Online shopping trend is on the rise, especially in the US. Thanks to the consistent growth in eCommerce, we can now shop from the comfort of our homes. According to the latest research, 90% of the total population confirmed that they’ve bought something online. However, not many of them know how to save money while shopping online.
Customers are unaware of the tips and tricks that can help them save money online. They only tend to buy online because it’s easy and convenient. But what if we tell you there are ways through which you can save big while shopping?
We have compiled a list of money-saving tips that will help you shop wisely. Even if you have some online saving tricks up your sleeves, we bet some of them will be new to you as well.
The key to saving money while shopping online is making a list of your desired items. It’s one of many smart online shopping tips which can help you save big. Your goal should be to create a list of needed items. You can also organize your online shopping list with respect to different categories.
Have a running list with items or products marked as essential, necessary, or luxury. This will help you prioritize your list items and you’ll be able to make informed decisions.
Once you have a shopping list, it’s time to create a budget. We recommend you set a maximum spending budget to avoid sudden impulse or spur-of-the-moment decisions. This will also help you build your savings while avoiding a shopping spree. Online buyers tend to spend more after viewing related products on discounts.
Set a fixed budget for yourself if you shop at the start or end of every month. Start shopping with items that are essential or non-negotiable and then move towards nice to haves. This will not only keep your focus but also help you decide what you actually need.
This is how you save money while shopping online. By cutting out unnecessary items that exceed your shopping budget.
One of the biggest mistakes that online buyers make is impulse shopping. You know what we are talking about because this has happened to all of us at some point. We see a catchy advertisement or an attractive image of a likable item and cannot hold back.
The ideal way is to wait for some time before you click on the buy button. Do your best to avoid the temptation and instead of buying, add it to your bookmarks. Unless it’s a unique product available on a limited-time sale. In that case, check your buying list and make sure you aren’t exceeding your budget.
This is where you give yourself time to evaluate a deal offer. Even if you are an impulse buyer, researching your purchase will prevent you from making a bad decision. All you need to do is evaluate whether a particular deal is actually saving you money or not. This is where simple math will come in handy.
Find out about the product and its variation if there are any. Also, study similar products that other brands are offering and check their prices.
It often takes time to go from one store to another to check the price tag on a product. But when you are shopping online, you can easily compare store prices by performing simple research. Comparing prices is an easy and effective way to save money while shopping.
Online retailers often jack up prices on products before adding the “sales” tags. So, we recommend you check prices on different online stores before buying your desired item online. You can easily find deals and discounts on your favorite online stores.
Famous companies often charge customers higher in terms of brand value. On the other hand, online retailers also display products from top brands on their homepages. But if you look around or use the search bar, you can easily find cheaper products from other brands.
Most online shoppers buy products over the weekend, especially on Sunday. But you’ll be surprised to know that retailers normally offer special deals on weekdays. Top online stores also roll out discounts on their products on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Similarly, tech companies like Hewlett-Packard and Dell offer special discounts on Tuesdays on desktops and laptops.
If you are a bookworm, Saturday is the right day for shopping for online books. Big stores like Barnes & Noble and Amazon offer big discounts to engage avid readers.
Online stores are always offering promo codes and discount deals on selected brands. Especially when it comes to groceries and hygiene items. You can easily buy products on weekly or monthly sales at cheaper prices. All you have to do is browse the website to find suitable deals.
Big stores spy on you to track your shopping habits. Most of them use the dynamic pricing strategy to change prices according to customers. Online retailers change prices keeping in mind your shopping pattern, browsing history, and location. They also change current prices according to the market demand of the product.
This is a sneaky strategy that companies and brands are using right now. As a result, you may see higher prices of products than their average market rate. But the good news is that you can easily beat this pricing tap.
The trick involves hiding, erasing, and deleting your browsing information. You can save money while shopping online by:
Another smart way to save money while shopping is using the right payment method. For example, online shoppers can enjoy some extra perks by using credit cards as payment methods. You can get cashback or earn reward points for purchasing online products with a credit card. These points can then be redeemed to get a discount the next time you shop online.
The trick here is to use the credit card which gets you the most value. You can also build your credit score and may even enjoy cashback. That’s why we recommend customers use a credit card for shopping everyday things like groceries and gas.
In case you aren’t aware of how credit scoring works, contact the customer support of your service provider. Ask them how their credit card rewards work and what perks you can get by using their service.
Another great way to save money while shopping is by taking advantage of gift cards. These are stored-value money cards which you can use to buy products. They are either issued by the stores, their partners, or banks. The best part is that gift cards are often available at discounted prices.
A few dollars saved on buying these prepaid cards can prove useful later. You can get them for loved ones and yourself to shop during the sales season. You can also grab them for free during gift card campaigns. We recommend consumers purchase gift cards in bulk because this may make them eligible for extra discounts.
There are plenty of websites where you can buy gift cards for online shopping. However, we urge you to check the reviews and trust ratings of such sites.
You can save big while shopping online only by paying attention to the checkout pages. This is where online retailers and brands allow you to take advantage of their promotions. Stores and eCommerce websites usually have coupon fields on their checkout pages. It typically looks like a search bar with the message “Apply/enter your promo code here.”
You can save extra bucks by entering the promo code. In case you don’t have a code, you can find one online or on coupon websites.
We already have mentioned that you can save big by using coupons. These codes can help you save money while shopping online. You can save a few dollars or a percentage of your total billing amount. And if you have got the right coupon code, you may end up saving up to 50% or more.
However, finding coupons can be tricky as it requires time. Some stores display promo codes on the homepage while others have dedicated pages. But the best and easiest way to find a money-saving code is by browsing a coupon website. You can get promotional codes for your desired stores within minutes on such sites.
Still, it’s one thing to find coupons and another to apply them. If you use them strategically, you may end up saving more by entering multiple promo codes. You should learn to use coupons in the right order to get the maximum discount.
For example, if you have a discount code for 20$ and a promo for 10%, use the percent off coupon first. This way you can subtract 10% from the total amount. Then use the 20$ coupon to further lower the price of your order.
This is a classic trick that online shoppers use to get discounts on desired items. Leaving or abandoning products in the cart can get you discounts.
All you need to do is visit your favorite stores and add items that you wish to buy. We recommend you select products that you don’t need right away. Once you have picked the items, go to the checkout page. But instead of buying, leave the page or close that tab.
Online stores usually use metrics to evaluate the cart abandonment rate. And almost all retailers and websites give special offers to customers to finish their transitions. By doing so, they increase their conversion rate while customers get additional discounts. You see this is a waiting game for which you have to be patient.
To take advantage of such discounts, create an account before adding products to the cart. But don’t get carried away after receiving notifications like “last chance!” Many stores eventually offer discounts or promo codes to close the sale.
Many customers don’t pay attention to delivery charges during online shopping. They spend hours choosing the products, comparing features, and browsing discounts. So after applying promo and entering card details, they just want their products delivered. Many don’t bother reading or reconsidering the delivery charges.
But if you truly want to save money while shopping online, you should give it a second thought. You’ll be surprised to know how easy it is to reduce or exclude delivery charges.
Online stores often offer free delivery when customers spend a certain amount. So be cautious and know whether you are eligible for such an offer. If you are closer to that amount, why not add something that you’ll be needing soon. This can be a skincare product, a pair of socks, or anything else.
Also, don’t forget to search for a free delivery coupon for that shop. You can easily find one if you know where to look.
We are living in an era of social media and almost all popular brands use this medium to market their services. By following the social media accounts of your favorite brands and stores, you can stay connected with them. This is a great way to stay up to date about the latest products, fun events, and discount offers.
You can get your hands on exclusive offers by taking part in social media contests. Companies also offer promotions and deals or giveaway products through social media. Of course, it’s hard to compete in such contests but it’s worth trying. After all, someone is going to get those discounted offers and freebies, right?
Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to target the right audience. That’s why every brand has its own newsletter which they use to send weekly, monthly or seasonal discount offers. By signing up to their newsletters, you can receive quick info about the latest deals. You may even get discount offers by joining their newsletters.
In case you don’t want to clutter your email, sign up for a coupon site like PennyCanny. And if you haven’t joined our newsletter, you should. We only send tailored coupon offers of your favorite and selected stores to you.
You probably are thinking now how easy it’s to save money while shopping online. All you need to do is remember these tips and apply them the next time you are buying something. In case you find it hard to memorize them, here are key tricks:
Author:
Ahmad
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