More and more people are shopping online these days—and for good reason. Shopping from the comfort of your couch is great, but it’s not the only advantage to buying stuff on the internet. There are a lot of ways to save money while shopping online if you know where to look.
For example: did you know that many stores will have different prices for people who buy in stores vs. people who shop online? Or that there are strategies for getting free shipping at nearly every store? And that some retailers offer coupons specifically tailored to their social media followers? In this article, we’ll cover all of these tips and more so you can start saving while you shop!
Save Money Shopping Online In 2022
Coming to the gist of this topic, here’s how to save money shopping online.
Find Coupon Codes
Coupon codes are a great way to save money and coupons can come in a variety of forms from e-mail, printable coupons, or even sent directly to your phone. You can find coupon codes online in the same places you might look for discount codes like Groupon, CouponItNow and Living Social. You may also want to check out some of your favorite stores’ newsletters or emails for additional savings!
Some stores publish their own coupon books that are available at certain locations throughout the year (like Toys R Us) while others send out a newsletter with discounts on specific products. In addition, many retailers offer promo codes exclusively via social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter so it pays to be connected with brands that interest you!
Sign Up For Email or Text Notifications From Stores
Email and text alerts can be a great way to stay on top of sales and deals as they happen, without having to constantly check your favorite retailer’s website. But while these options are great for saving money, they’re not always perfect when you’re trying to avoid spam. It’s important that you only sign up for notifications from stores whose products you actually want—and don’t forget about those spam filters! If the wrong filter gets involved, those notifications can end up in the trash instead of your inbox or phone’s notification center.
Follow Your Favorite Stores On Social Media
You can save money shopping online by following your favorite stores on social media. If you see a new product or deal, you’ll be able to take advantage of it right away. You might even get discounts just for following the store!
Social media is also good for getting news about sales, deals and other special offers that are only available in-store or through their website (which can help you figure out if it’s worth paying shipping costs). Social media is also great for interacting with the company and other customers—you might get a chance to give feedback or ask questions about products before they’re released!
Do Your Research
- Do some research before you buy. It’s easy to get carried away with an item in a store, but as we discussed above, it’s important to do your research before buying. You can use a price comparison tool like Google Shopping or PriceGrabber (both are free). For example, if you want to buy an iPad Pro 12.9 inch Tablet from Apple Store, search for ‘price 12 9 inch pro plus 128gb cellular’ and compare prices from different retailers including Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon and others.
- Check the return policy of online stores: Before buying anything online make sure that they have good return policies because you never know when something might go wrong with your purchase or something else comes up which forces us not being able to use it anymore as expected so having a decent return policy will save our day in case something like this happens.
- Know what you’re buying: When shopping online it’s easy to get carried away with those “buy now” buttons but remember; always read product details carefully before ordering just because its cheap doesn’t mean its perfect for me right? That’s why I say “know” what exactly am I looking for so that when finding one via search results or browsing through website pages/sections there won’t be any confusion later on about whether this is really what i need/want etc..
Ask If You Can Get A Better Deal
If you’re shopping at an online retailer, don’t be afraid to ask if there are any coupons or discounts that you can use. It’s not unusual for a store to offer something like 25% off on your first purchase. If they do give you some sort of coupon code, make sure you read the fine print so that it doesn’t expire within 24 hours of being issued or require you to spend $100 before getting the discount.
If there are no immediate discounts or promotions available, but the price seems too good to be true (like an mp3 player priced at $10), ask if there is anything else that could be bundled into your purchase order—for instance, if this mp3 player came with two free memory cards and earbuds as well? Sometimes when stores sell products at such low prices they will make up for this by bundling additional items in order make up for their losses on each individual product sale.
Shop The Sales
If you’re shopping for an item that’s been out for a while, it’s likely there will be some sort of discount on it, whether that’s a coupon code or just a discounted price tag. This is especially true during holiday shopping seasons like Black Friday and Cyber Monday as well as back-to-school sales in August, but don’t forget about other events like Amazon Prime Day and seasonal promotions like Christmas! If you wait until these times to check out deals, you’ll save yourself some money on whatever it is you need or want to buy.
Take Advantage Of In-store Pickup/Shipping To Store Options
Many online retailers offer the option to pick up your purchase at a physical store location. This is an especially useful option for customers who want to avoid shipping fees, or who need their goods as soon as possible. For example, Amazon Prime members can choose to have orders shipped directly from Amazon warehouses and delivered right to their doorsteps (or even dropped right into their cars). However, if you’re not in a rush and are willing to wait a few days, you may be able to save money by ordering through standard shipping methods like UPS Ground or FedEx Ground.
To find out whether or not an online retailer offers in-store pickup/shipping options:
- Check the “Shipping & Returns” section of its website
- Read product descriptions carefully
Know What You’re Going To Buy Ahead Of Time & Stick With It
There are a few ways to be more aware of your spending habits. One is to not buy things impulsively. This can get tricky when you’re browsing an online store and see a good deal, but it’s important to remember that if you don’t want something, then don’t buy it just because it’s cheap!
Another thing is to make sure that the items you do want aren’t on sale yet (or even better—that they’re not even available). If they are on sale or unavailable now, they will probably be soon.
And finally: stick with your list! And stick with what you’ve already budgeted for groceries this week so that you don’t overspend by accident.
Also Read: 5 Common Online Shopping Mistakes Many People Don’t Care About
Don’t Pay For Shipping, Or Opt For Store Pick-up Instead
If you’re buying a single item online, it’s probably worth the shipping cost. If you’re getting a whole cart full of items, though, the shipping costs can add up fast. Try to avoid paying for shipping by looking for an item that’s available at your local store or using a coupon code when ordering from an online retailer.
If you have no other choice than to pay for shipping because there are no coupons available and/or nothing in stock at your store, look for promotions that offer free or discounted returns on individual items. Some retailers will give you store credit if something arrives damaged or defective (some will even accept returns even if there’s nothing wrong with the product).
Sign Up For A Rewards Credit Card From The Store Where You Shop Most Often
Rewards cards are a great way to save money when shopping online. When you sign up for a rewards credit card, you can often earn cash back on every purchase that you make.
To get started with this method, first find out which store has the best rewards card for your favorite store (or stores). Once you have found that information, simply sign up for their credit card and link it to your favorite online retailer of choice.
The next time that you shop online at one of these retailers, be sure to use the same payment method as their credit card—this will help ensure that they track all of the purchases correctly and can award some money back when they process them later on!
Save Money Shopping Online: Conclusion
Remember: there are plenty of ways to save money while shopping online. Just take a few simple precautions, read the fine print, and you can get some great deals—and avoid costly pitfalls. Happy saving!
