Ultimate Online Shopping Hacks – How To Save Money at Any Store

Published on 01/04/2024

We love helping people like you save money when shopping online. To help you get the best deals no matter where you shop, we’ll share with you the ultimate list of online shopping tips—dozens you won’t find anywhere else.

The next time you fill that cart, try these online shopping tips. You never know where you can save money, because discounts come from the most unlikely places.

Use Voucher Codes

The first way, and perhaps the most common, to save money is through the use of vouchers. Almost all shopping websites have them, and in most cases, you do not even need to look for them specifically. Big stores will often give discount coupons upon visiting, though usually with terms attached, meaning you have to spend a certain amount to use the coupon.

We always advise you to search for vouchers once you are at the checkout. You will often be able to find codes shared by other buyers, and this undoubtedly is one of the fastest ways to save.

Checkout Tricks

Abandon Your Shopping Cart

Online stores do not like it when you leave your shopping cart, and they would do almost anything to have you purchase what remains in the cart. In most cases, this includes sending you a discount coupon, like one that you may not have qualified for, that is why when you abandon your cart, you can save when you go shopping online.

See how you do it:

Put everything that you need into the cart and proceed to the check-out section.
When checking out, close the tab, but ensure you have filled in your contact details or have logged into the store.
Wait for some time, normally a day, and in case you are lucky enough, then return and complete the purchase; you will have an email waiting for you in your inbox with an exclusive discount code.

First-time online store customers may receive a discount code upon signing up to become one. Pretty simple: just use your e-mail and set a password for an account.

Or sometimes even without the need for an account; when required, what is asked is a subscription to their newsletter, then simply input your email address, and your first email often includes a discount for your next order.

Most stores are willing to give you a discount to be added to their email marketing list, but you can always unsubscribe later to avoid a cluttered inbox.

Get Discounts with a New Identity

You probably thought of this, but there’s nothing to stop you from getting the same discount again if you signed in with a completely different email address. Just don’t overdo it—technically, some stores might recognize that it’s coming from the same person and block you.

If you created an account first, make sure you’re logged out, and you might even need to open the store’s website in incognito or private browsing mode to work around this and get the store’s second sign-up bonus time.

Just Ask

As the saying goes, “Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained,” so when you visit an online store and its live chat pops up, don’t be shy to ask them about any discount offers at the moment. Many times, it works astonishingly well. We received several discount coupon codes tailor-made for us because we asked. This takes a few seconds of your time and costs you nothing but sometimes can save you a lot.

If a store has a profile on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok, then one would reasonably expect to use social media to post active sales or discount information.

These profiles can be checked to reveal valid discounts on the store’s products, probably listed in recent posts.

Price Comparison

Shop Around - Check Alternative Markets

However, not everything that you like should be bought right on the spot, as you find it. In most cases, you will find that you can get the same thing cheaper on Amazon or eBay. Of course, in case you do so for every product that you like, this will take some time and patience, but eventually, you could save a lot of money by doing so, making it worth the effort in the long run.

Do not assume that Amazon will always offer you the best price. Quite often, the brand has lower prices on the item in its webshop.

Use Price Alert Tools

There are convenient tools available now which allow you to be notified when a product drops below a certain price. This is convenient and useful because most times we see a product and think, “I will buy it if it’s 30% cheaper.” With these tools, when it’s that 30% off, you will get a notification or email.

Compare Prices with Google Shopping

While Google Shopping might not be the one everyone uses in their everyday life, it is still pretty good when it comes to finding the same product from other stores or markets. It compares products from thousands of stores, including many you might not think of yourself.

For one, you can almost see the prices instantly, so you don’t have to waste time visiting several other websites. All that is needed is to discover a retailer that will deliver to your area and has the best price.

Take Advantage of Store Price Guarantees

A lot of shops offer this deal, and yet too many shoppers don’t take advantage of it. Here it is: if you can show a retailer that you can get the same product elsewhere for a cheaper price, they’ll match that lower price to entice you to buy from them—and more often than not, they’ll throw in that added discount, and more. This way, they make a sale, and you get a cheaper price, so it is a win-win for both of you.

Amazon Shopping Tips

Ship with the Outlet Page

Amazon’s outlet page avails you a collection of overstock and discounted products arranged based on the category. You are most likely to find heavily discounted items within this part of the store, most times new but priced lower. The list is endless, and this encompasses more than just clothes, electronics, home goods, and automotive parts.

Shop on the Coupons Page

Just like the outlet store page, the coupons page also has some with coupons clipped in advance. All you need to do is click on items you are interested in, click the “Clip Coupon” button, and add them to the shopping cart. The coupon discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Method to Save the Shipping Fee

Self-Pickup at Stores or Pickup Points

Why not pick up at the store any items even if you ordered them online, as long as you have the time? Well in advance, you can save a lot of the cost of shipping by being your delivery driver.

Many stores are now giving shipping discounts if you pick the parcel up for yourself and drive to a specified pick-up point. Aside from the savings earned, one can even have his purchased items earlier if picked up instead of waiting for home delivery.

Check Free Shipping Thresholds

Many are offering free— or otherwise, free expedited— shipping if the spending reaches a certain level. Of course, this level will differ for each retailer, and there are other factors to consider, such as where you live or the weight and size of the products in question.

It varies a lot by retailer. It’s well worth checking the Shipping Info page of the retailer you’re buying from, though, because they should give some indication of how much you need to spend. Some retailers offer conditions like “spend X amount for free shipping,” so your bill is done for you, and you know how much more you need to spend.

Don’t Always Trust Free Shipping

Yeah, free shipping sounds nice and everything, but it’s never free. More often than not, you will see those places that offer free shipping increases the price of the products to accommodate shipping costs. Because of that, you end up paying the same amount or even more, but you think that you get free shipping and save money.

However, if shipping costs are a deal-breaker for you—one store charges them, and the other doesn’t—then compare the total price in both stores at checkout. You will be able to tell if you are saving through free shipping or paying more than you need.

Credit Card Saving Tips

Use Business Credit Cards

Some online retailers have their own branded credit cards. Sometimes this is a store-specific card, and other times, it’s just a regular credit card that gives rewards in the form of discounts at certain stores. These are well worth considering if you routinely shop at specific retailers.

Credit Card Cashback

You will have to check with your credit card company, but some companies offer cashback on purchases. Whether it is at certain retailers or merely online shopping, it can’t hurt to check on how much you can save.

Check Credit Card Offers

Similar to cashback, there are some credit card companies offering discounts at retailers. Of course, it depends on your credit card company, but the discount is often big and limited only to customers of the company. It’s worth checking whether such services are provided by your credit card company, and if yes, make the most of this service.

Use Insurance and Guaranties Attached to Your Credit Card

Technically not a money-saving method, yet some of the credit card providers offer goodies for purchases. For instance, buying a gadget using your credit card might enjoy free electronics insurance or insured gadgets. Quite a lot will be saved in case of problems with such gadgets. This sometimes also applies to deals, such as travelling insurance if you buy your travelling aeroplane ticket using a credit card. DEALS.

Use Price Drop Protection on Credit Cards

That price drop protection we mentioned recently has come from several places, including credit card companies. In essence, it is a price guarantee that works like price matching. You want to make sure to watch the price of the product on the very same retailer’s website—not compare pricing with other retailers.

All credit card companies do is offer you a period, be it a week, a month, or whatever length of time during which if the price of that product drops, you get your difference refunded back to you. You buy an item for $100 and within a day or two, it drops to $70. You get the difference back. It does not happen often, but if it does happen, you lose no regret for making that purchase any earlier.

More Online Shopping Tips

Check for Refurbished or Used Items

One person’s gently used is another person’s practically new. Refurbished or used sometimes means the item was just taken out of the box and returned. Often, they’re essentially brand new but can be heavily discounted. Sure, this may not always be the case, so you’ll do well to check and shop eBay, Amazon, and Google Shopping for items in the condition you most prefer.

Join Reward Programs

Any online retailer that offers a reward program is always worth joining. Though you won’t save right away with typical discounts, you’ll get some rewards and then be able to save your money in the future or get exclusive discounts others won’t get.

Join Referral Programs

Referral programs from online retailers essentially work like any other: Each time somebody makes a purchase using your referral link, some rewards come your way. Stronger retailers offer a whole range of discounts for these purposes, while others give nothing of value other than the satisfaction of free money. You don’t have to spend something to save some money.

If you’re consistently needing things like pet supplies, cleaning, or personal care products, often subscribing to regular shipments comes with a huge discount. You do, of course, need to find a retailer that does subscriptions, but once you do, it’s a breeze to figure out. Look at the number of a specific item you are purchasing each month, and compare the overall cost of the same amount. If it is, then go for it—there’s bound to be a clear difference, especially in the long run.

If you are not loyal to any retailer, you can just log on to the Amazon website and search for “subscribe and save” products. You will find some really good ones, some of which will turn out to be what you need.

Cashback Sites

Some websites help by offering cash back rather than the credit card company offering. Most times, it doesn’t matter much, but if you use those sites for a while, they can add up, and you’ll get a nice return.

Of course, a ton of these savings, with one of the most popular being Rakuten. You can sign up for both accounts and enjoy all the perks of using them when shopping online.

Search for Military, Veteran, or Student Discounts

My last online shopping tip is military and student discounts. If you are part of these groups—a veteran or a student—there are several discounts that many retailers will help you utilize. You will need some kind of proof that you fall into one of these groups, but once you show it, you will be able to get the discounts that others are not going to get.