As we continue to advance within this ever-evolving digital age, it stands to reason that we strive to save money when shopping online is higher than ever before. After all, with 24 million eCommerce sites out there and about half of the world being avid online shoppers, it stands to reason why traditional “cutting out coupons” from magazines/newspapers is not as common anymore. However, that does not mean the desire to save money when online shopping isn’t still a hot topic.
With that being said, if you are someone who is seeking some unique ways to save money online, then stick around for a bit. Here are the top 5 new tips that you can use to save while shopping online.
1. Outsmart the dynamic price trap
You may have noticed dynamic pricing when you’re browsing for flights. One day you notice a flight for $120-roundtrip. Whoa, really? That’s a steal! The next day you go back to book it and suddenly it’s $180. Would it really have increased $60 in a single day?
This increase is called dynamic pricing, and it’s a technique that retailers use when they know you’re interested in a product or service. The price they show you may not be the price they show someone else who generally has a lower price point when it comes to online services or hasn’t expressed interest in buying.
If you’re looking to outsmart biased prices, you should do the following:
- Switch to incognito mode
- Log out of your accounts (email, G+, Facebook, etc.)
- Clear your browsing history and cookies
- Choose localized versions of websites
- For example: Choose developing countries as “home” to get better prices when searching for airfare
2. Maximize your coupons
Use a browser extension like Checkmate to help you find coupon codes. All you have to do is install this browser extension and shop like you normally do. They’ll find the coupon codes and apply them for the maximum savings.
Checkmate is great because it combines generic saving coupons from the web as well as pulling them from your inbox. Brands have made discount codes more personalized by sending them to your inbox, Checkmate makes sure you don’t forget to use them.
3. Leave items in your cart on purpose
We’ve all left items in our carts and received an email from a company asking us to close the deal. But did you ever notice that some stores will send coupons or offer a better price on those items the next day? Retailers like Bed, Bath & Beyond, Macy’s, Office Max, etc. are prone to doing this. If you’re not pressed for time, try leaving for your cart for a day or two and see if you get any emails with custom coupon codes generates specifically for you. Remember, this tip only works when you provide your email or set up an account (don’t forget to login)!
If you are like me and sometimes forget to check for coupon codes the next day, try Checkmate as they will automatically pull the coupon codes from your inbox so you never forget to!
4. Sign up to brands emailing lists
Brands reward customers who let them directly contact you via emailing discount coupons. As brands have gotten smarter they value loyal followers and have moved away from generic discount codes to sending personalized single-use coupons. If you want to save as a first-time shopper or a returning customer there is a high chance you will have a discount coupon sitting in your inbox from subscribing to their mailing list.
Coupon extensions such as Honey or Retailmenot are great to find public coupons but if you want additional savings try Checkmate as they pull out the one time use coupons sent directly to you.
5. Use discounted gift cards
Are you tired of waiting for cashback, or aren’t having any luck with coupons? Try using discounted gift cards. This tactic provides immediate savings (up to 50%) on items you planned to buy anyway by searching the Internet and applying them at checkout. Companies like Raise or Checkmate make finding, buying and applying discounted gift cards easy.
How to shop using Discounted Giftcards
- Shop as usual and then head to checkout
- Take note of the total after applying coupons, then go to Raise or Checkmate to buy a discounted gift card for the remaining amount.
- Note; Checkmate does this automatically through their browser extension
- Purchase the gift card & add to your payment window at checkout
- That’s it! You just saved money
Final thoughts
Why pay full price while online shopping when you can save by using a few helpful tools such as Checkmate, Raise, or other savings tools?