Savings Tips for Online Shopping

Online shopping is the ultimate convenience, and if you know where to look, it provides plenty of opportunities to save money.

Looking for some savings strategies to add to your repertoire? Don’t miss these steps before you check out on your next online order.

1. Sign up for emails and loyalty programs at your favorite stores.

If you tend to shop from the same stores and brands, stay up-to-date on sales and promotions by signing up for email alerts.

The emails can become a little overwhelming, but it might be worth managing a busier inbox for access to the latest coupon codes. If you use an email provider like Gmail, you can also wrangle retail emails in a dedicated section for promotions.

Signing up for reward programs is another way to save money online. Many retailers reward customers with points or credits on each dollar you spend, and those points can translate into coupons and store credit. If you’re active on social media, follow your favorite stores to watch for sale and promo code announcements.

2. Keep using your paper coupons.

If your preferred stores still send coupons in the mail, there’s a good chance you can use those coupons toward online purchases. Take a look at the fine print to see if there is a coupon code listed for online purchases. In most cases, you can enter the coupon code at checkout to apply the discount to your online order.

3. Shop online during sales and watch for price drops on big-ticket items.

Instead of joining the crowds at the store on Black Friday, you can often score the same deal online during major shopping events—or score exclusive online deals on shopping holidays like Cyber Monday and Amazon Prime Day.

You can also use a third-party price tracker like camelcamelcamel to look up the price history on an item before you buy it on Amazon. The service can send you alerts when the price drops on an item you’re watching.

4. Use a shopping app that scours the internet for deals.

If the thought of missing out on a deal gives you serious FOMO, download a browser extension that searches for every available coupon code each time you check out.

Some of the most popular tools include Honey and Ibotta, which identify the optimal combination of coupon codes to get you the best deal possible. The best part? Most of these coupon apps are free.

Even as you’re scoring deals while shopping online, don’t forget the basics of staying safe on the internet, especially when entering your sensitive information and credit card numbers.