SAVINGS-OBSESSED Chloe Carmichael never pays full price for anything.
Whether it’s her weekly shop, new clothes, or even her dream wedding, the 28-year-old will always be pushing for a discount to keep adding to her hard-earned wage.
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Obsessed with savings, Chloe Carmichael never pays full price for anythingCredit: Delivered
And their economical ways have paid off. Five years ago, Chloe and her husband James put £ 105,000 bail on a four bedroom property in Glasgow and bought the house for £ 220,000 for a salary of £ 18,000.
When the couple tied the knot in 2018, Chloe haggled £ 15,000 off the price of her dream wedding – so they could expand their budget to a honeymoon in the Maldives.
She even worked three jobs at the university, saving her £ 7,000 while studying at Strathclyde University in Glasgow.
Chloe, a brand manager, also shares her tips on saving money on Instagram, teaching her thousands of fans how to haggle and keep track of their expenses.
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Chloe haggled £ 15,000 off the price of her dream weddingCredit: Delivered
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This way she could afford her dream honeymoon in the MaldivesCredit: Delivered
“It’s my motto never to pay full price and I get a buzz every time I find a deal or get a discount,” she says.
“I like to have incredible vacations and have nice cars. I currently drive a Range Rover. But people don’t know that you can cut the cost of these types of items as well.
“I work hard for my money. So why not go further?”
Chloe started bargain hunting when she started working at 17 – keeping the memory of her thrifty father, Patrick Wynne, alive.
I work hard for my money. So why not go further?
Chloe Carmichael
“He was always looking for deals, finding discount codes, printing restaurant coupons, and bargaining,” she says.
“At the time I found it shameful and often waited red in front of the shops without understanding why my father could never just pay and leave.
“That changed when I was 17, after getting my first full-time school-to-university job in a call center making £ 13,000 a year.
“After months of having no mind for money, I realized that if I could save extra pounds, why shouldn’t I?”
Chloe moved out of the Glasgow home at the age of 17 to study product design and innovation at university – while working three part-time jobs saving for a property.
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Chloe drives a Range Rover – and she’s cut the cost of it tooCredit: Delivered
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Chloe and James bought a four bedroom single family home for £ 220,000 when they were 23Credit: Delivered
Her student loan helped pay her bills and she managed to put away £ 7,000 while in college.
After graduating in 2015, Chloe worked as a marketing assistant and made £ 16,000 a year, which rose through promotions to her current salary of £ 27,000. Every month she put away at least £ 300 a month.
In August 2016, Chloe and James posted bail on their dream home. At the time, she was making just £ 18,000 as an e-commerce assistant.
She says, “When I was 23, we bought a four bedroom single family home for £ 220,000 while taking three vacations this year in Aruba, Dubai and Iceland.
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Chloe says she enjoys saving moneyCredit: Delivered
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When booking vacations, Chloe gets an offer from one company and then moves on to the next to see if they can’t beat itCredit: Delivered
“We had saved £ 20,000 and inherited £ 85,000 from my father so we could make a deposit of £ 105,000. Now we only have £ 104,000 on our mortgage. “
When the couple tied the knot in 2018, Chloe wanted to celebrate her dream wedding – but she knew she had to haggle as they only wanted to spend the £ 23,000 they had saved.
In total, she traded £ 15,000 for her honeymoon and big day. She only paid full price for one item – her £ 1,499 dress.
Her veil was only £ 11, her flower headers were £ 10 each, and her wedding favors were only 49 pence from Home Bargains.
No matter what someone deserves, you can’t beat the feeling of making an incredible offer
Chloe Carmichael
She also managed to get a free night for her honeymoon in the Maldives worth £ 2,000.
Says Chloe, “I’ve received brilliant offers and came up with thrifty ideas to save money on things that nobody really notices, so that I can spend a lot of money on the things that matter.
“I saved £ 2,300 on flowers by contacting a small local florist beforehand instead of choosing a popular wedding florist who extorted me.
“Our favorites were mini glass candles from Home Bargains for 49 pence. I also made my own save the dates, gold foil invitations, a table plan mirror, a welcome sign, and a donut wall.
“Then I sold some of the things I did after the wedding to get the money back.”
Chloe’s top tips
- A deal is only a deal if you bought it anyway and the price is reduced, otherwise you are spending money.
- Think of each purchase as a cost versus the hours worked – how long would you be willing to work on it?
- Just because something is for sale doesn’t mean it’s a deal. You need to adjust the price before parting with your money.
- Give yourself a cooling off period on all purchases (I do 14 days, but you can do anything from a few days to a month). If you still want / need the item after the cooling off period, you can buy it.
- Use an automatic rounding feature at your bank to save pennies. So if you spend £ 1.75 it will put £ 0.25 in a pot. It adds up quickly!
- Buy the retailer’s own brand (especially groceries!) Cheaper doesn’t mean lower quality.
- Use cashback sites like Airtime Rewards, Quidco, and TopCashback.
- Use an automated savings app – I love the plum app
Chloe uses the same technique when booking vacations. She’ll get an offer from one company and go to another to see if she can beat it – until she gets the lowest price.
Before the lockdown, the couple would enjoy three vacations a year – with their cheapest round-trip flights that cost just £ 25.
Chloe says, “I always book vacations well in advance. I even got a free upgrade to a better room after emailing the hotel asking for an early check-in.
“I search through the offers on travel agency websites. This way I saved £ 640 on our trip to Dubai.
“Then, while we’re away, instead of going to expensive restaurants, we make packed lunches and we never book day trips, we will always rent a car and drive ourselves.”
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Chloe also shares her tips and offers online through the Chloe’s Deal ClubCredit: Delivered
Chloe also takes care of her pennies when it comes to grocery shopping, which only costs her £ 30 a week.
She says, “There are many ways to save money, including loyalty programs like the Lidl Plus app, Nectar points and club cards.
“And you can plan your meals in advance by making a list. I also opt for alternatives – ground turkey is much cheaper than ground beef. “
And instead of jumping into designer clothes, Chloe is a sucker for supermarket brands.
She says: “Now I only buy clothes and shoes in supermarkets like Asda and Sainsbury’s and in stores like Matalan.
“They offer a good price-performance ratio, good quality and are massively underestimated!”
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Chloe is determined to help others save moneyCredit: Delivered
Chloe also shares her tips and offers online through the Chloe’s Deal Club. She helps more than 10,000 people save money on beauty, travel, home, and food by sending out offers via email every week.
She says: “I started the group in May 2019 when I realized that I can help a lot of people save money.
“Then I decided to start a VIP membership for a small annual fee.
“In total, I saved members over £ 250,000 during the lockdown, which is incredible.
“I’m really happy to continue my father’s legacy by finding deals, but this time for thousands of people.
“Helping others save money on their favorite things is the world’s most rewarding and fulfilling job.
“No matter what someone deserves, you can’t beat the feeling of making an incredible deal.”
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Previously, a thrifty single mom explained how to buy a $ 60,000 home on a $ 20,000 income.
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