Ever since the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic, online shopping has become increasingly common.
From groceries to appliances and from garments to toys, many items that a shopper would have
otherwise gotten from a brick-and-mortar store are now bought from the web. People are finding it
extremely convenient to sit and shop from the comfort of their homes. All they need is a reliable
connection such as that offered in Spectrum internet plans and they’re good to go.
However, some people complain that online shopping is more expensive than physical shopping. And
that’s primarily because the loss of a face-to-face encounter makes bargaining harder, at times,
impossible.
The good news is that there are very many ways to save money when shopping online. You just may
not be familiar with them yet. So here are some pointers.
1. Make Your Shopping List
When you’re shopping online, the options are endless. It’s easy to get carried away when you see new
products and ads. This is why you must make a list of your shopping items before you log in to make a
purchase. This would keep you focused on the things you need and you’ll be less likely to get distracted
by a promotional product.
Have a budget in mind and stick to it. To do this, you can buy a gift card for the exact amount that you
intend to spend. In this way, you would not have to use your credit card. This kills the urge to overspend
because you have a set amount of money to work with. You could either buy a store-specific card or use a
credit card provider such as American Express or Visa (as they’re accepted by multiple retailers).
#2. Do Price Comparison
Online shoppers no longer have to visit multiple websites to compare the prices of a product. Today you
have a number of price comparison sites with search functions. They easily find you the online
store/website that has the lowest price for the product you want.
PriceBlink is a browser extension that finds lower prices of products automatically while you shop.
Honey is another free extension that you can use to compare the prices that different sellers are
offering on Amazon.
Whichever plugin or website you use, bear in mind that the price comparison they come up with may
not include warranties, shipping, or other services. The final price may be higher than the one they
quote.
#3. Add to Cart & Leave
One of the best strategies to receive discounts on online shopping is to add the items to the cart and
then leave. That’s right. Do not complete the transaction and log out from the website. This is also called
Abandoned Cart. And it is among the biggest problems that e-commerce players have to deal with. One
way that they use to resolve the issue of abandoned carts is to provide customers a discount as an
incentive to continue their purchase.
So wait a few days after you’ve abandoned the cart. You will most probably receive a discount coupon
via an SMS or an email to complete the order. However, remember, this trick might only work a couple
of times. If the seller notices that you’re a habitual cart absconder then they would not offer you any
more discounts.
#4. Follow Your Favorite Retailers on Social Media
Retailers often use social media platforms to promote upcoming sales. So if you are not following them
on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, chances are you could be missing out on savings. This is because
most retailers choose to offer early access to sales or promo codes to their social media followers.
These are discounts that are usually not publicized on their web stores or other advertising channels.
#5. Try Curbside Shopping
The concept of curbside shopping has become quite popular since the onset of the Coronavirus. It is a
convenient mix of offline and online shopping. You buy from the website but pick up the product
yourself.
Curbside shopping has a lot of advantages. First of all, it saves you the shipping charges and hence
reduces the overall cost of your product. Secondly, you can pick up the package whenever it is suitable
for you. You don’t have to worry about being at home when the delivery guy arrives.
#6. Utilize Offers of your Credit Card Provider
Credit card providers often partner with merchants to bring their customers various shopping deals. So
be aware of these offers as you could score extra savings on the desired products when you use your
credit card to buy them. For example, if a Mastercard World Elite cardholder uses the card to buy food
worth $20 or more and uses the delivery service Postmates, they receive a discount of $5.
