How to Save Money with Vouchers and Discount Codes

As a self-confessed bargain hunter, I will always find the best price I can for the product I am buying. With shopping online, it can be easier to track your spending as you can clearly see your basket amount each time you add to it, rather than going round shops adding items to your pile.

A great way to save money whilst doing your shopping is the use of vouchers and discount codes.

What Is the Difference? Voucher vs Discount Code

A voucher is typically used as a one-off discount, such as a percent or certain amount off your final bill. For instance, you may be offered a 10% off voucher when you sign up to a new store, or on your first grocery shop with a new supermarket.

A discount code is more based on you receiving a certain code, such as SUMMER20, or XhdHW82b2, usually to an email or in the post. These can sometimes be used more than once, or on several different products within your basket.

Where Can I Find Them?

With online shopping, most shops will offer you a voucher or discount codes when you sign up with them. This can be any amount decided by the company, and is usually to entice new customers in.

There are also websites such as VoucherCodes and HotUKDeals where you can search for codes for a specific company to see if they have any codes or offers available. Magazines and newspapers, local and UK wide, may also have vouchers and discount codes available, as well as some local radio stations.

Companies such as Groupon and Wowcher are centred around voucher codes. They work by selling voucher codes from companies. This way, you can buy the same product from the same company, much cheaper than if you had no voucher.

Another place to look for discounts is on social media. Many companies who rely on social media to boost their trade may offer certain offers on their pages and feeds that you would be unable to find elsewhere.

Where and When Can I Use Them?

Most vouchers and codes will specify where, and when you can use them. As a general rule of thumb they can be anywhere and at any time, whether in store, or online. All vouchers and codes will have small print giving details for their exact intended use. Some businesses, such as pubs restaurants or hotels, may have a clause that states they are not valid for use during their peak times, and detail when that is. Other businesses may have offers available only on bank holiday weekends, or within a week of the code being issued. Some companies may state you have to have a minimum spend in order to claim your discount. If you have any confusion on how to use your code, ask someone to help verify the details. You can also get in touch with the company offering the code or voucher for clarification.

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