With the holiday season now behind us, it’s time for many of us to start tightening our belts and cutting down on our shopping expenses after the long winter break. January and February are both particularly quiet months for retailers, with many selling far fewer products than they do at other times of the year. As a result, they often look for ways to keep their revenues high, which can mean opportunities for thrifty shoppers like you.

You don’t want to go rummaging around in bargain bins all your life. So what else can you do while shopping that’ll save you big bucks?

Ask For Discounts On Recently-Bought Items

There’s nothing more annoying than splashing out on some new clothes and then finding out a week later that the same item is on discount. Retailers know this, which is why many now offer customers the ability to take their receipt back to the store and get the difference credited to their account. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

Join A Warehouse Club

Warehouse clubs are probably the best way to save money day in, day out, over a long period. Essentially, they’re paid clubs which provide goods wholesale, without the retail markup, offering customers the opportunity to save, especially those who buy in bulk. Costco membership price is currently quite competitive, meaning that you can pick up a bargain on all sorts of goods, from toilet paper to bags of oats.

Ship Out Of State

Sales taxes are a significant headache and very expensive. But it turns out there’s a way to get around these pesky fees: ordering from out of state. When you order beyond state lines, you don’t have to pay local sales taxes because of tax rules about online shopping. Because of this, you’re likely to get the goods you want at a much lower price than if you went to the local store.

Compare Prices

You would think that in the age of the internet, prices for goods would essentially be the same, but they’re not. Do a quick price search on Amazon or Google, and you soon find out that different vendors offer markedly varying prices on essentially identical products.

What’s more, some third-party services will allow you to ask for money off if you find the same product cheaper elsewhere, meaning that you can stick with your favorite retailer and benefit from lower prices at the same time.

Make Use Of Special Discounts

Many companies like to offer their staff perks to make their jobs a little more bearable. But whereas a company car or free health cover might be the first thing that comes to mind, organizations also offer lesser-known benefits, such as 10 percent off restaurant meals or products in local stores.

Check with your employer to see whether they offer any benefits like these. Usually, benefits can be used in conjunction with existing special offers, allowing you to get a real bargain. Students and members of the military can often get discounts in selected stores.