Avoid Paying Full – Savvy Online Shopping Tips
Do you love online shopping because it is so easy and items can be with you at home without having to go into shops. Just because you want that convenience doesn’t mean you have to pay over the odds or even pay full. Here I want to share with you some tips to help you pay less for online shopping.
However, since it’s such a convenient service, we might find ourselves using it a bit too much purely because it saves time. In some cases, we might even spend extra on delivery services to have an item sooner.
If you spend too much money on your online purchases, I’ve prepared a couple of excellent online shopping tips.
With this advice, you’ll avoid paying full price for everything you buy online.
From simple 1 to 5% discounts to an overwhelming 90% discount, I will help you locate the best deals in order to get the things that you want.
Install a discount toolbar or addon
If you used the internet a decade or two ago, then you’ll probably shudder at the thought of installing a toolbar.
However, there are lots of discount toolbars and voucher addons such as Pouch, that will help you save money. They work by automatically searching the internet for any kind of discounts.
You add items to your basket and click checkout. Then, the Pouch addon will automatically try different coupon codes that people have used until it finds one that can be used. If it doesn’t, it will still give you some points that can be saved and used for future discounts.
These money-saving apps are incredibly useful because it’s a simple and free way to get discounts on items.
You don’t need to do anything except install the addon, and it’s unintrusive. It doesn’t cause your web browser to be slower. It’s not a virus, and it can be turned off if you don’t like it.
These add-ons take a small commission from the stores they connect to. You don’t need to pay anything for these services as a customer. It’s a win-win situation for us!
Sign up for newsletters when online shopping
One of the best ways to ensure you’re always up-to-date with the latest deals is to sign up for newsletters the manufacturer or store sends out.
They usually include coupon codes especially when you first sign up. These codes might take a few hours or a few days at times to come through so it is always wise to sign up a few days before you intend to purchase if possible.
For instance, if they’re swapping out their old existing stock with something new. The older items will be put on a massive discount. This often happens when new models of tech come out, for example, the Amazon Echo devices, mobile phones, earphones, or game consoles.
It is also incredibly common for clothing companies and fashion brands to swap to a new season.
Check price comparison and deal websites
There are plenty of websites on the internet that offer price comparison services and many of them are also paired with deals websites.
These are essentially user-submitted deals that they’ve found while browsing the internet. A price comparison & deals website is a great place to start your initial search to see if the item you’re looking for is already discounted.
It’s also a great website to browse while on your daily commute or if you’re bored. You might find something that you’ve always wanted on sale.
Even if you don’t want to buy anything, you can always pass the deal on to someone else and let them know about it.
A price comparison website should be the first website you check before you hit the checkout button.
These websites scour the internet for the most popular websites that sell the product you’re looking for and will compare the prices.
Even Google has its own shopping website that compares the most popular online retailers and their prices. It even shows you the shipping costs that you can expect.
However, you need to be extremely cautious when you see an item far below the regular price or if you notice a website you’ve never seen before.
Some websites use underhanded methods to get onto legitimate price comparison websites. When you click them, they might show a different price.
In some cases, the websites shown might be auction websites like eBay. This isn’t always a bad thing. However, there could be scammers on eBay who are trying to get your money by selling a counterfeit in hopes that you don’t notice. This is most common with really popular items such as smartphones.
In short, comparison websites and deal websites are staples for any savvy online shopper. If you’re truly an expert in sourcing online deals and saving money, you need to be careful of scammers and counterfeits.
Buying refurbished tech items
If you love a good deal then you may want to learn more about buying refurbished.
Unlike second-hand or used, professionals have worked on refurbished items to get them up to a high-quality standard. For instance, you might find that a refurbished phone will have its screen replaced.
It might have its internals replaced if they were dirty, and all of the software will be wiped and reset to its factory standard.
These refurbished devices are often a steal, especially from a large office job lot. This is usually common when a business is liquidated or if they’re trying to get rid of older tech.
Refurbished items are often a fantastic deal if you’re buying tech. We highly suggest it if you want to save a lot on your online purchases.
They even come with a full warranty. This means you can replace them or get a refund if they stop working, giving you added peace of mind. Then you only need to buy accessories, which you can often buy cheaply.
Buying from eBay
Buying from eBay is a fantastic way to avoid paying full price for an item. While we suggest buying refurbished when possible, buying from eBay can lead to some unexpectedly good deals.
For instance, you might be able to find unwanted Christmas or birthday presents. The box might have been opened but the product is unused. You might also be able to find used items at an incredibly low price which is perfectly acceptable for certain items.
Here are some tips for shopping on eBay if you want to find a great deal.
- Always read the description to check on the quality of the item.
- Look at the seller’s reputation and don’t buy from them if they haven’t had lots of good ratings.
- If the photographs of the item are all stock, avoid the seller. Only buy from the seller if they have taken pictures of their item in their home.
- Check the original price of an item before determining if it’s a good value.
- Make sure the item isn’t on sale on other websites before buying it from an eBay seller.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the item if the seller hasn’t posted enough information.
It’s important to focus on managing your budget, especially with something as convenient as online shopping.
With these tips, you’ll have a much better chance of finding excellent deals on products that you typically buy regularly.
Even for larger or more expensive tech purchases, there are many ways to save money. You can ensure that you’re keeping a watchful eye on your budget.
Planning in advance for gifts, such as Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc, can really help.
