16 Ways to Save When Shopping Online

Are you one of the millions who love to shop online and diligently looking for ways to slash the amount to pay upon checkout? I’m happy to share some clever tips with you to save a few bucks on your next purchase. Give them a try and I hope they work for you too!

1. Find a coupon using Google search operators

Finding and using a coupon or coupon code is a trick many online shoppers avail to save money. While there are popular coupon sites, you can also find coupons through Google search providers. Just type into the search bar the words “coupon” and “shop” that you want buy from and often you’ll find codes that can be used to get a discount. This method is simple, easy, and fast. So make sure you have a coupon or code next time you shop online.

2. Follow a shop’s social media accounts

Being savvy with social media is one of the easiest ways to save when shopping online. If you follow the social media profiles of your favorite retailers and leave comments on their pages, you have a greater chance of getting coupons. I know a friend who received coupons and other freebies from his favorite store after following them on Twitter and liking their Facebook page. Apart from coupons, you’ll also be the first to know about the latest sales, special offers, and markdowns as retailers usually post them on their social media platforms.

3. Give a positive rating for past purchases

If you’ve shopped at a retailer before, take a minute to leave a positive rating or review on their website. Who knows, they may contact you with a voucher, as I experienced when I left a positive review on the shop’s website for a vacuum cleaner that I just bought.

4. Sign up for a price drop alert on your email

Who wants to pay full price? Perhaps, no one; hence, as much as we like an item, we tend to wait until it’s cheaper. One of the benefits of online shopping is you can get notifications when the price of the product you’re interested in becomes available at a lower price. You can take advantage of this trick by subscribing to email alerts about markdowns for your favorite items.

5. Subscribe to newsletter

Personally, I love signing up for newsletters at my favorite stores because it comes with a lot of perks like discounts or exclusive deals throughout the year. While some stores don’t offer incentives to subscribers, newsletters will keep you up-to-date with sales, store events, and other promotional offers you can take advantage of. If you wish to register now, don’t forget to enter your date of birth because some stores send out birthday discounts or free gifts on your big day.

6. Check your credit card’s website for promo or shift to a credit card that has partner with your favorite shops

Credit cards regularly offer promotions for shopping at partner retailers or for spending a certain amount. Remember to check your credit card’s website to take advantage of specials every time you shop. You can also apply for a credit card associated with your favorite stores such as eBay, Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Wayfair which also offers huge discounts, rewards, gifts, free shipping incentive, and other freebies.

7. Inquire at a shop’s support email or negotiate online

If you have any questions about a product or service, don’t hesitate to ask. Send a request to the store’s support email and you never know the merchant might respond with a special promotional code. A friend of mine who’s looking for a new pair of running shoes was offered a 10% discount by Nike for just inquiring about a specific shoe model online. Also, did you know that you can haggle with online sellers if you think the item is expensive? Yes, you stand a chance of getting better deals but make sure to be polite and do your homework before you start negotiating. This may not always work, especially with low-priced items, but it’s always worth a try.

8. Check the shop’s sale or clearance category

Make it a habit to check the sales or clearance catalogue of the store’s website where you want to shop. Often there are several items on sale or special offers that will save you a big chunk of the regular price.

9. Check out the price history of an item

Don’t buy impulsively. Make sure to review the price history of the items you would like to buy before checking out. Sometimes retailers don’t declare an item a sale, or the discounts and specials aren’t as good as they seem.

10. Do comparison checks

In order to get the best price for an item, you should do comparison checks before buying. With the advent of online shopping, it has become easier than ever to compare prices of different online retailers. Browse the brand’s main website and compare stores on Amazon, Walmart, and Target, as well as other e commerce platforms such as eBay or AliExpress. For the amount of money you can save, comparison shopping is definitely worth doing.

11. Get a less biased price

To get a less biased price for the item you want to buy, you need to circumvent the dynamic pricing strategies used by online retailers, where the price offered to customers varies based on the customer’s location, spending patterns, browsing history, and real-time supply and demand. So always remember to take the following steps to get around this online mechanism:

Make sure to clear your browser history and cookies before shopping, as the shop will mark you as a new customer

Sign out of your account and use Incognito Mode or Tor Browser to ensure anonymity

When browsing, use a VPN to hide your location and manage your home in a different location like Asia, South America, or less developed countries

Go for a localized version of the website and avoid being diverted to the US

12. Add to cart an item, but do not checkout

Adding items to your cart and leaving the cart a few days before you check out could save you huge bucks as well. You might be surprised to find a coupon, discount, or a better price sent to you by the seller to coax you finish your purchase. This trick worked for me and a few friends several times at Macy’s and Bed Bath & Beyond. You can try this idea; it might work for you too!

13. Keep items on your wish list

Another money-saving trick when shopping online is to keep your favorite items on your wish list. Often online retailers will alert you of a flash sale to get you back and convince you to complete your purchase.

14. Shop at the right day

Did you know that there is a best time to purchase a certain product? You could save cash depending on the days of the week you decide to hit the checkout button. What I hear is that most stores roll out discounts and special offers for clothing, jewelry and other personal items on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays while it’s best to buy video games and game consoles on Mondays, laptops and PCs on Tuesdays, and books on Saturdays. Use this guide on your next purchase and see if it works for you.

15. Search for an alternative to your product and services

If you need to buy a particular product, look for alternatives first. You may find something that can do the job for you at a much lower price or even for free. There are sites like eBay and Facebook groups that sell second-hand items like clothing, home furnishings, and books that might be a good fit for you instead of paying full price for brand new products. You can also check the Freecycle network to see if someone is giving away similar items you need in your area.

16. Join Facebook groups or forum sites that have the same demand or need

If you’re looking for a recommendation on a suitable or cheaper alternative to the item you need, join Facebook groups and forum sites which are a great source of valuable and up-to-date information. If you’re a gardener, there are gardening forums and pages on Facebook which can help you save a bundle on seeds, plants, pots, tools, or gardening services.