This is a guest post from Taylor Walker of Mamma.com
Online shopping is a pleasure because you get a second thrill – the initial excitement of ordering the product, and then the satisfaction of unwrapping it when it arrives. Now you can take online shopping to the next level with these little-known secrets to saving money while shopping online.
Don't Empty Your Shopping Cart
When you leave an item in your electronic shopping cart, the retailer sees that and knows you are interested. It's an insidious plan because retailers start to sweat after something sits in your cart for a few days. Fearing that you are looking elsewhere, they will often send you discount offers or other incentives to get your business. Besides, leaving an item or two in your cart is a good way to avoid buying impulse items that you might regret.
Don't Get Clipped – Use Coupon Codes
Clipping coupons out of the Sunday newspaper may be ancient history, but digital coupons are more popular than ever. Anyone can find relevant coupon codes on coupon websites like Mamma.com. Mamma is a coupon search engine that allows shoppers to find coupons for most online retailers.
Coupon search engine websites make it all too simple to find a coupon that can be used to whatever online retailer you’re shopping at. Nearly all online retailers allow the use of promotional coupons at checkout. You should take full advantage of this and get in the habit of always doing a quick search for a coupon before making any purchases online.
Some websites allow you to pair multiple coupons at checkout; the trick is to use them in the right order!
Let’s say you find two coupons, one for 20$ off, and another for 5% off. You’ll want to apply the 5% off coupon first, and then use the 20$ off coupon after. This way the website will subtract the 5% first, and you will still get 20$ off of the discounted price.
Use your head when using coupons because you can save even more money if you use them in the right order!
- Related: Should You Pay Off Debt or Save?
Don't Shop Impulsively
Be aware that online retailers know that most people shop on the weekend, and many of them adjust their prices upwardly for these times. If you shop on Tuesday or Wednesday, you'll probably get the lowest possible prices.
Shop in Incognito Mode
Your computer history is tracked by many websites to determine the price you are offered, using your previous purchases, location, emails, and browsing history. This is called dynamic pricing, and it permeates the online shopping platforms. To avoid being victimized by this practice, close your email and use incognito browser windows when shopping, especially for big-ticket items.
No matter what you're shopping for online, use the four tried-and-true methods above, and always shop around.
