Almost everything has become available for purchase via digital platforms. Information and details about our desired products are now just a click or a touch away. We can take all the time we need to browse through the various offerings and compare different brands and models. Most importantly, when done right, online shopping can save us a lot of money. Let’s explore 6 hacks that will help you find great deals when shopping online.
1. Make Use of Cashback Sites
Many online retailers partner with cashback sites as a way to increase their sales volume by providing added value to the customer. Cashback sites provide buyers a percentage back for the things they buy. Depending on the website you use, as well as the store that you purchase from, you can receive anywhere between 2% and 7% on your purchase. While this may not seem like much, it adds up quickly for those who do most of their shopping online.
Think about it! Why not get a couple of bucks back on the things that you were planning to buy anyway? Besides, these sites are very easy to use. The hardest part about the process is actually remembering to use the website when you’re shopping. Browse the web for the different offerings available and compare the cashback percentages that they offer. Don’t forget to account for the payout threshold as well. Some websites have a required amount that’s as little as $5. Some websites also offer a signup gift that you can receive upon your first transaction.
2. Search For Coupons
Get into the habit of searching for coupons and promo codes every time you plan to purchase something online. Many e-commerce websites, especially branded or large stores provide various promo codes that you can use to save money on your transactions.
These work similarly to the coupons that are offered by brick-and-mortar retail stores. The deals at suggest that you can often find codes that let you save up to 50% off on your orders. You can check out coupon websites and check the promo codes for the stores they carry or search directly for a coupon for the store you want to shop at. Some websites allow you to activate multiple codes at once. For instance, you can use a promo code that gives you 25% off along with a free shipping coupon.
3. Avoid Shipping Costs
Were you ever excited about a new purchase but started rethinking your decision as soon as you saw the shipping costs? Shipping costs are usually a huge disappointment because a large portion of our buying decision depends on the product’s price. We wouldn’t buy an item if it was priced above our perceived value of it, right? Fortunately, when shopping online, there is a way to get around the added shipping expense.
While it requires a bit of patience, it is worth every penny you save. Many websites have a minimum order amount policy that allows you to have your order shipped for free if you purchase a specified number of items. Other websites usually have free shipping promotions every now and then. If you make most of your purchases via one website, you can check if they have loyalty cards or similar services. You can sign up for a relatively low fee and receive a plethora of benefits like discounts, express shipping, and free shipping on each order you make.
4. Sign up For Newsletters
Many online stores send frequent promotions, offers, and coupons to customers who sign up for their email newsletters. You may also receive an additional 10% or 15% discount on your first order after signing up. If this sounds like an attractive deal, but you’re worried about having your work or personal emails spammed, you can create a special email for your shopping activities. Make sure to check your mailbox often and not forget your log-in info so you don’t miss out on any attractive promotions.
5. Check the Reviews
While this won’t necessarily help you find good deals online, checking product reviews before you make online purchases will ensure that you don’t waste your money. This is highly recommended, especially if the item is fairly expensive. Taking a few minutes to check out the testimonials and reviews section will help you guarantee that you’ll get your money’s worth.
Try to find reviews with an image of the item in real life. If you’re buying clothes, it’s good to take a good look at the material and see how the item fits others. This way, you will be able to assess if the clothes are true to size so you can avoid the hassle of contacting customer service and asking for a return or an exchange.
Beware that not all the reviews are helpful. Some customers may be extra picky about their orders. Others may be fake reviews or bots vouching for the seller. This is why it’s always best if you shop from trusted or well-known stores rather than unknown retailers. In most cases, you will be able to point out honest and helpful reviews.
6. Clear Your Browser
Many online stores offer discounts to first-time customers as a way to push them to finalize the transaction. It helps to dedicate a profile on your browser to your shopping activities. This way, you can clear the cookies on that profile each time you’re done shopping. When you visit the store again, you’ll appear as a new customer. If you don’t want to set up a new profile on your browser, you can use a different browser altogether for shopping.
For example, if you usually use Google Chrome, you can use Safari when you’re purchasing things online and clear the browser after you’re done.
Online shopping makes the search for the products we need a lot easier. It allows us to avoid the inconvenience of making long trips to the store or standing in queues to finalize a purchase. Shopping from the comfort of our own homes and knowing that we can cancel the transaction if we need to, makes it a widely popular shopping method. The best thing about online shopping is that you can find great deals if you know how to search for them. These 6 methods can help you save money on all your online shopping transactions.
