…Would you like to shop as much as you want while saving money at the same time?

As much as we love shopping, we don’t like the part when we actually have to spend money. We might think that it’s going to be our last shopping spree, that we will always be mindful about what we want to purchase, and we won’t let ourselves be controlled by our annoying money-spending impulses.

But here’s the thing: the majority of the time, these thoughts remain just thoughts, and we find ourselves spending money again. Besides that, when it comes to online shopping, looking for the best price can really feel like a chore.

It’s easy to spend hours and hours looking for the perfect item, not finding it, but still having a full cart. As we all know, websites use all sorts of tricks and schemes to compete for our attention, such as deals, seasonal sales, loyalty plans, coupons, discounts, limited offers, and so many other things.

So how are we exactly supposed to save money if all we can see around us are what are said to be “the best deals”? How do we know if a deal is really a deal and not another online shopping scheme? If these are some of the questions you can’t find an answer to, you’ve come to the right place because we’re about to give you some answers.

Without further ado, here are 5 ways to save money AND shop online.

1. Sign up for rewards 

Websites love it when their customers are loyal, so they try to come up with several methods to make them buy from them and keep them engaged for as long as possible. So if you want to save money, here’s what you should do: join a reward program.

One of the things websites do in order to gain devoted customers is to create rewards programs. If you have certain products that you purchase over and over again, let’s say a particular skincare product or a shampoo that you like, it’s worth checking if they have any reward programs you can join so that you can receive points on your next shopping spree or gain some big discounts later on.

You surely know about the reward programs that are usually offered by credit card companies and airlines, but you might be surprised to find how many websites and retailers have actually jumped on the rewards wagon. Check the app stores to see if the stores you regularly shop from have apps that give you the opportunity to collect points for your future shopping sprees.

2. Give curbside shopping a try 

Curbside shopping has started to gain a lot of popularity since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It’s a combination of online and offline shopping; you select and order all the items you want on a store’s website, then you pick them up yourself (usually in the physical store).

If you’re still not convinced why you should try curbside shopping, you should know that there are numerous advantages to doing so, including:

• avoiding shipping fees and minimizing the overall cost of your shopping session;
• flexibility when it comes to picking up your purchase. You don’t have to change your entire schedule just to be home when the delivery person comes by;
• helps keep yourself and the other people safe during these uncertain and dangerous times;
• support local businesses while still shopping online.

3. Leave things in your shopping cart

When it comes to non-urgent matters, this tried-and-true method works effectively, so don’t be scared to try it. Pick the “nice to haves” and other items that can wait from your shopping list. Once you’ve located a product online, register for an account with the retailer’s website and put the item in your shopping basket.

When you’re done with that, all you have to do is wait. The majority of online stores get crazy when they see potential customers picking up items from their websites but don’t actually place the order. They have all sorts of methods they’re not afraid to use to determine who spends their money.

You might receive plenty of email reminders saying that you have items in your cart, and don’t forget to place the order. Or they might say something like: just because you’ve placed the items in your cart doesn’t mean that they’re reserved, so you better click on the check-out button.

Besides that, you might also receive ads for the products that you’ve saved in your shopping cart, and they might appear on other websites that you usually visit. But before you let go and press the order button, hang it there a little longer because many retailers will eventually get sick of waiting for you to make the purchase on your own, so they might offer you a discount code for the items you’ve picked, to close the sale.

4. Make a list 

…Do you want to save money while you shop online? Then go ahead and make a list!

Having a clear idea of what you want to purchase before you actually start browsing the Internet will help you stay focused and not get distracted by other items or deals. With the help of this list, you’ll know exactly what you need and also separate those from the items that are simply “good to have”. Once you make this distinction and you know how to stay focused, you’ll save a lot of money and also storage space in your home.

However, your goal might be to save money, but you shouldn’t always get the cheapest option available. We recommend taking into consideration different factors, such as quality and fabrics or materials, so you know that it will last a longer period of time.

5. Get coupons 

Another great way to save money while you’re shopping online is by using coupons. If you have no idea how to get a coupon, here’s what you should do:

• look for them on trusted websites, such as The Krazy Coupon Lady (USA), CouponFollow (USA, UK), and CouponCabin (USA). If you’re not able to find a coupon for the things you want to purchase, you should sign up to receive notifications when there’s a good discount available;
• sign up for newsletters: retailers are usually happy when they see potential customers signing up for their email newsletters, so they are more likely to say thank you by sending you a coupon. In addition to that, once you’re one of their subscribers, they will send you plenty of seasonal discounts or codes for different sales;
• use a coupon browser extension: every time you select an item and put it in your shopping cart, these useful plugins will automatically look for and also apply any helpful coupon codes. And that is not all, because these plugins will also send you a notification if they find better offers in other online shops. Some plugins that are great for this are: Honey (USA, Canada, Australia, UK, European Union), Cently (the USA and other countries as well), and Capital One Shopping (USA).

…Keep in mind that there are plenty of great coupons available during certain periods of the year, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and they are some of the best periods to shop and save money at the same time.
Other than that, watch out for fake coupons that might contain malware because these scams are dangerous. Some red flags include coupons that don’t have an expiry date and coupons for free stuff. If you don’t know which coupons are legit and which ones are fake, check the list offered by the Coupon Information Center. 
…If you enjoyed reading this article and you want to know more about how you can save money, check this out: Wondering If You’re Losing Money? You ARE by Throwing Away These 7 Things!