With that in mind, I've gathered some of the best tips for saving money and shopping wisely when you're buying on the internet. Ideally, no matter where you're from, you can take advantage of this advice to save big on shopping and shipping.
If you were shopping for an item at a traditional brick-and-mortar retailer, you'd be able to compare prices of similar items at a similar store, and decide which is cheaper and better suited to your needs. And you can effectively do the same thing while shopping online. Don't buy a product just because it's on your favourite shop's website; do a quick internet search to see what other stores sell the same product, and if you can save.
Make sure to search thoroughly! Some online shopping sites act as price aggregators, so that you can view the price of a single item at different stores and compare. And don't make the mistake of not including the cost of shipping in the final price.
Many big retailers offer frequent discount and coupon codes. Many of these are published in newspapers and mailers, but many websites exist that collate and gather all of the varied discounts and coupon codes that stores offer, and publish their details for the public.
If there's a store you know you want to shop from, take the time to search the internet for discount or coupon codes for that retailer. You'd be surprised how much you can save with this trick. Often, it's as simple as copying a coupon code and pasting it into a special field during the checkout process. You can also subscribe to the email alerts and newsletters on the stores of some retailers, which typically allows them to email you with information on sales, discounts, and other opportunities to save money.
If you aren't often at a computer and have a smartphone, there are even some apps you can install that will let you browse coupons and savings on the go, if you're planning to do some shopping online. Using this tactic can help ensure that your email inbox isn't cluttered with advertising emails.
Did you know that some websites will allow you to set price alerts on specific items and will let you know when they go on sale? Amazon.com and several other retailers will do this right from their own websites, but if the website you want to shop from doesn't have its own internal system to allow this, don't worry. PriceZombie, CamelCamelCamel, and Slickdeals will all track prices for you from many different websites.
Social media is very hot for advertisers and marketers, and many big brands now manage their own social media accounts. If there's a brand you love, make certain to follow it on social media websites like Twitter and Facebook. They will often publish special savings and discounts only for dedicated fans who follow them on social media.
Savings are great, and online shopping is incredibly convenient, but it also carries some risks. No matter how much you want to save, be careful about the websites you visit, and try to ensure that they're legitimate, well-known companies. Unscrupulous website owners will sometimes set up online shops to scam unwary buyers, so always look for SSL security certificates and other signals that you're working with a trustworthy website.
