Online shopping has brought us into an age of convenience and savings. With so many online retailers, online shoppers have the opportunity to shop around and get the best possible deal.
But it can be hard to know when you’re getting the best deal. Online retailers offer products at different discounts at different times and missing out on a sale could cost you a pretty penny. To get those savings, you need to know how to take advantage of the resources of the internet and find the best sales and the cheapest prices.
In this article, we’ll go over 10 tips you can use to get the best deals online and save yourself some extra cash.
- Shop On The Right Days
Shopping online allows you to shop any day at any time, but to get the best deals you need to shop on the right days. Typically, retailers start rolling out different specials and discounts in the second half of the week, Wednesday through Friday. If you’re buying plane tickets, Sundays will always offer the best prices.
You should also take advantage of special events that take place throughout the year, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Amazon Prime Day, and other major sale days.
- Avoid Dynamic Pricing
With the ability to track more data, companies are learning more about their customers than ever, including where they live. Using your “cookies”, or browsing data, online retailers are able to tell where you live and use that information to adjust the price according.
If you live in a high-income zip code, they may raise the price based on their assumption you will pay a higher price. If you live in a rural area, they may raise the price because you don’t have access to those products elsewhere.
Avoid dynamic pricing by using the Incognito or private browsing feature on your browser. You can also use search engines like DuckDuckGo, which doesn’t track your browsing data.
- Utilize Free Shipping
Shipping is very convenient, but it can also be very expensive. When you buy a $30 item and pay $8 for shipping, you’ve just paid over 25% of the cost of the item just to ship it!
Many sites like Amazon will offer free shipping for their members, even offering two-day shipping for free in some cases. Taking advantage of these memberships can save you a ton of money on shipping. These memberships often come with access to other offers and specials, which saves you more money.
- Sign Up for Email Lists
If you have a handful of favorite brands that you buy from consistently, you should sign up for their email lists. While these emails might clog up your inbox, they often have exclusive offers and specials you can’t get elsewhere.
They will also inform you of upcoming sales, new products, and other discounts.
- Coupon Code Finding Tools
If you want the best deal possible every time, you need to be using a coupon code app or browser extension, like the one from Checkout Saver. Online coupons offer exclusive deals on products, but they can be difficult to find and are often expired.
Apps like Honey automatically search for coupons and apply them at checkout. This saves you time and also ensures that you take advantage of any coupons out there. If you need help finding the best deals and coupons, check out DealWiki.net.
- Browse Social Media
While those pesky ads on Facebook and Instagram might drive you nuts, they can also serve a purpose. If you start following your favorite brands and retailers on social media, you will start seeing more ads and content from them.
This content usually contains special offers and deals for their followers, so make sure you’re utilizing social media to find good deals.
- Abandon the Cart
When you find an item you like online, it can be tempting to pull the trigger and buy it. It turns out that resisting that initial urge to buy might save you money in the end.
If you fill your online cart with the items you want and do not buy, online retailers are more likely to offer you a deal on those items. They know you are interested, and that if they offer you a deal, you’re likely to accept. Keep an eye on your email after you abandon your cart and social media to find special offers on those items.
- Keep An Eye On Prices
In the world of online retailers, the price of an item can rise and fall dramatically in a short period of time. By keeping an eye on the price of an item rather than buying it immediately, you can take advantage of new discounts.
There are price watching sites you can use like CamelCamelCamel that will keep track of the price of an item for you and alert you if there is a discount.
- Pick It Up In Store
There are a ton of online retailers with brick-and-mortar locations, and they often serve in conjunction with their online storefronts. If you find an item that you want but the shipping is expensive, you can use the retailer’s brick-and-mortar locations to your advantage.
Choosing to pick up an item in store gives you the option to avoid paying for shipping while getting an item they don’t have in store.
- Use Price Comparison Tools
When it comes down to it, some retailers offer better prices on products than others. This is great, but it can be hard to locate these deals when you’re shopping online.
Using price comparison tools and apps can help you automatically find the best deal online. They scan all the online retailers simultaneously, gathering all the information you need to make a decision. They even add on sales tax and shipping so you can know the exact price of an item.
Get the Best Deals Online
Now that you know some tips on how to get the best deals online, you can get out there and start saving money on everyday purchases. Make sure to do your research on the best price comparison tools and other shopping apps to get the best deals every time.
If you have any questions about online shopping or need more great tips for every day life, please visit our blog.
