Please welcome back guest author Jenna, who is going to give us tips on how to save money when we shop online. As always, time saved and great tips and tricks are the only benefits I receive from guest articles.
Every year customers worldwide spend billions of dollars shopping online. One of the most important reasons for this phenomenon is that the Internet is very often where you can find the best pricing available anywhere—after all it is the world-wide web!
Shopping online is extremely convenient allowing you to shop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many sites even offer customer service through live chat. In addition, you can find online reviews for practically any product empowering savvy customers to select high quality products as well as score items at rock bottom prices based on extensive price comparison tools.
Here are 5 ways you can start saving money online today:
1. Gifts, clothes, and more—Amazon.com is the world’s largest online retailer selling nearly any product you might want or need and more. They frequently offer products at a discount below retail and with a minimum of $25, your order ships for free! They also offer easy returns and fantastic customer service. Other online retailers offer discounted pricing compared to brick and mortar retailers.
2. Used stuff—Buying used items is no longer restricted to Saturday morning yard sales and the local flea market. eBay allows you to sell and purchase used and new items in auctions or with buy it now pricing. Craigslist offers local listings of used products for sale and can be a great place to look for furniture, vehicles or other items.
3. Coupon codes for everything—You can find coupons for practically anything online. Search for coupons to local attractions like amusement parks, museums, rollerskating, and mini golf. Have great personalized deals sent to your inbox by subscribing to Amazon Local, Living Social or Groupon for everything from restaurants to spa services to snowboarding lessons. If you are a grocery store couponer you can find printable coupons on many manufacturer sites—some high value coupons you can’t find in newspaper inserts. Print out coupons for local stores like Sports Authority and Foot Locker before heading to the mall.
4. Travel sites—The ability to book travel arrangements online is not only convenient, but can result in huge savings. Look on sites like Hotels.com and Priceline.com for great pricing and reviews on hotels and vacation packages. Use sites like Kayak.com and SkyScanner.com to track flight prices and book. Search for rental car coupons and book online too—but be careful—some car rental companies have centralized booking of rental cars without consulting the local offices about availability. This can leave you high and dry if you aren’t careful so always call ahead to confirm your reservation in person.
5. Finance—Online banking can save you a significant amount of money by helping you avoid late fees and as a result build your credit score to save on loans. Shop and compare rates for life, homeowners, rental, health and car insurance. You can also find great offers on car loans, mortgages and other loans.
Of course, when shopping online take precautions—order from reputable websites and set up a dedicated email account. Paypal is a great option for buyer protection when shopping online and it can be linked directly to your bank account or you can fund the account.
Alright, enough talk, get to saving! And remember: don’t ever pay full price for anything without first searching online!
Thanks for those great tips, Jenna! My favorite money-saving tip is to shop for books, CDs and DVDs at half.com. If the item you’re looking for isn’t available you can put it on your “wish list” and designate a maximum price you’ll pay for the item. Since I discovered Half.com I’ve gotten tons of great deals on child care books and resources.
What are your favorite ways to save money when shopping online?
