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

Published on 04-01-2024

We love helping consumers save some cash while shopping online. To help you get the best deals no matter where you shop, we’re going to now share the ultimate list of online shopping tips.

Next time you’re filling out that shopping cart, give these online shopping tips a shot. You never know where you can save money, and discounts may come from the most unexpected sources.

Use Coupons!

The first and most popular way to save some cash is by using coupons. Almost all online stores offer them, and most of the time, you don’t even have to go out of your way to find them. Big retailers will often provide discount coupons that pop up on your screen the minute you land on their website, though at times they do come with conditions in store, meaning you have to spend a certain amount for that coupon to be used.

We always want our readers to take a second to search for a coupon at checkout. Typically, codes will appear that other buyers have shared, and that’s one of the quicker ways to save.

Checkout Tricks

Abandon Your Cart

Online stores hate it when you abandon your shopping cart, and they will do everything to make you buy whatever is in it. Pretty often, this includes offering you an exclusive discount code that you wouldn’t otherwise get. That’s the very reason why abandoning your cart helps you save money while online shopping.

Here’s how to do it:

Add everything you need into your cart and proceed to checkout.
During checkout, close the tab; however, make sure that you have at least filled out your contact information or signed into their store.
Now, for a little while—usually a day, if you’re really lucky—to complete your purchase, you’ll probably find an e-mail in your inbox with some kind of special discount.

This discount code can be applied to first-time customers who are just signing up at the online store. Quite clearly, this will keep you on their email list, and so you will simply use your email address and a password to open an account.

Or better yet, some shops do not require an account at all; when they invite you to their newsletter, just state your e-mail address, and often enough, your first e-mail will include a discount for your next order.

Many stores are glad to give you a discount as long as you end up on their e-mail marketing list. You can unsubscribe later to avoid a cluttered inbox.

Get Discounts with a New Identity

Maybe you have already thought of it, but nothing is to stop you from signing up with another email and claiming the discount again. Just not too many times. Technically, some stores might notice that it’s from the same person and block you.

Unless you created the first account and have logged out, you may even have to open their website in incognito or private browsing mode so that you can take advantage of the store’s second sign-up bonus time.

Just Ask

As it goes, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” So when you do come across an online store with live chat, don’t hesitate to ask about the current discount offers since it often is surprisingly successful. We quite frequently get coupon codes specifically made for us just because we took the initiative. It literally only takes a few seconds of your time and costs you nothing, yet ultimately saves you a lot.

In case a store is present on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok, they are likely used to post active sales or discount information.

The method to track such profiles is quite good for learning whether there may be valid discounts for any products in the store. These could be recent posts.

Price Comparison

Shop Around - Check Alternative Markets

Moreover, once you have found something you would like to purchase, this does not mean that you necessarily have to buy it right where you are. Most of those goods can be found on Amazon or eBay at lower prices. Sure, if you do this with every product, it does take some time and patience, but you can save lots of money in the long run.

Moreover, it’s never true that Amazon is giving you the best price. You can get products at more reasonable prices from the company’s online store.

Use Price Alert Tools

Some convenient tools out there let you know when a product drops below a certain price. This is quite handy since we often look at something and then say to ourselves, “I’ll buy it if it’s 30% off.” So, with these tools, you will either be notified or emailed when that 30% discount does arise.

Compare Prices with Google Shopping

Although this tool won’t be everyone’s favourite, it is still good for finding a product elsewhere in another store or market. Google Shopping compares products in thousands of stores—many that you might not think of.

Prices can be viewed in almost an instant, so you are not having to waste your time visiting multiple other websites; it is all here in one place, nicely organized. All that you will need to do is look for which store can deliver to your location and has the lowest price.

Take Advantage of Store Price Guarantees

This is a service offered by many stores, but very few shoppers avail themselves of it. Here’s how it works: if you can demonstrate to the retailer that you can purchase the same product at another store for a lower price, they will match that lower price to get you to purchase from them—and often, they’ll even give you an additional discount! That way, they ring up the sale, and you get a lower price—so both benefit.

Amazon Shopping Tips

Shop on the Outlet Page

The outlet page is an internet page from Amazon housing various overstock and discounted products, all arranged by category. You will find various items heavily discounted here, although most of them are new but at a lower price than usual. You could get anything from clothes to electronics, home goods, and auto parts.

Buy on the Coupons Page

Similar to the outlet store page, some items on this coupon page are already pre-applied with a certain coupon. All you will need to do is find an item you want, click “Clip Coupon,” and then add the item to your cart while shopping. The coupon discount will be applied automatically at checkout.

Save on Shipping

Self-Pickup at Stores or Pickup Points

If you’ve got the time, why not pick up items ordered in-store even if you’ve ordered them online? You can save on shipping costs by becoming your delivery driver.

Many stores also give you shipping discounts if you drive to a designated pickup point yourself. Apart from saving money on costs, you mostly receive purchased items faster than with home delivery.

Check Free Shipping Thresholds

Many online shops offer free shipping or free express shipping when you spend a certain amount. Naturally, the sum varies depending on the seller, while other factors need to be kept in mind, such as your location or the weight and size of the products.

But it’s always good to check out the retailer’s SHIPPING details page, which really should give you some sort of idea of how much you need to spend. Sometimes, some retailers will also have conditions like “spend X amount for free shipping,” so all is done for you, and you’ll know how much more you have to spend.

Don’t Always Trust Free Shipping

Of course, everybody loves free shipping. However, this is not cheap most of the time. Mostly, you will find that stores which offer free shipping increase their prices on products to balance the cost of shipping. Now, you end up paying much the same—if not more—but you feel you are getting free shipping and hence saving money.

Instead, if the shipping costs are what make or break the deal for you from one store or another, check the total price for both stores on the checkout page. That way, you will be enlightened as to whether you are getting free shipping or if you are being charged more than you should.

Credit Card Savings Tips

Use Business Credit Cards

Some of the online stores have their brand credit cards. Sometimes it’s just a card to use with them; other times, it is like a regular credit card that gives rewards and discounts when used at certain stores. Whichever the case may be, it’s good if you frequently use certain retailers.

Use Credit Card Cashback

You may want to check with your credit card company, but some of the companies offer cash back on your purchases. Whether it’s at specific retailers or general online shopping, find out how much you can save.

Check Credit Card Offers

Some card companies offer direct discounts at some retailers, akin to cashback. Again, this is at the whim of your credit card company, but it is often large discounts available only to their customers. It’s worth checking to see if your credit card company does, and if they do, take full advantage.

Take Advantage of Credit Card Insurance and Guarantees

Now, this one technically isn’t a way to save money, but some credit card companies will give purchase bonuses. An example would be free or significantly reduced insurance on electronics bought with your credit card. If they break, then you most definitely will save quite a bit on the repair costs. This sometimes works for extended warranties on products, phone screen insurance, and travel insurance if you purchased flights using your credit card.

Use Price Drop Protection on Credit Cards

Lately, many retailers have offered price drop protection, but we have seen the same from credit card companies also. This is a price guarantee working similarly to price matching. However, here you have to look at the price of the product on the website of the retailer and not compare the price with other retailers.

All the credit card company does is give you a period, maybe a week, a month, or any period, during which if the price of your product drops, then they refund you the money back. For example, if you buy something for $100 and in a day or two it drops to $70, it will give your money back. It won’t happen often, but when it happens, you shall never regret having pre-empted the purchase of that item.

More Online Shopping Tips

Check for Refurbished or Used Items

Refurbished or used sometimes means the item was taken out of the box and then returned. Quite often, they’re virtually brand new but can be heavily discounted.

Of course, not all refurbished or used products will be in this state, so you should check websites like eBay, Amazon, and Google Shopping to find items in the condition that suits you.

Sign up for reward programs offered by online retailers. You might not save with regular discounts, but you will get some rewards and redeem them back into cash in the future, or get some exclusive deals which others wouldn’t get.

Join Referral Programs

Online retailers’ referral programs function like any other referral program: for every purchase through your referral link, you will get some rewards. Some retailers will offer you a set of discounts, while others may offer you a gift card or any other useful device. Either way, you do not have to spend money to try it out, and it might save you some.

Pet food, cleaning products, and personal care items are the kinds of things that can be bought in cycles. Once an online store that allows for subscriptions is chosen, it’s usually pretty easy. Just work out how many of something you’re buying each month and if subscribing for the same number is cheaper. If it is, then go for it; there’s bound to be a marked difference, especially in the long run.

If you’re not tied to one particular retailer, then you can quite easily search for “subscribe and save” products on Amazon – you’ll come across some interesting options, some of which might be perfect for you.

Check Cashback Websites

Apart from your credit card company, some specific websites do give cashback. For the most part, differences are minor, but you will use them over time, and they add up. You’ll get quite a return.

There are many options; one of the biggest ones could be Rakuten. You can log into both accounts and enjoy all the advantages of using them when you shop online.

Look for Military, Veteran, or Student Discounts

My final online shopping tip involves military and student discounts. If you fall within these demographics—either as a veteran or as a student—many retailers offer discounts specifically crafted for you. You’ll want some sort of proof to be able to prove you’re a member of one of them, but when you do, you get discounts others won’t get.