The best hacks to scoring a discount on your shopping all year round.

We’re finally starting to get some reprieve from the horrible heat waves that have been plaguing most of Australia for the last few weeks. And with the cooler weather comes the need for a new wardrobe.

Although we may be in dire need of an autumnal jacket or a woollen skirt, new research shows that Aussies either want it on sale or they don’t want it at all.

In fact, according to a new finder.com.au survey, Aussie shoppers have become accustomed to sales, with almost one in four people (22 per cent) only ever buying clothing if it is on sale and a further 39 per cent confessing that they will hold off for a sale most of the time.

This isn’t entirely surprising. With so many sales and discounts going these days, it’s easy to get used to purchasing clothes at 20 or 30 per cent off.  It seems like every week plays host to new discounts by any given brand and it becomes easy to jump from bargain to bargain. But what happens when the sales run dry and you’re in desperate need of a few new pieces?

Keep these tips in mind next time you’re staring down the barrel of full-priced clothing.

Sign up to the retailer’s newsletter

Have you got your eye on a full-priced dress that’s just a touch out of your price range? I hear you. Sometimes you just need that extra 10 per cent off or free shipping to justify the purchase.

Scoring a discount is sometimes as easy as signing up to a newsletter. It’s likely you’ve seen the newsletter offer before, but this time, instead of closing the pop-up, sign up to automatically save on your purchase. This handy page includes a roundup of newsletter deals so that you can find the best stores for on-the-spot bargains.

Know what to invest in and what to save on

The best way to be a savvy shopper is to know exactly what to splurge on and what to save your pennies on. A little black dress, for example, is an outfit you can always fall back on, therefore it’s something worth investing in.

For that loud jacket that’s on-trend for just a season or two, cheap and cheerful is a better bet. You’ll probably only wear it a handful of times meaning you can skimp a little on quality.

Buy/swap/sell groups

If you haven’t already noticed, many communities have buy/swap/sell Facebook groups where you can pick up anything from a fridge or pots and pans, to dresses, shoes and accessories. Groups focused on specific and popular brands like Lululemon and Kookai are also cropping up if you’re after a particular item.

Not only are these groups great for scoring clothes at a discount, but they also provide the opportunity for you to make some extra cash by selling your own unwanted purchases.

Rent-a-dress

If you find yourself invited to a one-off black tie event and you have nothing appropriate to wear, there’s really no point in forking out for a dress you’ll never wear again.

Instead, you can rent it for a fraction of the cost. You’ve probably heard of the shareconomy, in which clothing is starting to make a name for itself. These days you can rent anything from handbags to shoes to designer dresses. The savings are huge and you’ll never wear the same thing twice again.

Bessie Hassan is a money expert at finder.com.au.