20 ways to get luxuries for less!

We show you how to get the best things in life on a frugal budget!

In these austere times, belt-tightening has become the norm. And now it seems we’re going to have to spend more just to keep our living standards the same.

According to retirement income specialists MGM Advantage, UK households collectively need to find an extra £33 billion in order to achieve the standard of living we enjoyed just 12 months ago. That’s the equivalent of spending an additional £528.96 per person.

With budgets so tight, luxury purchases may be just a far-flung memory. However, the occasional treat might be more affordable than you think.

Here are 20 ways you can get luxuries for less:

Designer clothes

There are several popular fashion websites that offer big discounts on designer clothes: The Outnet and ASOS are both good places to start.

Membership websites - including Brand Alley and Secret Sales - run private sales only open to those who’ve signed up.

And Chic and Seek allows you to put bids on designer clothing offered by private sellers.

Alternatively, check out SwapStyle. As the name suggests, this site allows you to swap, buy and sell designer and vintage clothing and accessories.

Theatre tickets

The Arts Council England - in association with the Metro newspaper - is running a great scheme which provides free theatre tickets for people under 26.

A Night Less Ordinary offers tickets at venues across the country, and lets you search by postcode, location or region.

However, this scheme is soon to be wound up - with tickets only available until March this year. Grab your freebies while you can!

If you’re flexible about what you want to see, there are also some great ticket discounts to be had on lastminute.com. For example, you can currently get 50% off tickets to see Dirty Dancing.

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Spa deals

Wahanda describes itself as a ‘health, beauty and wellness ecosystem’. While this sounds a bit pretentious, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for pampering discounts, promotions and offers.

For example, there’s a section offering 50% off haircuts in various UK salons; and various 2 for 1 and £20 spa day offers.

Make-up

Check out discount websites FeelUnique and LookFantastic. Both sell high-spec brands such as Kerastase, Benefit and Clarins for much less than the regular RRP.

Alternatively, take a look at the goods on EyesLipsFace. These are own-brand cosmetics, many of which are priced at just £1.50.

Fragrance

Two of the best places to get popular fragrances at knock-down prices are Cheap Smells and Fragrance Direct.

For example, this Nina Ricci perfume is £19.99, down from an RRP of £52.

Meals out

One of the easiest ways to find posh nosh discounts is to use a booking website such as TopTable. This flags up big discounts at restaurants all over the country – such as treats for £10 or 50% off your food bill.

Discount voucher sites like My Voucher Codes are also a good place to hunt down a meal bargain.

And of course, make sure you follow the lovemoney.com Frugal food blog - which brings you the best restaurant vouchers, food freebies, tipple offers and snack deals, every single week.

John Fitzsimons highlights the best sites to visit if you fancy a freebie!

Hotel rooms

The Hoxton is a luxury hotel with an understated feel, right in the middle of London. Its £1 sales are rapidly becoming a thing of legend - with 500 rooms up for sale at just £1 each, every three months.

As you might imagine, these sales are hugely popular (the last one ended within ten minutes and almost crashed the website!). However, you might be lucky - the next £1 sale is in April.

Anything and everything!

Group buying sites have shot up in popularity in recent months.

Here’s how they work: You become a member, and get sent emails about the daily deals that are available. These could cover anything from restaurant meals and spa days to concerts and cleaning services!

If you like the look of a particular offer, you ‘buy’ the deal. And if enough other members do the same, that deal ‘tips’ and you all get it at a hugely discounted price.

Check out Groupon - one of the biggest group buying sites in the UK - to find out more.

Finally, keep an eye on the Offer of the Day website. In a nutshell, this site gathers up all the best discount deals from UK retailers, and presents them all in one place. Simple!

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