestions below; perhaps some of them will appeal to you too, or at least provide you with a little extra inspiration on your next shopping trip.

Essential Reds
It wouldn’t be a post about sexy undergarments without some vibrant red lingerie. How about this delicate, semi-sheer, lace cup Heidi Klum Intimates Collection Bra which oozes elegance and style. Or, for those looking for a more classic corset style item, take a look at the collections fiery red Committed Love Corset, detailed with sheer mesh lace and detachable suspenders; both of which are perfectly designed for a bit of sexy-time fun.

Give the Perfect Present
For something a little more playful, how about this quirky Ariana Chiffon Bra and Brief Set. It combines style with a raunchy design, and will no doubt have you making an unforgettable statement wearing it. If you like this ‘unwrappable gift’ concept, then you may also enjoy the collections flirtatious All Wrapped Up Body Bow, which will certainly get your partner more excited than any Christmas day morning!

Fuller Figures Needn’t Miss Out
For those blessed with a fuller figure, it can be even more frustrating trying to find items that combine the necessary support with a touch of glamour. This versatile, fuchsia Fauve Aurelia Padded Half Cup Bra, available in sizes DD-GG, combines both delicate net fabric and a cute, multi-coloured, romantic floral embroidered design. Or, for a more classic, sultry style, this Super Boost Black Lace Balcony Bra by Gossard has a feminine lace design and a flattering centre-front shape to enhance your cleavage and give you that extra oomph!

Naughty but Nice
This Nasty Gal Intimates Bustier Bra seamlessly fuses those bang on-trend gorgeous nude tones with an intricate black-lace embellishment to make an exquisitely sultry statement. It is simple yet elegant, and can be teamed with this Lace Is More Thong to complete the look.

Old Faithful
Ann Summers always offer an array of lingerie for a variety of occasions. How about this burlesque inspired Georgette Babydoll, which is currently in the sale and still available in all sizes. The maroon satin, long-line bra comes detailed with straps, lace placement, sequins and detachable suspenders. It’s adaptable and can be combined with this Georgette Tie Side Thong.

Expensive Tastes
And finally, for those with slightly more expensive tastes, I absolutely adore this oyster Luna Short Slip by Agent Provocateur. It’s clingy silk fabric and French trim lace detail, make it a perfect luxury item to add to your lingerie collection. It’s available in a range of colours and can be accessorised with these fabulous Elice Boudoir Mules.

So there you have it, my ideas for some post Valentine’s Day online lingerie shopping inspiration. All garments come in a range of sizes and many of these may be available in a high street store near you. But don’t worry if they’re not, all of the featured sites offer a variety of delivery options, provide you with currency converters and size guides, all of which help to make the online shopping experience that little bit easier.

What do you think of the lingerie mentioned?
As always, I’d love to hear from you.

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