By Laura Hinds
After the expense of Christmas presents and January sales, this time of the year is not the friendliest on students’ bank accounts. A new bargain hunting startup called Pedlar could be just the website to help your pennies go further as the purse strings are slowly tightened.
As someone with experience in the struggles of student living, university graduate and owner of Pedlar Tom Kelsey knows how important it is to save money where you can: “I clocked up seven years as a student and I had to fund it all myself. As I cannot stand baked beans, I had to save money elsewhere.”
Since launching during early 2015, Pedlar has focused entirely on showcasing the best bargains available from genuine sources. The deals are discovered by real people, who can then share them on Pedlar to help everyone else out. Tom added that he used to use GroupOn himself but he “wanted to create a fairer alternative”. They’re also rated by those that have used them, cutting down the spending hours finding a legitimate saving. “If a deal has a high rating on Pedlar it’s a pretty good indication that it’s good value.” He believes “it’s a good idea for everyone to have a healthy dose of cynicism about all the offers and deals big companies shout and rave about” and you won’t find any large companies promoting on Pedlar.
Whilst it can help you save money, the service also gives you the chance to make money too. Users can post deals that they have seen online, and reel in the cash every time someone else uses their link. So far Pedlar has a “500-strong army of bargain hunters who (are) making a bit of extra cash.” So, a bit of savvy shopping and you could be on to a winner. It, literally, pays to be observant.
Tom adds: “We’re still starting out but once we get up to the popularity of similar websites like Groupon you could easily earn £150 from just one deal!”
The main website is www.pedlar.co and keeps things simple by sorting the offers into the most popular that are available now. Particularly useful for gift hunting, as there’s savings to be made while looking for inspiration.
There’s also a free app available for those who like to shop on the go and keep track of their bargains. You can find it on both the Apple App Store and Google play. Many of the deals appear to be accessible online, so it is no more effort than any other online shop.
For any pizza fans, and let’s be honest who isn’t, the website also features a section specifically dedicated to showing you the most up to date voucher code for your local Domino’s, which you can use without the need to sign up. Supply your postcode and let the calorific goodness appear straight at your doorstep. The business has only been running for a short time, but it is free to use and they are currently offering a free ten pounds to anyone who wants to begin their bargain hunting career. “Whether you want to save money on toilet paper, a PS4 or find out if Topshop are having a big sale, it’s a good one stop shop.”
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