Like online shopping, but want to limit your spending? You can get the most out of online shopping with these tips, tricks, and tools.
Consolidate All Deal Emails
Once newsletters and mailers start cluttering your inbox, they’re likely to be ignored. To stay updated on sales and discounts without being overwhelmed, try using an online service that will let you unsubscribe from brands you no longer wish to hear from and combine the rest into a single email that will arrive when you want it to.
Ask Customer Service for Deals
Use the “chat” feature on shopping sites to politely ask (not harass) for offers and discounts, especially when you’re undecided about an item. Support executives sometimes have access to promo codes that may not be available on the site.
Stall at Checkout
To stop yourself from impulse buying, step away from the screen once you’ve filled up your virtual cart. If you’ve registered or subscribed to the brand’s mailing list, the company may send you a personalized discount code or a coupon as an incentive to complete your purchase. It’s certainly worth a try.
Track Sales on Items You’re Interested In
To avoid wasting time scrolling through the sale sections that have nothing you need or nothing in your size, use online tools that will allow you to keep a tab on sales for specific brands, specific styles, and sizes – so you know exactly when to shop.
Avoid Shipping Fees
If you’ve got smaller purchases to make on sites like Amazon and are under the free shipping threshold, try using an online tool that will let you know how much more you need to spend to avoid paying the shipping fee. Many of these tools may also show you all the items you can get for that amount.
Pay Attention to When You Shop
If you don’t know exactly what you want and are browsing out of boredom, make sure to do it smartly. Try to restrict your shopping sprees to Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, when most brands roll out their discount codes.
Say Yes to Comparison Shopping
Download a browser add-on that will help you comparison shop before you start shopping for items available at multiple outlets. It makes comparison shopping a lot easier by pulling up prices for the same item at other stores and lets you know what coupons you can use.
Track Price History
To know for sure if it’s better to make a big purchase right now or hold out for a deal, try using an online tool that will look up the product’s price history.
