If you’re looking for ways to save money online but you don’t know where to begin then don’t worry, you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you’re looking to save money on your day-to-day purchases or you want to save on a big-ticket item, knowing how to get the best prices online is important. Luckily, there are lots of tips and tricks you can pick up to ensure you’re saving as much money as you possibly can. From using a discount code extension to shopping around on different websites, the more you’re doing the more you are likely to save. With that in mind, here are a number of different ways you can save money online:
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Make Sure You’re Shopping Around
One of the best ways to ensure you’re saving money when shopping online is to make sure you’re shopping around. Whether this means looking at as many different websites as possible or using sites like Amazon and eBay to check the price differences, you need to be sure you’re not buying from the first site you find. Although it may take some time, chances are you’re going to find a much cheaper deal somewhere else.
When it comes to shopping around, you may want to make note of how much things cost on each site. If you’re looking at lots of different places it’s going to be easy to lose track. For more tips and tricks when it comes to shopping around, you can visit this site here.
Wait For National Sales
Another great way to save money is to wait for a national sale. Although this will only apply to those that don’t need their item urgently, most big-ticket items are likely to significantly drop in price during national sales. Whether that means you wait for Black Friday or you shop in the January sales, you may be surprised at how much you can save.
Look For Discount Codes And Offers
If you know exactly what it is you want to buy, you may find it beneficial to look for discount codes and offers that you can use. Whilst there may not always be one available, all you need to do is Google the retailer that you’re shopping with to see if they have any live offers. Most of the time, you’ll find there are a number of different websites that will offer this information. For a guide to finding online discount codes, you can visit this site here.
Use Google Shopping
Another simple way to save money when you’re shopping online is to use Google Shopping. By searching for the item that you want to buy, you will be able to see a selection of the different places that it is available to buy with a breakdown of the cost and delivery times. Although it doesn’t show you all of the online retailers it may be available, it’s one of the best ways to get a snapshot of how much you can expect to pay.
To access Google Shopping, all you need to do is search for the item you want and click shopping in the top tab.
Download A Discount Code Extension
If you’re unsure of the best ways to find discount codes, you may find it easier to download a discount code extension for your browser. Once you switch it on, the extension will browse any site you’re on for a discount code that you may be able to use. It might not always be relevant, but you’ll be able to see all of the offers that are available to you in one handy place.
Sign Up To Newsletters
Another really great way to save money when it comes to shopping online is to sign up for newsletters. Not only will this give you access to exclusive discounts and deals but it will also allow you to benefit from some incredible sign-up offers. In some cases, you may find that signing up to a newsletter could result in significant savings. For more information about sign up offers and for some examples of the best ones to sign up to, you can visit this site here.
Keep Items In Your Basket For A Couple Of Days
If you don’t need to purchase the items that you’re looking at right away, leaving them in your basket for a couple of days could be a great tactic. Although it doesn’t work every time, brands will often email you to say you forgot something, attaching a discount code to encourage you to buy. Whilst it’s a 50/50 chance of this happening, it’s sometimes worth waiting.
In order for this to work, you need to ensure you have an account set up with the brand. If not, they won’t be able to see what is in your basket and they won’t be able to send you an email.
Ensure You’re Buying From A Reputable Website
When looking for the best deals online, you need to be sure you’re buying from websites that are trusted, especially as a lot of places will offer something at a much lower price in order to entice you to purchase from them. As a general rule of thumb, if something is too good to be true, it most likely is.
Some red flags you may want to look out for when it comes to browsing website include:
- Poorly designed websites that may look as though they have been created on a low budget
- Really high or unusual shipping costs for your area
- Product photography that looks like it has been lifted from another site
- Spelling errors or bad grammar
- No contact information or address
Other red flags to keep an eye out when it comes to online shopping can be found here.
Follow Brands On Social Media To Find Out About Deals And Discounts
If you want to stay in the loop and want to be the first to know when your favourite websites are holding sales, following them on social media is a great place to start. Whether you’re following a clothing retailer or you’re following a local company, social media is often the first place they turn to announce an offer or discount. If it helps, you can even turn on their post notification to ensure you don’t miss out on something important. If you do this, try not to turn notifications on for too many brands. After all, you don’t want to be bombarded with all of their non-promotional updates too.
Consider Buying Second Hand
Although this isn’t suited to everyone, there are lots of different websites that allow you to purchase items second hand. Whether you’re bidding on an item on eBay or you are looking for a bargain on Depop, you may be surprised at what you can find at a second price.
Again, it’s important you look out for red flags when shopping second hand.
Talk To A Representative On Live Chat
If you’re shopping for an item that is purchased on a contract, unfortunately, there are not many ways in which you can save money online. If you’re looking to get a lower price, however, you may want to consider speaking to a representative online. Not only will they be able to answer all of your questions regarding your contract but they may also be able to offer you a discount. If you’re unsure how to go about this, it might be worth looking at online forums to see how others have done the same.
Set Up Alerts For Price Drops
Another great way to know when something has dropped in price is to set up price alerts. Whether this is done in Google Shopping or on the website itself, you will receive a notification every time a price drops.
Check Whether Or Not You Can Get Cash Back
Although not everyone uses cashback, it’s a great way to save money over a period of time. From purchasing your items through a cashback site, you will be able to earn a small amount of money back with each purchase you make.
Consider Searching Incognito
If you’re searching for something that is likely to change price often, you may want to consider searching in an incognito browser to avoid the use of cookies. This works great when it comes to booking flights and holidays.
Make Sure You’re Considering The Cost Of Shipping
Finally, you need to be sure you’re considering the cost of shipping when you’re purchasing anything online. In most cases, you won’t be able to find this out until you’re near the end of the sale, so it’s worth taking a look around the website to see if you can find out the cost before you commit.
Are you looking to save money online? With lots of super simple ways to save money online, you can be sure you’re getting the best deals each and every time you shop. Which of the above ways will you be using? Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.
