Ways to save money when shopping online
More consumers have turned to online shopping than ever before due to the COVID19 pandemic. But this rapid acceleration of the online-shopping trend brings some challenges as well. Here are ways to save money when shopping online.
Plan ahead with ways to limit your purchase.
Before going online, jot down a list of desired items. That way you know exactly what you’re planning to buy, and are less likely to be distracted by a promotion, says Sara Skirboll, a shopping and trends expert for RetailMeNot.com. Then consider buying a gift card for that exact amount and use it to purchase your items instead of a credit card.
Shop with discounted gift cards.
Using a gift card instead of a credit card helps keep your spending under control and on budget, says Trae Bodge, a smart shopping expert at TrueTrae.com. Once you’ve spent all of the funds, you can’t use it to make any more purchases. You can buy a gift card for less than its face value at GiftCardGranny.com or Raise.com.
Comparison shop.
If you’re looking to save big, do a quick Google search before buying the item online, Bodge says. It could be the difference in paying full price at one of your go-to retailers versus scoring 20% off somewhere new to you.
Follow your favorite retailers on social media.
If you aren’t following your favorites on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, you could be missing out on huge savings, says Kyle James, founder of Rather-Be-Shopping. com. That’s where stores will frequently offer promo codes or early access on sales to their followers.
Take advantage of deals offered by your credit card provider.
The next time your credit card provider emails you a batch of shopping deals offered by merchants they’ve partnered with, don’t delete it, Bodge says. You might be able to score extra savings on items when you use that credit card to purchase them.
Be ready to walk away from your shopping cart.
If, when you go to check out, your order total is slightly more than what you intended to spend, there’s a shopping hack that can help you lower the price.
Complete the checkout process up to the point where you’re asked to enter your email address in the contact information section. Once you’ve entered it, leave your items in the cart, but close out of the browser you were viewing the site in. This is referred to as “abandoning your cart,” James says. E-commerce sites that use cookies to track users will know that you’ve left items in your cart. Some will send an email shortly after you’ve left their site to remind you about the items left in your cart. They might even include a limited-time discount promo code to try to entice you to complete the transaction.