The internet has changed the way we live and ultimately the way we shop. Since we are all spending more time at home, we are all doing a lot more shopping online. If you are an avid online shopper, you know that sometimes you don’t think before you click. Sometimes finding the best deals online can feel overwhelming and time-consuming, but we’re here to help.
There are many easy ways you can save money online shopping that requires little to no effort. With our tips on how to save money while online shopping you will be the savviest online shopper in no time and outsmart all those online retailers!
Tip 1: Use Online Couponing Plugins
Ebates and Honey are two of the most popular online shopping coupon plugins that help to save you money. With Ebates you can get cashback on most online purchases and receive additional coupons. Honey is a similar browser extension that once installed, finds and applies coupon codes at checkout. One thing to note, most of the time you cannot use these online couponing plugins at the same time so choose wisely. I also use Captial One online shopping plugin to help shed light on the best deals and times to buy items online to save money while online shopping.
Tip 2: Keep Items in Your Wish List
When you keep items you might be wanting to buy that are not in your current price range on a wish list (like an Amazon wish list) most retailers will take that extra step to notify you when the price is reduced. I do this all the time with Amazon and it’s saved me hundreds on name-brand items. One key to this online shopping hack is you save the most when you also have an account with the online merchant. If you’ve ever left items in your shopping cart online and then received a “we miss you” email with a discount coupon two days later…you know what I’m talking about!
Tip 3: Join an Email List
When you sign up for email loyalty programs you get special discounts that can save you a bunch when you online shop. (sometimes even in-store shopping too!) Signing up for an email list online is super easy, normally the sites send you pop-ups to do so during your first visit. This is one of the easiest ways to save money while online shopping. Many online retailers give their newsletter subscribers coupons when they first sign up and on special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and even holidays. With our Power 98 online store, we give out discount coupons to all our newsletter subscribers in our welcome email and birthday emails. (You can get started here)
Tip 4: Use Google Shopping
Searching online for the best retailer that has your item at the best price is now very easy by using the Google shopping tool. When you choose to utilize the Google Shopping tool, you are going to be shown products from advertisers and sellers who feature their products on Google Shopping. Some pay to have their products featured which will be labeled ‘sponsored’ while you browse. This can work in your favor because they want to highlight their exclusive deals. This is a way to find the best price on products and all you need to do is search using the tool here. You can even turn on Google notifications to get on-the-spot deals in real-time.
Tip 5: Focus on Free Shipping
Free shipping can save you so much money while online shopping. Some retail chargers over $10 for shipping which can turn a deal item into an expensive purchase. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can free shipping with your membership that can save you hundreds of dollars a year; depending on how often you use it. Retailers online will often post banner ads or send emails of exclusive free shipping dates or spending amounts to help you save.
Tip 6: Check Coupon Sites
Like everything, sometimes coupon plugins glitch and don’t work. A way to save money while online shopping is by going the extra mile and checking coupon sites for additional promo codes. Some of my personal favorites include Retailmenot.com, Coupons.com, ShopatHome.com, Savings.com, and Groupon.com. You can see a list for 2021 here.
Tip 7: Shop on Facebook Market Place for Deals
Facebook Marketplace is an online selling platform that’s built into Facebook. This online community allows users to buy and sell items in your local community without any fees. Tons of people are clearing out their unused items and Facebook Marketplace is a new way of getting amazing products online while saving money. You can bargain with users (lowering the cost even more) and people even ship items for small additional fees.
Tip 8: Use A Cash Back Credit Card
A cashback credit card is one of the easiest ways to earn and save money while online shopping. When you shop online with a cash-back credit card you can snag exclusive deals and even put some money back in your account. Credit cards have certain sections on their banking platforms or mobile apps that highlight cash-back details in-store and online. Many credit cards have different cashback percentages on online shopping that can vary from 1% all the way to 4% when you shop. The one catch with this online shopping money-saving tip is that if you have a credit card, make sure you pay it off!