This is a sponsored post for Big W.
I’m a thrifty gal who grew up in a penny-watching household and learned all the tricks of the trade.
The thing that’s stuck the most with me though, is the need to get as much value for my dollar as I can. I became an expert at dinners for 4 under $5 as a starving uni student, and I can rock a sale like nobody’s business. I sit just this side of cheap, haha.
Big W asked me how I would spend $100 in their store, and I knew my ninja shopping skills plus their pretty rad prices would stack up in my favour. Two small children need no end of paraphernalia, and I came to realise Big W is thoroughly useful for a money-saving mum. Also when I found out my two would be the same gender and born so close to each other, I started buying things with longevity in mind, as often they would need to go through both kids. It’s pretty comforting to find things can still be affordable at Big W {and mostly everything found under one roof, which helps A LOT.)
So I took stock of what was needed at home, and set off with my trolley and steely resolve. And what did I score for $103.22? (Hush now a little book tipped me over the edge! There’s always room for books.)
Bunnykins 3 piece melamine set (Pepper’s first birthday present!): $19.00
Bunnykins spoon/fork: $7
Megabloks First Builders Build and Learn (also for Peps): $12.84
10 pack Allsorts undies: $8.00
Little Miss Scatterbrain: $4
Texta Jumbo Junior pencils: $3.87
Heinz First Cutlery Set: $13.00
A4 coloured paper: $3.87
Despicable Me Sticker Book: $7.84 (fail here, I thought it was $4!)
Crayola Pipsqueak coloured markers: $7.87
12-pack Oil Pastels: $3.48
2x T-shirts for Pepper: $4.74 each.
So I filled all my toilet-training/self-feeding/kid-growing-out-of-her-clothes-too-fast/art-and-craft-loving mama needs for a hundred clams. And the best part? Two of you get to also! You can buy instore or online at bigw.com.au (which I’m quite partial to, truth be told).
Big W have provided two $100 vouchers to go to similar bargain-loving peeps to stock up on goodies. All you need to do is leave a comment telling me your best bargain story. Did you do a Marge Simpson and find a Chanel suit for $90? A super-discounted pair of shoes? Handbag at the op shop?
The competition will end next Friday, August 22 at 5pm. Two winners will be selected based on the creativity of their answer, and notified by email. I love youse all.
Jay - Moodie Foodie says
August 16, 2013 at 6:43 amGreat post Stacey. Love a bit of Big W xo
Veggie Mama says
August 16, 2013 at 8:54 amYou are so lovely, thank you so much. I love them too!
CJ says
August 16, 2013 at 8:57 amI scored a vintage pair of dolce and gabbna sunnies still with the tags on at the Salvos for $25 and a new billabong wallet for $3. It was a win day that day.
Bec B says
August 16, 2013 at 9:00 amOoh bargains! I love to find bargains, my latest is a lovely white desk that transforms into a dressing table (a middle panel lifts up to find a mirror and compartments underneath), for $10 at the local recycle shop.. My 7 year old daughter loves it!
Reannon Hope says
August 16, 2013 at 9:20 amAs a teenager I only bought clothes from Vinnies. What can I say, I loved a grandma dress! The Vinnies down the road from me ( literally 4 dors down!) used to have days where you could go in & fill a plastic grocery bag for FOUR DOLLARS! Can you believe it?! They used to be my fave days. You could fill the bag with anything in the store- books, clothes, shoes, housewares ANYTHING! As someone from a pretty poor family this was my chance to get stuff I loved without costing my mum money & didn’t break my saving plan. Aaahhhh those were the days…..:)
catebolt says
August 16, 2013 at 9:23 amSeriously, step aside, I am the bargain hunting queen of the world. OK, maybe not the world, but at least in my house. I never pay retail price for anything. Usually I only enter these things to buy stuff for the orphanage but being a newly single mum, $100 is like a billion dollars right now. I don’t have a single best bargain story but my best advice, especially if you have a lot of children is – never buy anything when you need it. Sounds stupid right? But if you buy stuff when you need it you will pay whatever it takes to get it, so always be prepared and buy up when things are on sale, a size or two bigger. Kids shoes is the big one for me, I never pay more than $10 for shoes, I keep a range of sizes in the cupboard for when they’re needed and you don’t get caught paying $60 because you need them NOW.
Lila Wolff says
August 16, 2013 at 9:35 amActually it’s only partly my story, I rarely pay full price for anything but my mother in law is actually the bargain queen.
Because of her keen eye we now have a chicken coop and run absolutely free and the best part is it’s never been used!
Can’t wait to get our chickens so we can get the bargain of eggs in exchange for a little love and food.
Obviously, I’d have to give the voucher to her for the chicken coup and all the other bargains she’s found for us.
Rachelle says
August 16, 2013 at 10:15 amMy best bargain right now would have to be the glider chair we got for $20 from Gumtree! We all know how expensive they retail for in the baby shops $400+ there was nothing wrong with the chair except it needed recovering as the leather had begun to split. Which was fine with us as my hubby’s mum had offered to recover it for us which she did beautifully! I’m sitting in that chair writing this breastfeeding our now almost 2 day old son and couldn’t be happier with my bargain buy 🙂
Anna Spurling says
August 16, 2013 at 10:48 am100 clams buys you a lot at Big W. I scored a white shirt with black spots fro Big W a little while back and get comments every time I wear it. It was $8.00. Happiness. Great post 🙂
Lilybett and Boy says
August 16, 2013 at 11:11 amI had been searching high and low for an okay priced ride-on car toy for Dear Boy before I literally tripped over one at The Salvos for $5. The bumper had a small crack but we gaffer-taped that sucker up. Gaffer-tape holds the world together 🙂
Rachel Callus says
August 16, 2013 at 12:00 pmI found a Winnie the Pooh baby bouncer for a third of the cost, from Big W actually. Alas, it is too early and I can’t buy anything for baby yet *read I’ve bought a pair of socks and two onsies*.
Amanda says
August 16, 2013 at 12:05 pmMy favourite bargain at the moment would be a great little pair of sneakers I found for my two year old at Big W. The look just like a pair of purple converse (which she loves because they look the same as mummy’s) but only cost 7 bucks!!
Narelle Rock says
August 16, 2013 at 12:20 pmI went shopping for a bedside lamp for my daughters room, when I went through the checkout it scanned at 70c, was supposed to be $10!! I went back in and bought the rest of them and then put them on Ebay and sold them all for $8 each, made a nice little profit and my girl still got her lamp!!
Suzie Love says
August 16, 2013 at 12:26 pmI bought a black pair of Fendi heels from the Sunday markets for $22.00. They looked a bit worn and all they needed was a touch up with some shoe polish. In the end I was ecstatic and so excited to nab this bargain!
Emily says
August 16, 2013 at 1:32 pmI found a pair of new Ziera (Kumfs) suede Mary Jane’s at Salvos for $8!!! They are brilliant. I wear them for work, going out. I couldn’t afford to buy them full price in the shops!!
exohexoh says
August 16, 2013 at 1:37 pmI love a good op shop hunt. About 17 years ago, while in high school, I scored the best Adidas 3 stripe vintage tracksuit, you could imagine ( Hey, it was 1996, and I loved Britpop, Don’t judge me ) The best part, It cost me $1.00. Even better still, I kept it, and it still fits.
Chrissy says
August 16, 2013 at 1:46 pmLittle tikes coupe ( anyone with young children will know how great these are and how prized by kids!) at a garage sale just as we were moving into a new neighborhood. Best $30 we’ve spent on a toy! Our kids and all of our kids friends have spent hours in it and it has survived being ‘driven’ down the stairs by Mr Daredevil (3).
Lee Tancredi says
August 16, 2013 at 6:44 pmI just found a maternity top at a discount variety store which shall remain nameless for $8. It is IDENTICAL to a $50 one I saw in a boutique maternity store!
happyhovea says
August 16, 2013 at 7:54 pmTo be honest, I find this post quite disappointing. I know how tight things are for many people but when I see things like $9 jeans & $4 tshirts I can only think about how much the person who made those items got paid….sorry to be the what seems to be the only downer on this page!
Veggie Mama says
August 29, 2013 at 11:42 amDon’t be sorry!
marypreston says
August 16, 2013 at 9:02 pmFor the best bargains I shop at the end of each season for the next year. So, as Winter ends I buy the clothing essentials for next Winter for next to nothing. HUGE savings. Some things like long sleeved t-shirts never go out of style.
Rhema says
August 16, 2013 at 10:02 pmMy mother-in-law and I have never left an op shop unvisited. She eyed a big black leather travel bag to be used as a cabin baggage. Previously we visited shops in the mall and found the bags were worth 175$ ; but couldn’t stop thinking of buying one. we went to ask the price, the man said 100$. My mom in law smiled and said 75? The man smirked. The people surrounding us were about to leave and my mom in law reinstated her position and looked at him, raising her brows. The man said “Take it for 100$”. At once, she said 50$? (as if she never heard him).. The man said no. She started to make a move. The man called at once for 50$. She immediately paid him and got the bag witha big smile on her face.
Karly says
August 16, 2013 at 10:22 pmIn recent months I’ve become semi-obsessed with online auction sites. A couple of weeks ago I bought a box of “junk” for $5 as there were a few interesting bits and pieces in amongst the crap. There were some collector cards in the bottom, loose but still in their individual little packets. I looked on ebay and sometimes they sell, sometimes they don’t. Well mine did for $71.06!
Xanthe says
August 17, 2013 at 7:50 amI generally try to get things cheaper and love online shopping. I recently bought a pair of jeans for 75% off ($18 including delivery) and when delivered, they had sent the wrong size. I contacted them and they sent the correct size, and let me keep the other pair which I gave to my sister! DEAL
Monica says
August 17, 2013 at 11:14 amBest bargain I got recently would have to be for my little boy. I bought a change table for about $50…when I went to pick it up I was given heaps of clothes and toys for free (this women had three boys and was DONE with babies). So my little man’s entire wardrobe, up to size 0/1, was free. The best part of having babies is how much mums with older children give to you, they just want it gone! Of course, there are a few items that are better to buy new, Big W to the rescue there…
Kim says
August 17, 2013 at 9:43 pmI recently found the most fantastic DVD stand at an op shop for 50 cents! My son loved it, it looks brand new. I also picked up a pile of gardening magazines while I was there for 20 cents each, a saving of nearly $5 on each magazine!!! I love reading them so much more when I know they were so cheap, then I donate them back to the op shop!
Kim says
August 17, 2013 at 9:49 pmMy son also scored big one yearat Big W, he go a whole basket of YuGiOh dvd’s for $1 each, and yes, they are in the op shop dvd stand…
amandagorton says
August 18, 2013 at 6:02 amBeing a bargain hunter there isn’t one in particular that stands out but I must say my proudest achievement is having furnished my WHOLE lounge AND dining for just under $200 solely from eBay purchases. I am a true believer in the ‘one persons trash is anothers treasure’ saying!
Janelle says
August 18, 2013 at 9:45 pmMy most recent bargain high is in actual fact a freebie high! I need to travel from Canberra to the Gold Coast in October for a wedding, and I came to realise that I had racked up enough Frequent Flyer points to pay for a return trip, simply through linking my account to my Everyday Rewards Card (for purchases at Woolies, Big W, BWS Liquor etc) and then totally forgetting about it as I go about my regular purchases. Score!
Jutty Gingell says
August 18, 2013 at 9:49 pmThe best bargain I ever got was the first home my wife and I bought. Not only did we get a great price (albeit as a consequence of a sad story – we picked it up from a couple that were divorcing and needed to sell their investment property), but it has given us so much happiness, joy and unforgettable memories that it is, to quote a credit card advertisement, priceless.
Lisa Mckenzie says
August 19, 2013 at 1:15 pmI think my best bargains have been at the op shop that was close to me,but has since closed,like you I grew up being thrifty and not being able to go back to work it just continued on from there.I enjoy getting a bargain and also finding something I need or one of the family needs at the op shop a great score.My best bargains have been brand new Boots for my daughter for $10 which still had the $190 price tags on ,multiple pair of Brand new Peter Alexander PJs for me and brand new dresses.My overall best bargain was my NYDJ jeans from Trade Secret for $10 ,I know I had to look twice and when I paid and the girl said have a nice day,I said thankyou I am! They don’t call me queenofthrift for nothing Stacey.
lilyandcharlie says
August 20, 2013 at 2:46 pmBiggest bargain of late was my hubby purchasing us 3 return tickets from Hobart to Bali is business class for $305!!!! I didn’t believe him & had to call the airline to confirm. He was right & we are off in 7 weeks. Eeek!
thesuzchef says
August 20, 2013 at 3:09 pmBest bargain ever was found when I was walking past a drab St Vinnies in a very uncool local suburb – no “vintage” finds here, more likely moth-eaten goods… but then I spied a gorgeous pair of shoes in the window. Yves Saint Laurent. Looked as new. I hotfooted it into the store after convincing the man who was closing up to let me in, took a look at the babies and found they were in my size, with the sole barely scuffed. I guess they were worn once. Yves Saint Laurent heels for $15. I practically hugged them to my chest and skipped out of the shop. I’ve worn them innumerable times since!
melgianatti says
August 20, 2013 at 3:38 pmI bought a brand new $250 Fossil handbag for $30 at Macy’s while on holidays. There was no price tag on it and the shop assistant put it through as a much cheaper no-name bag on the same rack. Then she took an extra 25% off as all bags were on sale! Bargain!!! I love Fossil!!!
sarah says
August 20, 2013 at 11:30 pmoooh I love a bargain, and what started out as necessity has become something of a personal challenge. I can spy a sale rack from 100mts away, and the percentage discount working out section of my mind if finely tuned. Totally agree with Cate- I stock up when I see those sale racks with their big yellow signs- but only ever in next years size- and squirrel them away in storage. But I have become a bit fond of a roadside find of late. I spied a gorgeous vintage sewing machine for a friend, but my favourite bargain find has been the very free, very gorgeous dressing table with mirror. It was interesting trying to act cool, balancing a heavy-arsed chest of drawers, mid-shove into the back of the family car, as my kid’s excursion bus chugged past. Sorry kiddo, mama loves a bargain!
Helen says
August 21, 2013 at 1:49 pmMy best bargains are free ones! Hand me down dining chairs that were easily recovered that now look brand new, a horn sewing table found on the side of the road that just needed 2 new screws on the door (and a good scrub), buying fabric from spotlight when they have one of their great sales on (you usually get further discounts when buying the end of the fabric roll as well). My latest score was 2 gorgeous old wooden armchairs bought from the shop @ the dump (!) for $3.. now on a mission to make/cover new cushions for them!
kookla123 says
August 21, 2013 at 1:50 pmThe best bargain I ever got was my husband!
I only had to pay him with a couple of kisses before he was mine, and unlike other ‘bargains’, he has only gotten better as the years pass! He’s cheap to maintain and works like a charm!
Yes, I guess you could say that I have made a real profit – 3 bonus little human beings all added on to the bargain too!! 🙂
Judy says
August 21, 2013 at 2:27 pmI bought a dress online for $5 and it can be worn anywhere and looks great – add a black cardigan and its a work dress. Boots and jacket for winter, and perfect with sandles for summer. I should have bought 10…
Jasmine N says
August 21, 2013 at 2:58 pmI got a free framed Glee poster at a garage sale. I don’t watch Glee, but I love the frame. I took the poster out and put my own photos in.
Say Cheese!
Elizabeth Wooden says
August 22, 2013 at 10:28 amI bought the most amazing vintage leather pouf for $5 from the Evandale market in Tassie when i was on holidays last.. Id been looking at the new ones for ages but hadnt bitten the bullet and actually bought one.. when i spotted mine on a stall on the edge of the market i couldnt get the $5 out of my wallet quick enough!!