With belts tightening, Irish people are trying new ways to shop – and the results can be very rewarding.

With guilt-free shopping sprees courtesy of your ‘flexible friend’ a distant memory, Ireland as a nation is quickly adapting to new, more cost effective ways of parting with their hard earned cash. From bartering and auctions to charity shops, the average shopper is quickly ramping up the savvy stakes.

Going, going, gone!

Possibly the most popular shekel-saving way to shop, online auctions have been helping people both buy and sell goods for years. Since eBay’s launch in Ireland in 2005, our interest in online speculation has gone through the roof and given the country’s economic turmoil, it will come as no surprise that the number of Irish eBay users spiked by 30 per cent in the past 12 months alone.

Buying and selling on eBay is easier thank you might think, but Patrick Munden, head of seller communications at eBay.ie has some tips for the greener online shoppers among us.

“Buying items on eBay.ie couldn’t be easier. In order to buy, users need to register on the site and preferably set up a PayPal account. PayPal allows buyers to safely pay for goods and offers a 28 day period where refunds can be issued if items are not as described or not delivered,” he says.

“For those wishing to sell, simply browse through similar items and completed listings on eBay to see how other sellers describe similar items and what categories they typically list similar items in. Then take a digital photo of your item and upload it,” he continues. “Remember to calculate postage and packaging costs so you don’t end up out of pocket.”

eBay has also identified the trend of ‘shopping neutral’ over the past 12 months, where Irish shoppers have become even more savvy and started offsetting the cost of buying new items by selling old unwanted ones and effectively spending no money. “PayPal is great for this,” says Munden, “as money earned sits in your account and is only used up when spent on other items.”

Cheap and charitable

For many, cheap buys are the order of the day – but that doesn’t mean that we want to skimp on quality and when it comes to charity shops, there is a largely misguided view that they are littered with shoddy wares that nobody wanted.

The reality is that charity shops, such as those run by Oxfam Ireland, are professionally run treasure troves full of great finds. For example, in Oxfam’s 48 shops around the country, you can find everything from womenswear and menswear to small homeware items, books, CDs and DVDs. Two of the stores also have a dedicated bridal department, and there are six specialist book shops and two dedicated furniture shops in the chain so there’s something for everyone.

But when it comes to quality, only the best wares are selected for resale, according to Paul Dunphy, media and communications executive at Oxfam Ireland. “Every item is examined. We don’t sell anything that looks worn, has missing buttons or is dirty,” Dunphy continues. “Every item is then steamed or ironed and placed on hangers, ready to be put into the shop.”

It’s also comforting to know that on top of finding some great deals, consumers helping some of the neediest people in the world through the many Oxfam campaigns against poverty and injustice.

The bartering bug

Bartering is one of the oldest forms of trade in the world. It’s a moneyless means of getting what you want but given that monetary transactions have dominated for centuries, our bartering skills have understandably become somewhat rusty.

However, Finella Naughton of Barter-It.ie believes that bartering is back and her website is leading the charge in Ireland. For a modest membership fee, the site offers a forum-based platform for both individuals and businesses to advertise their requirements and what they are willing to barter in return.

“In a market where cash and cash flow is tight, bartering replaces the need to use cash or finance to gain products or services required,” she says. “Unfortunately, we are not known for our trading skills and always and always expect to pay (sometimes over the odds). We feel that trading can sometimes give the impression that we are not getting full value for money, but it’s only when we barter and can see the full benefits and rewards that the realisation occurs.”