Money Saving Vouchers: Top Tips for Saving Money

By: Katie Jenkins
24-May-2010

Have you used a voucher to get a discount on a meal, an item of clothing or your weekly grocery shop in the past year? If so, you're in good company.  Recent research carried out by voucher website save.co.uk shows that a massive 90% of the UK population has used a voucher to save money.

So where are all these vouchers being used?  Those in the East of England have made the best use of vouchers and discount codes, with 93% of respondents from this area using them regularly and 27% using them at least once a week (against a national average of 19%).  South West shoppers are the most likely to save online using discount codes or vouchers, with a chart-topping 53% of respondents from this area saving money on online purchases.

The survey also highlights attitudes towards using vouchers to save money.  Only 1% of people in the East of the UK said they feel embarrassed about using vouchers when shopping.  Londoners and those in the North East seem a little more reluctant to save money - almost 10% of respondents from these areas said that they were embarrassed to use a voucher.   78% of West Midlands shoppers are using vouchers more frequently now than they did a year ago, and 94% of people from this region felt that the recession has made it more acceptable to use vouchers.

Top tips for getting the most out of vouchers

*  Be disciplined and try to avoid impulse buys.  To genuinely save money, only use vouchers on purchases that you already intended to make. Voucher companies often release time-sensitive offers (such as '30% off until Sunday' or 'Buy one get one free, this weekend only!') which can leave you feeling under pressure to make the most of the deal when you didn't actually need to buy anything.

*  Take five minutes to check the voucher terms and conditions before you book your meal or make your purchase.  Many restaurants will prevent you from using a voucher at peak times, such as on Friday or Saturday evenings.  Likewise, some shops will not let you use vouchers on items that have already been reduced, or items that are included in an alternative promotion.  To avoid disappointment (or having to pay full price at the till or the table after all), make sure you know what is eligible for a reduction before you get there.

*  If you want to keep informed about discounts at your favourite shops, but you want to limit the number of emails you receive, you can set up a Google Alert.  This is a free service that will monitor the web for the keywords you specify.  For example, you can enter 'gap+voucher' and leave your email address, and the service will send you a notification when these words appear together in a search result.