Opportunities exist to save money everywhere, including with online shopping. They are right under your nose and I’m excited to share these 7 smart ways to get the most out of your online shopping.
How Can I Save Money By Online Shopping?
Many people think that you can’t get the same savings opportunities online shopping as you can if you shop in person.
This is a total myth.
You just have to know where to look.
With shopping in-person, you can save using classic methods like clipping coupons, using loyalty cards and loyalty apps, and other ways. This exists for online shopping too, but not the way you think.
The truth is, you can actually save more shopping online!
Keep reading while I reveal the many ways you can get the most out of your online shopping experience by saving money!
What Are the Best Online Shopping Hacks?
The best online shopping hacks have these things in common:
- They can be practiced by everyone
- They offer real value
- They are actionable
- Simple to execute
Shopping Hacks Within Reach By All
This just means that everyone can save money. It’s not limited to a specific community, etc.
Imagine discovering this amazing shopping hack, just to learn that it’s only offered to Instagram users or the first 30 people who access it. This just feels unfair. That’s not the kind of shopping hack I’ll be sharing.
These shopping tips below can be used by everyone, which makes it even more valuable and a way to continue saving money over and over in the future.
Real Value is Offered
Next, the key to a great shopping hack is that it offers real value. This doesn’t mean you get entered into a draw or giveaway, etc.
Instead, it’s pretty straightforward and simple. You get money taken off your order or a cash credit applied to a future order plus other rewards that you find valuable. That’s real value.
Any other kind of reward tied to shopping just isn’t worth it, in my opinion.
Actionable Tips That Can Be Executed with Ease
It should be actionable. This means it’s more than an idea. It’s an actual savings plan or strategy that people can take action on. And, when the strategy is executed, it’s simple and to the point, not complicated, leaving you jumping through hoops.
So, with all that said, let’s dive into 7 ways to save money on online shopping.
7 Sneaky Ways to Save Money Online Shopping
1. Use a Cashback Portal
This one is so simple. There are cashback portals where you can earn real cash back for your online shopping.
How it Works
First, join the cashback portal. Then, find your retailer on the cashback portal site and when you access the retail store, you will be taken straight to the retailer website where you will make your online purchase as normal.
After checkout is complete, you will earn cashback which is applied to your cashback portal account.
And, that’s it!
This is the best way to get free money back on your online purchases. These cashback portals are free to join and many of them even offer an incentive if you refer a friend:
- Rakuten
- TopCashback
- BeFrugal
I referred my sister to Rakuten and earned $25 when she joined and made a purchase! She also made $10 as part of that process!
Other than accessing your retailer through the portal, you can also install a browser extension which will activate when you land on a partner site.
So, while you’re browsing online and you land on Best Buy to check out their DSLR cameras, your extension will activate, sharing how much cashback you will earn if you buy!
Take a look at the cashback portals above to check them out. Highly recommended.
2. Loyalty Programs
Just like you can get a loyalty card to stores you visit in person; you can also join loyalty programs online.
These programs are free and offer awesome benefits like freebies on your birthday, cashback on your purchases, plus they alert you of upcoming sales and events so you can get the most value out of your online shopping.
3. Shop Clearance
A lot of retailer sites offer this and you just don’t know about it. It’s their clearance section.
Amazon has several sections on their site where you can save:
- Amazon Renewed-get discounts on renewed items
- Amazon Warehouse-snag warehouse deals on used items
- Book Depository-get free shipping on books
- Amazon Subscription Boxes-discover cool products that you can fall in love with
Check out the clearance section of your favorite online stores for huge savings opportunities.
4. Use a Cashback Card
When you shop, use a cashback credit card or cashback debit card. This way you get rewarded for your shopping, whether it’s online or in person.
My debit card works this way. For every purchase I make I earn points and then I can redeem those points for gifts. I’ve done that at least half a dozen times over the years and have scored:
- A free knife set
- Free tablet
- Free disposable k-cup for Keurig coffee maker
- Free essential oil diffuser and oils
- Free gift cards
- And, more!
Not to mention I also get a gas discount when I pump gas at select gas station locations. The gas station across the street from my subdivision is one of those gas stations and I get $.50 off per gallon when I pump gas there!
I have cashback credit cards as well that offer cashback on purchases from select retailers and they often run double cash back promotions and other cashback events, too.
I get real cash back with my Chase credit card. I can have the cash balance applied toward my card as a payment or get a check in the mail!
You can also find cards which award you airline miles, discounts at restaurants and other perks which may be important to you.
5. Cashback Apps
There are cashback apps too. Some of the apps I love using are:
- Ibotta
- Dosh
What is Ibotta?
Ibotta is a free app that lets you get cashback on your grocery purchases by scanning your receipt. They also help you scout out the best grocery deals in your area and reward you for referring friends to them, too.
You can check the app beforehand to see which food items you can get cash back on. Then, make your list, go shopping and scan your receipt when you’re done so you can get cashback!
What is Dosh?
Dosh is a free app that offers you cash back at local retailers in your area.
I used to use them to order Chinese once a month from our favorite Chinese restaurant in our neighborhood. That restaurant has left our area so I don’t do this anymore but when I did, I’d get $3 cashback every time I ordered!
You can check the app as you’re driving around town as it spots local retailers around you where you can shop and earn cashback.
Some of the places include:
- Walmart
- Best Western Hotel
- Hilton Hotel
- Sam’s Club
- UberEat
- Asos
- Macy’s
- And, others!
They also offer mobile offers where you can shop online and get cashback on your purchase!
These are just a handful of cash back apps available. There are many more so don’t stop at these two. There is tons of cash being left on the table. Get it in our pocket instead with cashback apps!
If you love the sound of this, check out these other incredible rewards apps!
6. Get Paribus
If you buy something and the price drops, you can have Paribus help you get back the difference!
Has this ever happened to you? It’s happened to me plenty of times. I buy something and then the next week, the price is slashed. And, I feel terrible.
Now, Paribus will be on your side to help you get the difference in price drop, back to your wallet.
They can also help you track on-time deliveries so if a delivery from Amazon is later, for example. You can get a credit from Amazon! I’ve done this myself a few times and gotten $10 for each late delivery.
How Does Paribus Work?
You sign up for free. Then, sync your email that you use for online purchases. From there, Paribus goes to work and will alert you of any price drops. They work with over 5,000 retailers!
Don’t miss out on this. It’s free money!
7. Do Small Tasks for Extra Cash
Lastly, you can get the most out of online shopping and save more by earning more! You earn more money so you have more disposable cash available to you to shop.
Earn more, save more.
You can do this really easily without leaving your couch using Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a site that pays you to do small tasks like:
- Taking surveys
- Watching videos
- Playing games
- Discovering stuff online
- And, more!
These are short, easy tasks you can do from the comfort of home. You can do as many or as few tasks as you’d like and then use that extra money to put toward your online shopping purchases.
They have paid out over $250 million dollars to their members!
You can be one of them.
Make some extra cash in your spare time, here and there and watch your earnings grow. Head to Swagbucks to learn more.
Online Shopping Tips and Tricks
There you go! There are online shopping tips and tricks like those shared above that can help you cut your online shopping expenses fast.
I hope you enjoyed learning about these money-saving opportunities! Do you have shopping hacks to share? Comment below so we can continue the conversation.
About The Author
Jennifer is a frugal savvy at heart. She writes over a Frugal for Less, helping readers crush debt, save money and get one step closer to financial freedom. You can also catch her on her blog, Millennial Nextdoor.
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