Is there something you’ve been wanting for your garden but that’s been out of budget? Now is the perfect time to do some summer garden sale shopping.

Even though we consider our garden to be almost complete, there are still a few finishing touches we would like to add. The main thing stopping us is the cost.

However, as we start the six weeks school holidays, it’s the perfect time to snag some bargains, on everything from barbecues to garden furniture sets. And while you might not get lots of use out of them this year, they should do just fine for years to come.

Plus, you never know, we might even get a wonderfully balmy September!

Here are my top tips for finding the best summer garden sale items and saving as much money as you possible. 

1. Check Price History To See If You’re Really Getting A Bargain

Sometimes when we find a bargain online or in-store it can be hard to tell if it really is a bargain.

Was the price overinflated to begin with? 

Is 50% off actually a good deal?

Well, one way to find out is to use a price comparison site, which will show the price history of any given item. This should enable you to see when the item has been the cheapest during the last year.

You might even think it’s worth waiting a few months to see if the price drops further based on previous years.

Here is an example using a Weber barbecue

Website one claims that the barbecue has 36% off.

However, we can see that £140 was the standard price of the same product at Very, which now has £5 off.

The price history tool at idealo then shows us that the very price is the cheapest the BBQ has been in the last year.

While with Very you would have to pay delivery costs, it does go to show that some websites inflate the cost of items before putting the on ‘sale’ and making it look like you’re getting a bargain when in reality, it’s the same price as anywhere else.

2. Look Out For Ex Display

Purchasing ex-display units can be a great way to save money. Many retailers will now be selling these as they update their displays for the cooler months.

While ex-display items will often have a marked discount, they may not come with the box and are often sold as seen, so non-returnable.

Take a good look for any signs of wear or discolouration before purchasing.

3. Search For Voucher Codes

It’s always worth searching for a Voucher Code when shopping online to see if you can save a bit of extra money.

There are a few things you need to remember though.

Often, voucher codes are not applicable to sale items. Additionally, it’s rare that voucher codes can be stacked with cashback.

Generally, I’d take a look at which would save me more and it’s usually the discount code, provided it can be used on sale items.

While cashback is great, it’s never guaranteed so I’d always recommend using a voucher which applied at the point of sale.

4. Make Use of Cashback sites

That said, there is a lot of money to be made from cashback sites when used correctly, especially when making a large or expensive purchase and you can’t find a valid discount code.

However, er as the cashback is never guaranteed I wouldn’t base purchasing something on this alone. Search for the best price first and then think of the cashback as a nice bonus top-up.

Affiliate** I use Top Cashback or Quidco for cashback.

5. Join Bargain Facebook Groups

I love bargain Facebook Groups – that’s where I first spotted my bargain macrame swing that I posted about recently.

There are loads out there but this is my favourite: Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK.

6. Download The B&M App

Did you know B&M has an app? You can use the app to check prices in-store. Sometimes items have been further discounted that the price on display, or they are currently missing a price. Super handy for those who love hunting down mega bargains!