In January, I was challenged to spend £100 at BrandAlley UK and get the best value for money that I could find. Here are my top picks, plus a chance for one lucky winner to win a £50 BrandAlley voucher.
So far, so exciting. What was I going to order? If you’ve never used this site before, they offer short term sales of different branded goods that are often reduced by 20 to 70% from the normal RRP. In any given week they might offer boutique sales of designer clothes, beauty products, jewellery, shoes, gifts, electricals and homewares. I’m a big fan.
Now, value for money is a subjective concept. One person’s must-have bargain is another person’s surplus requirement, after all. I decided to make purchases that I knew I’d use a lot, or that would help me make more use of other things in my wardrobe. Here are my personal purchases, and the reasoning behind them.
1. A pair of Enzja Nucci boots, reduced to £19.00. Some comfy everyday boots to wear with jeans or day dresses, to replace a similar pair that I’ve worn to death.
2. A pair of Divine Factory ankle boots, reduced to £19.00. They’re the perfect heel height to go with longer trousers for smart meetings during the colder weather, and foxy enough to wear with any dress or skinny jeans.
3. A J’aime ce Look fitted jacket, reduced to £15.00. A stretchy jersey jacket that will smarten up scruffy outfits, and give a more urban edge to girly dresses.
4. A J’aime ce Look cropped jacket, reduced to £15.00. I’m going to use this to make spring and autumn clothes that little bit warmer, so I can wear more of the other things in my wardrobe. It also comes with a black rosette brooch so you can wear it folded open or pinned closed.
5. A J’aime ce Look slimline coat, reduced to £25.00. I love this coat. It replaces another much-loved warm coat that had a bit of an accident. So technically I need this coat, as well as loving it.
6. Three vintage billboard mugs from Rex International, reduced to £2.00 each. I drink a lot of tea while I’m working so these will be put to good use. They also make me laugh in an Alice In Wonderland meets Monty Python sort of way.
Now the eagle-eyed amongst you may have spotted that I only managed to spend £99. It’s just the way it worked out – better to underspend than to overspend at the end of January though. I could have easily gone completely over-budget, there were so many goodies to choose from.
Competition: If you’d like to win yourself a £50 shopping spree at BrandAlley (where your £50 could go an extremely long way), all you have to do is answer the following question by leaving your answer in the comments box below. I spent £99 on things I really wanted, but how much did I save on the total RRP of these goods? Give your estimated answers to the nearest whole £, and the winner will be chosen on the 18th of February.
