Online shopping tips

Shopping online can be very overwhelming and time-consuming. However, last year (2010), I saved over $1600 from coupons, online shopping, buying online in bulk, and mail order prescriptions. I gave gathered a few tips to help you be successful at online shopping:

∞ Sign up for email lists from stores you like (either online or brick and mortar). They will often send coupons for use in the store or online codes for use for website orders. Make sure you do this first before placing an order. Some will send you a coupon with your first email. Some stores like Target, Kohl’s and others will add you to their snail mail mailing lists to and send you great coupons good for use in their stores. I get coupons from Target both on their website and in the mail! It’s great!

∞ Free shipping isn’t always a good deal. Some stores bump up the costs of their products to accommodate for that free shipping. When comparing whether a store is a good deal, add in shipping and then compare the total prices for both sites in question.

∞ Use a shopping search engine to find what stores have the product you are looking for. I like Yahoo and Google’s, but I am sure there are many more out there that I have not used. Be sure to be very specific in your search so that you don’t get more items than you were looking for to sift through. Also use the sorting filters to help you sort the items by price. This helps narrow down your time, too.

∞ Use online coupon codes whenever possible. I always go to RetailMeNot to find coupon codes for the store I am looking at. Sometimes there is not a code, but you can still get a good deal, though, by following the other tips above!

∞ Try Amazon first. There have been so many times that Amazon beats other websites (even those the company website that produces the product) in price. You can also buy new and used items from other sellers through Amazon. I have saved $27 each time I have bought a multi-pack of printer ink for or black/color printer (compared to OfficeMax ink prices). I have bought books, teacher books, DVDs, toys, ink, and more at a lower price than available at stores or other websites.

Forgive me if you have heard these tips before. I hope for those of you who haven’t or have been afraid to tackle online shopping, that they are helpful!

Related posts and articles:

• “Our online shopping list”
• “Subscribe and Save”
• “Savings Tool Review: Pricegrabber”
• The Ins and Outs of Online Shopping (apartmentguide.com)
• When Free Shipping Isn’t Worth the Cost (dailysavings.allyou.com)