Shopping secrets

Amazon only offers free delivery on its goods (not those from third-party Marketplace sellers) if you spend at least £35 (or £10 on books).

Standard delivery costs anything from 99p to £4.99, but clever tool Super Saver Delivery scours Amazon for filler items.

Imagine Lois Price wanted a £34.99 candle gift set – she'd face £4.99 delivery, a total of £39.98. The tool reveals she could add a 22p safety-pin set, so she'd only pay £35.21 – and get some pins into the bargain. There's a full how-to, plus more cheeky tools, in 30+ Amazon Tricks.

If you're planning a trip to Spain, stop shopping at Zara right now. The giant Spanish fashion brand sells clothes in its native country far cheaper than here, so wait until you go if you're planning a purchase.

In fact, the Zara Spain website has an English language option, so you can easily compare prices before you go. The savings can be huge, as Janine tweeted us: "I bought a £99 lace jacket for £58."

Our research in 2015 showed on average Zara in Spain was 38% cheaper. The weakened pound means items might cost slightly more than they would have from Zara in Spain now, but they usually still work out cheaper than in the UK.

A quick search in December 2023 found a long parka coat that was £90 in UK Zaras, but £67 in Spain. An red sequin maxi dress was £119 in the UK, but £86 in Spain. Some rhinestone ankle boots were £80 in the UK, but £51 in Spain.

For more on how to work this, see Martin's Zara on the cheap blog.

If your preferred online sale bargain is out of stock or not available in your size, all is not lost. Goods come in and out of stock at speed, as shoppers return goods or online baskets time out. So keep refreshing that page – it's always worth checking back later, as MSE Jenny found.

First up, it's important to note that if you've purchased faulty goods, you just need to prove you purchased them to be able to get a refund – this could be the receipt, but other legit records, such as bank statements, should be fine. See Consumer Rights for more.

Otherwise, if you've no legal right but are just using a store's returns policy, they usually specify you need a receipt. However, if you've lost it, don't despair – one insider tells us that shop staff often have the ability and discretion to override the need for a receipt. So take in your credit card statement instead, flash a friendly smile and you might get lucky.