I never used to shop online. I thought it was always more expensive due to shipping costs. Then I got smart. I figured out ways to make online shopping work for me. It saves time and money. Plus, you can’t beat the convenience of shopping from the couch in your pjs! Here are my Top 5 Ways to Save Money Shopping Online:
- Use a Cash Back Program — there are several cash back programs, most of which offer a sign up bonus but more importantly give you FREE cash back on your online purchases from thousands of retailers. Some of my favorites include Ebates, Extrabux, BeFrugal, Pennyful and Cash Crate. I just pick the one offering the most cash back at the store I want to shop at.
- Comparison Shop — Not all stores are created equal! I always do a quick price comparison, taking into account the shipping cost (if any), the percentage of cash back, and the actual price of the item.
- Free Shipping — Many of my favorite stores periodically offer free shipping. Sometimes that means that I need to hold off on making my purchase. I just keep my eye out for those magic words, “FREE SHIPPING”!
- Think Outside the Box — You can shop online for almost anything. You might not think of shopping online for a major appliance but you’ll be glad you did! We’ve recently purchased two big ticket items for our house and have saved a bundle! You can browse your brick & mortar store to pick out what you need but if you shop online you get to take advantage of special discount codes and cash back that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to. For us it meant an extra $30 off our order and over $100 cash back! We had our purchases delivered but in many cases you can just arrange for in-store pick-up. This works for items large and small!
- Follow Up — I have to give my husband credit for this one. He recently saved us $55 by checking the price of the refrigerator we bought a few weeks ago. The price had gone down and the price guarantee meant we got a refund. A simple email was all it took! Score one for the Hubs!
These are just a few ways we save money shopping online. Do you have any tips to add?