Look Out For Sales

In the current financial climate, saving money has never been so important. But when it comes to gifts you also don’t want to look cheap, so how do you overcome this problem without breaking the bank? Is there a way to buy designer or fine jewellery that someone will love without it costing the earth?

The first piece of advice I would give is to try to make your own designer pieces. It’s not as difficult as it looks and you can buy beautiful boxes and pouches to put them in. I’ve made several jewellery items for friends and they are stunned when I say I made them myself. Earrings are easy and there are a lot of tutorials online: just do Internet searches. Using more expensive findings such as real silver or gold (not plated) or Swarovski crystal beads instead of glass or plastic will mean they will look (and be) of a very high quality. However, if you really aren’t that creative there are alternatives.

The credit crunch is hitting everyone hard - including people who make a living by selling things. Therefore you can (if you have the confidence) use this to your advantage. Most people would prefer to make a cheaper sale than no sale at all so try to haggle, especially at jewellery markets or independent boutiques where designers sell their jewellery. You might find people are more willing to barter than they might have been a year or two ago. Consumers are spending less so any sale they can get makes a difference, even if it means less profit than they would like. Besides, if they won’t haggle, what have you lost?

The biggest tip I can give is to look out for, and take advantage of, sales. There are sales wherever you go at the moment: on the high street, the Internet, and that means you can save money. Because people are spending less, stores want to entice you to buy from them with lower prices. This could mean that last season’s jewellery is very cheap, even for fine or designer pieces, and even the current season could be reduced. Nobody will know what you paid for their gift and they’ll get a present worth a lot more than you had paid so you won’t need to worry about looking cheap.

Remember to shop around as even designer pieces can vary in price greatly from store to store, and buying online is often cheaper than in department stores. If you follow these tips then hopefully you’ll snag a great bargain!