The How To Guide on Saving Money When Shopping Online

5 tips to save money when shopping online

If you’ve been reading here long enough, then you’ll know that I love online shopping!  Cyber Monday in my opinion is way better than Black Friday just because I can shop in my PJ’s and don’t have to fight crowds.  I’m an avid online shopper all year and get packages delivered to my house a few days a week usually.  I am sure to go out of my way to be friendly to the UPS workers who have to drive up my long and hilly driveway.  🙂

The five tips below will make sure you are getting the best deals and help you save money on all of your online purchases.

1.  Research Before You Buy

If you are considering a big ticket item purchase, make sure to take the time to read reviews.  While some product reviews are paid for, many others are from real customers.  See if there are any issues that are repeated in several reviews, and if there are, you may want to look for a different item that is similar so you can get a better quality product.  My husband is way better at doing this than I am.  I am prone to buy based on a deal and how much I will save, and then turn up disappointed when the product arrives and it isn’t as great as I thought it would be.

2.  Get Over Brand Loyalty

We all have certain brands that we love to buy, but that can often lead to higher costs.  Look for items you are considering from multiple retailers.  Many companies offer similar items but at considerably lower prices than the most well-known brands.  In some cases, smaller companies may even offer a better product at a lower price.

3.  Ask Questions

If a product description does not answer all of your questions, take the time to contact email support or customer service.  You will be able to find out more about the items you are interested in which will help ensure you are purchasing the right product.  Many stores charge restocking fees if you have to return something, so taking the time to follow through with the retailer will ensure you do not end up paying more for an item simply because the description was not clear.  I know many are careful about this when shopping on Ebay – especially if they know there is a no-return policy.

4.  Online Coupons

Online coupons are easy to find and there are many sites that are dedicated to providing users with codes that will help them save money.  You know I’ll give them to you as I find them!  Use search engines to search for coupon codes or promo codes to find significant savings.  You can also sign up for email notifications when there are new codes available for brands/stores that you frequently use.

5.  Sign Up for Emails

Many stores offer discounts and savings for customers that sign up for email notifications.  If you want to make sure your primary email does not get overloaded with emails, sign up for a free alternate email to keep them separate.  You know that I’ll let you know about certain companies that offer this, such as Target.

What other tips to you use?  Share them in the comments below!!