Even though I live in the best shopping city in the world, I’m still a huge believer in shopping for just about everything online for the best finds and the greatest deals. I know it’s dangerous, because sometimes you can end up online for hours with a virtual cart full of imported cheeses and eco-friendly tampons, but at least you’re getting it all for less. I even took it one step further than plain old googling and brought you a guide for how to save the most money online shopping:
Compare prices
Amazon An amazing resource for price comparisons since they pull up all of the retailers offering the product you’re looking for with their respective prices and reviews. I usually find most of my items cheapest on this site – and they have literally everything you’re looking for – from pet supplies to vibrators (so I hear).
PriceGrabber: Another great price comparison resource, and they also have a great holiday shopping guide right now as well as coupons and weekly specials.
Google product search: Great for local shopping options to find things at stores near you to save on shipping.
FreePriceAlerts.com is a tool you can download that notifies you when a product you’re viewing online is cheaper on another site.
Deal sites
GottaDeal.com: Provides you with the best deals and coupons for many of your favorite online and offline retailers. The site is updated several times each day with new deals.
DealNews.com: Just search for your product to see what deals are active in that area and which ones have recently expired. They also get a ton of exclusive deals you’ll only find at Dealnews, and an excellent collection of holiday bargains.
Fatwallet: Covers both major and niche retailers in categories that are largely electronics and computer gear, but also include apparel, cosmetics, jewelry, and local deals in your community.
Coupon codes
Before you make any purchase online, do a search for coupon codes. Some sites will advertise them on the homepage, but usually you’ll find them on a coupon site.
CouponCabin.com: In addition to developing exclusive coupon codes with retailers, this site’s staff searches merchant sites, forums, blogs, consumer e-mails and even the Sunday Paper for coupons, and then updates the site’s listing three times a day. It shows when a coupon expires and when it was last tested so that you’ll know whether it still works.
Coupons.com: You can search for coupons on this site by store or category. If you’re really a coupon freak you can sign up to receive weekly e-mails featuring coupon codes and online discounts.
CouponCodeDay.com: There’s nothing worse than wasting time using codes that don’t work. From clothing to furniture and even art supplies – this site is dependable for having the latest functioning coupon codes. They work with hundreds of online retailers and can provide some of the best discounts out there.
Retailmenot.com: This is a huge resource that offers coupon codes for 130,000 stores and a weekly e-mail newsletter that features the coupon codes that the site’s users consider to be the best. They also have a great app to make searching on the go even easier.
Get cash back
Ebates.com: This is the biggest cash back site that offers members access to 1,500 stores. Rebates vary by store, but many offer at least 5% back on purchases. I personally haven’t been using this, and now I’m asking myself why.
Extrabux.com: Combines comparison shopping with online coupons and cash back from 2,500 top online retailers. The site helps you find the best deal on a product by displaying prices and shipping charges from various retailers, plus cash-back offers and coupon codes. Members receive cash back by check or PayPal, or they can opt to have the money donated to a charity.
Discounted gift cards
Plastic Jungle and Gift Card Granny sell discounted unused gift cards. If you know you’re going to buy something at best buy, check here for a discounted gift card to save even MORE money. Most cards purchased through Gift Card Granny are shipped free, and if not the shipping price is clearly displayed. Plastic Jungle ships for free.
Free shipping
Now that you’ve made yourself proud my saving all this money, the last thing you want to do is overpay for shipping. Check out FreeShipping.org for free-shipping coupons for nearly 4,000 stores, including Amazon.com, Target and Best Buy. Whoo-hoo!
Stay safe
Remember to always use a credit, not debit card when shopping online OR use Paypal for the most protection. Also use only secure wi-fi connections and avoid clicking on links from unsolicited emails from retailers or on social media sites – go directly to the retailers site instead.
Do you know any other great ways to save when shopping online? Do tell!
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