Okay, so the secrets are not so secret but they definitely are a staple in my online buying process that I thought, I HAVE to share! Saving money when shopping online is easier than one would think. I typically use two different apps that help me save money on the things I was already planning to buy. You can download them right on your phone and web browser as a plugin, making them super easy to use every time you shop.
- Honey
- Honey acts as a coupon code search engine that automatically finds and tries all available codes while you’re on the checkout page of any online store. This way you can be absolutely sure you are saving money and getting the best deal possible at that moment. I prefer to use this one on the web browser just because it’s easier. I have saved so much money just by remembering to click the button on my web browser at checkout. So easy!
- Rakuten, previously known as Ebates.
-
- I have heard about them and used them for years! In the app version you can search a website you want to shop through and they will have a specific cashback percentage depending on the store. All you have to do is shop through the app like you would in the web browser. Easy! These percentages do change periodically so it’s always good to keep your eye on it if you have a purchase you want to make. The web browser plugin is similar, you just need to turn it on before you make a purchase and you should be on your way to saving money!
3 Best Online Shopping Tips
I also wanted to include just a couple of online shopping tips for saving money because I know it is so easy to get carried away by all the pretty things we see online.
- Have a budget.
- It is so helpful to set limits for yourself when it comes to online shopping because that add to cart button just makes it too easy to overspend. Setting a budget can help keep you on track financially and will help motivate you to find better deals for the things that you want.
- Shop the sale section!
- Some of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe have been from the clearance/sale section. I’m not sure why but online sales sections tend to have better pieces than in-store sale sections. They also don’t get ruined by a million people trying them on in-store. The only tricky thing is when that sale item is final sale, meaning you can’t return the item later. Keep that in mind when browsing these sections.
- Sign up for emails & reward programs.
- I know, I know! Promotional emails can get annoying at times but you will never miss another good sale again if they are getting delivered right to your inbox. An email organization tool like Unroll.me can help roll all of those promotional emails into one weekly email that you browse through once a week. Unroll also lets you easily unsubscribe from those emails you forgot you had. I am a big fan of their free service and have been using them for years.
- You could also go another route and create a dedicated email specifically for those promotional emails that you can go in and check periodically. The only con to this is you cannot forget you have this shopping email account or all those good deals will just fall into an abyss. I think I tried doing this a few years back but it never stuck with me. Give it a shot if you think it would help you in saving money!
