11 money saving tips when shopping online
Written By Jenny Wu on
Unless you’re swimming in cash, I think we can all agree that money saved is money earned, amirite? Of course, the best way to save would be to not shop, period, but let’s be honest with ourselves and admit that’s not going to happen, even when pigs can fly.
So if we’re going to shop, the least we can do is be smart about it and get the most bang for our buck. As a shopaholic extraordinaire™, I’ve got 11 tips I’d like to share with you on how you can save some serious $$$ when shopping online:
- Sign up for Ebates, and shop online whenever possible. Ebates gives you cash back – anywhere from 1% to 16% – whenever you shop through their links or app. In the 2+ years I’ve been using them, I’ve gotten $786.21 back! With most stores now offering free shipping, there’s really no reason to shop in store (though Ebates is now offering limited in-store cash back as well).
- But do visit stores to sample/swatch/try on products. You know, so you don’t end up with something that turns out to be a total dud. It may seem like extra work, but I make a note to do this if I’m already at the mall. Yes it’s hard to resist the instant gratification of buying the products then and there (especially when I’m in Sephora), but I remind myself of the potential 8% cash back online and it’s worth it.
- Add your favorite stores to your Ebates account, and sign up for the double cash back emails. Ebates rotates the stores with these deals, so adding your favorite stores to the list will let them notify you when one of them has double cash back! To prevent impulse purchases, limit these to stores you actually shop at or need something from.
- Sign up for your favorite stores’ newsletters using a separate email account. You don’t want these emails spamming your main account, but at the same time, it’s the best way to get notified of sales and deals. Plus many of them offer a 10% – 20% coupon code for your first purchase! The key is to only sign up for stores that you regularly shop at and not buy something just because it’s on sale. To help me focus and prevent impulse purchases, I…
- Keep a list of all the products you want to buy and why you want to buy them. I do this regularly when I read blog reviews or when I’m browsing online. Currently I’m using Giftry, which comes with a browser extension, mobile app, and mobile browser extension so I can save products on any device. Here’s my embarrassingly long wishlist in case you’re curious.
- Sign up for the store credit card if you shop there regularly. I know some people get iffy about signing up for multiple credit cards, but if you shop at a particular store regularly and you always pay your bills in full and on time, the rewards are totally worth it. I have the TJMaxx/Marshall’s/HomeGoods card and I regularly get $10 coupons in the mail thanks to their generous 5% cash back reward. If you’re a regular Ulta shopper you might want to check out their card that gives you double points per purchase!
- Take advantage of your credit card perks and rewards. One of my favorite credit cards, Chase Freedom, offers 5% cash back on rotating categories like department stores or drugstores. Pair that with the double cash back from Ebates (see tip #3), and you can get 15% – 20% back for your purchases! Throw in a coupon that you got from the newsletter (see tip #4), and you’re looking at 30%-50% saved.Or if you have an American Express, they offer free ShopRunner memberships, which guarantee free 2-day shipping and returns for 100+ stores! Definitely check out your card to see what the perks are, and if there are none, consider signing up for a better one (I could write a whole post on maximizing credit card rewards…let me know if you’re interested)?
- Put your student email to good use. If you still have access to your university email address, I highly recommend signing up for StudentBeans and Unidays for some coupon codes that give you an extra 10% to 20% off your order! Unfortunately these discounts usually don’t stack with store-wide sales, but any discount is better than no discount.
- Don’t limit yourself to local stores. Being in the US, we’re fortunate to have local access to brands and products from all over the world. However, you can save significantly if you chose to shop from an oversea store, many which offer free shipping. Mili from Sharmtoaster has a great post on the cost difference of buying Omorovicza products from CultBeauty, and I’ve confirmed the same significant savings for Oskia and By Terry products.If you’re looking for Taiwanese or Japanese brands, I recommend checking out MyHuo (store review here) or BGO (on Google Translate if you can’t read Chinese). And unless your order exceeds $800, I wouldn’t worry about duties. A credit card with $0 foreign exchange fees would be perfect in this situation, and really one worth having if you do any type of international traveling.
- Take advantage of price tracking and price matching. Places like Amazon constantly fluctuate their prices, so a price tracker like CamelCamelCamel let’s you know if you’re buying at a peak and will notify you if prices ever drop. For other major retailers, you can use PricePinx instead. In case the price drops after you’ve already ordered, it never hurts to ask the retailer to price match, especially if it’s within a 2 week window. Many credit cards also offer price protection, so check with your issuing bank!
- Don’t be afraid to complain to the store and to your local consumer protection agency. Obviously I’m talking reasonable complaints here, but if a store fails to deliver on the quality of their products or service, you need to speak up. I’ve extended my Amazon Prime membership by almost a year for free due to them repeatedly missing their 2-day delivery date. If contacting the store doesn’t work, try the Better Business Bureau (US and Canada) or a local consumer protection agency. 9/10 times the store has responded favorably when I complained via BBB #justsayin
And this is how I manage to keep my spendings within budget, despite my seemingly frequent shopping trips. The great thing is that most of these require very little effort, yet the savings can be huge when you add them up. If anything, the most effort spent would be in the waiting – waiting for the sales, waiting for the coupons, and waiting for the double cash backs. However, I find that as a result of the waiting, I’m able to thoroughly think through the items I want to purchase and drastically reduce the number of impulse purchases.
So let’s all shop smarter and save more, yes? Let me know what your favorite money saving tip is, or if you’d like to see more dollar-stretching posts in the future! As always, thank you so much for reading, and have a great week ahead :)
Passionate about science-based skincare. Tested hundreds if not thousands of products since my 20's. Working regularly with brands like iHerb, Ulta, CurrentBody, and MedStar Health to share my knowledge and experience in all things beauty. Learn more.
Skin profile: 35+, dry/combination, focused on well-aging, hydration, and a healthy glow ✨
Comments & Questions
Marina Rosie
I am in complete agreement with you when it comes to store cards; I literally have over 50 different membership cards, all to makeup shops, apart from my Starbucks card. (Gotta love those Frappes!) x Again, an amazing post Jenny.
Lots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
http://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/
Jenny Wu
Thank you so much Marina! Glad to know I'm not the only one with a bunch of membership cards, but the rewards are too good to pass up! And yes, gotta have that Starbucks card for to get those free frappes! :P
Marina Rosie
You know, I went to a Starbucks in Greece and they had a birthday cake frappe! xx I hadn't seen that before so I was kind of shocked but I bought it, never the less, and it was delicious! So if you ever get the chance to binge and buy one, do go for it, it felt like my birthday in a drink. x
Jenny Wu
Oh that sounds so yummy Marina! I've never seen it in a US Starbucks before but I think it might be a secret menu drink. Thanks for sharing!
Lisa Linh
Love all the tips. I've heard so much on Ebates but I don't shop online enough to really use them. Most of shopping ends up to be for food and household supplies through Amazon, haha. #adulting
Great post!
Lisa Linh
https://www.bylisalinh.com/blog/2017/3/27/the-perfect-travel-duo-with-botkier
Jenny Wu
Thank you so much Lisa! I think even if you don't shop online much you can still benefit from Ebates, it's free to join and there's no minimum withdrawl threshold - they send you a check (or deposit via Paypal) every quarter :) Amazon is a must have for our household essentials as well, thank goodness for the Amazon storecard and their instant 5% cashback!
Demilade
I love all these tips! I always go in store to swatch products before I buy them if I can. This has actually saved me from buying products that seem 'great' but turn out to be a total flop. Thanks for these tips, I'll bear them in mind. xx
Coco Bella Blog
Jenny Wu
So glad to hear that Demilade! Swatching things in store has definitely made a huge difference for me as well, I just wish I had figured this out sooner!
Mili
So many good tips! My prime packages are constantly late, I had no idea that they offered something back for late shipments! I'm definitely going to be filing them as late from now on :)
Mili | Sharmtoaster
Jenny Wu
I found it happens most often when it's being delivered by a smaller courier service, UPS/USPS shipments are pretty much always on time for me. I always file my complaint via chat which takes only a few minutes!
Esnath
oh! you hit the nail on the head there Jenny, we are never stopping the addiction which is shopping. Its too stiff a price to pay in-order to save money. So thank you for these tips, I will be making sure to sign up for ebates, can't wait to start saving hurray.
Jenny Wu
Exactly Esnath, the world would be a very sad place if we could never shop again! So glad you liked these tips, and yay for saving!!
Cat L.
So many great tips Jenny and well said-- we will not stop shopping even when pigs can fly (will have to steal this line from you)! :) I also have Ebates and use it all the time as I primarily shop online. I didn't know about cult beauty and saving on british brands but from now on i'll make sure to check it out. Same goes for signing up for a TJ Maxx card. I've been meaning to and always put it off. I do have a Target store card and it is indeed very helpful. Thank you for sharing these tips!
~ Cat L.
www.CatsDailyLiving.com
Jenny Wu
Haha, thank you so much Cat, so glad you liked the tips! I have the Target card as well (...is there a card that I don't have? haha), and I love the instant 5% discount and free shipping! The TJMaxx one is excellent, plus I think you get a 20% discount on your first purchase!
Amy
Ebates is my jam!! I've been trying really hard to cut down on spending in general, especially online, although Amazon ALWAYS gets me! Loved this post babe.
xx, Amy
http://www.theluxilook.com
Jenny Wu
Thanks so much Amy! Oh God Amazon always gets me as well, they literally have everything I need and you can't beat the 2-day (sometimes 1-day) shipping. Thank goodness for the Amazon store card for the 5% cash back!
Carina
I need to check if Ebates works also in Italy! Also, need to check price matching sites, never used them before. Awesome tips!
xo
www.carinavardie.com
Jenny Wu
Thank you Carina! I hope Ebates works there, it really is the #1 way to save money when shopping online!
Stephanie
Incredibly helpful list Jenny! It's inspiring me to put together my own list - I love ebates and I agree with you - there's just no excuse to *not* shop online with the free shipping most stores offer!
Jenny Wu
Thank you Stephanie! :) Ebates really is a lifesaver isn't it, though I wonder if having it around is making me shop more...? Ah well!
Jen
Love your tips! Sounds so helpful ♥
www.heresometimes.com
Jenny Wu
Thanks so much for reading Jen!
Shireen L. Platt
Damn Jenny, you got this online sopping thing down to a science. Haha! I only use eBates.ca and yes, a different email address for all the newsletters and I try checking them like once every 2-3 days or I will be tempted to spend every single day. LOL!
Jenny Wu
Haha, if only I worked this hard in school as I did to save money while shopping, oh the things I could've accomplished...:P That's a good reminder to only check that inbox a few times a week...right now I have mine connected to my phone and I get instant alerts. Not good!
Samantha
Ahh, these are such great tips! I actually continually clean out my wishlist because it also gets embarrassingly long and I want to make sure I buy stuff that I want and will USE. I haven't heard about eBates though (I know, what a terrible online shopper I am) so I'll definitely have to give that a shot since I'm finding a lot of products I want online as opposed to in store!
Sam | My Beauty Cloud
Jenny Wu
That's a great idea Samantha, I definitely should go through my wishlist periodically to remove things I no longer want or need :P And definitely sign up for ebates, your wallet will thank you!
Heather Noire
I love the idea for the student email. If you do something similar with Top Shop you get a great discount online. I love these tips because I adore shopping online for some needed goodies :)
http://www.bauchlefashion.com/2017/03/80s-power-dressing.html
Jenny Wu
Thanks Heather, so glad to hear you liked these tips! I haven't shopped at Top Shop before, but that's great to know! It's amazing how handy our student emails can be :P
Elisa L.
no.4 is exactly what i like doing, lol. i tend to sign up with different dummy email accounts just so i can get the discount code. sometimes though, those discount codes are left to collect mold and dust because either a). i'm forgetful i have coupon codes or b). i don't feel like making a purchase on said website. also, since i don't have a credit card, i need to go to the ATM for payment and since i don't go out often, my orders tend to be canceled since i don't pay on time :))
the student email tips is so convenient! i didn't know such convenience exists. we don't get such awesome privileges here :\
sometimes i'm glad i'm able to control myself when it comes to buying products. the temptation when walking pass a drugstore is too much. i find myself stealing glances at the maybelline shelf, for instance but i'm lucky enough that my logic defeats my temptation. these are good tips though, especially for spenders who actually have the budget to purchase the things they want. in my case, i have limited budget so that saves me too haha
Jenny Wu
I've definitely forgotten about discount codes in the past, and then I have to sign up again using another account :P So now I try to keep all my "coupon code" emails in one folder so I can always reference them if I ever decide to shop in the future!
I feel like self control is a lot more difficult when you're shopping in person and the product is right there, which is another reason why I try to avoid going to the mall...too many temptations! :P
Ivona
These tips are the best! It always makes me happy to save a few bucks when shopping, so I'll have to give them a try. Thanks for sharing, girl! :)
Ivona from www.thesmokedetector.net
xoxo
Jenny Wu
Thank you Ivona, so glad you liked the tips! Being able to save money in any way is always a good thing, it means more money for our next shopping trip! :P
Yiota
I am using Ebates too and it's amazing how much money you get back. Great tips and thank you for sharing this post, it's life saving for us shopaholics!! xx
Yiota
PinkDaisyLoves
Jenny Wu
You're so welcome, and thank you for reading Yiota! Ebates is definitely a must have for anyone who likes shopping :P
Great Lady
I love these tips, they are very helpful. Thank you for sharing. BTW, I love your site, it's beautiful.
memoirsofagreatlady
Jenny Wu
Thank you so much dear, glad you like the site and the tips! :)
Gloria
I thought I'd know most of these tips already, but you've taught me quite a bit! I didn't even know Better Business Bureau existed, but I'll definitely keep it in mind for the next time a shop is being difficult. Luckily I haven't had any problems other than with Amazon, and their customer service is always good with responding and making amends. Sadly I can't make much use of tips #6-8 yet, but I'll remember them once I can sign up for credit cards and have a student email!
Also yes to Ebates! I tried this other app before, TopCashBack, and for some reason they never gave me cashback on my purchase (it wasn't even tracked!), so Ebates is my go-to now. I admit their double cashback days sometimes tempt me to make a purchase at Sephora... but that's just something I need to resist. Thanks for the great tips Jenny, and I'd love to see more lifestyle posts from you!
Jenny Wu
Haha, this is what years of shopping does to you :P I can't remember how I found out about BBB, but thank goodness for them because sometimes businesses won't pay attention to you unless you go through them (sadly). I agree that Amazon's customer service is usually solid, if not amazing. I just wish their deliveries were as reliable!
I've used several other cashback apps before too, but none of them worked as well or had as many retailers as Ebates! I know what you mean about the double cash back deals though...gotta exercise a LOT of self control when those come around! :P So glad to hear you like these lifestyle posts, I'll definitely try to do more in the future!
Camilla / Gracefulface.com
ARGH I need to remember to shop online and use Ebates instead of going into the store. I have the Ebates browser extension so as long as I'm at my computer, I'll remember. Also, that Andalou Naturals rose oil looks sooo lovely!
Jenny Wu
The extension is definitely a must have for me as well, otherwise I forget! They also have an iPhone/Android app but I never liked shopping on my phone as much :P
The Andalous Natural Rose Oil smells amazing, and it's quite light too. And compared to the other oils in my rotation, it's the most affordable one by far :D
Tara
I recently saved really well at Amazon because I waited until the timing was right! I'd been eyeing a Kindle Voyage for the last year or two, but I couldn't justify the price. But then I saw that it was $50 off for Prime Members (for the first time, ever?!) and I had a $169 gift card balance . . . so I nabbed it with a leather case for $40! :D Some I've learned that it helps to wait . . . sometimes XD;
These are some great tips. I've never considered some of them before, so thanks for the heads up :) I think it's awesome when you make a legit and polite complaint and the company reimburse you in fabulous ways XD
Jenny Wu
Ooo Amazon does have some great deals if you wait, but sadly I have no patience ???? Working on it, but not making much progress yet, haha.
Most companies value customer service, so they'll try their best to rectify the situation when you reach out. Works for them because I usually become a repeat customer due to the good experience (and I boycott them if they're horrible).
Naya // www.partyparrotblog.com
Such a great and informative post! Thanks a lot for sharing your money saving tips with us, Jenny! I am so bad when it comes to shopping in general, I am just like that girl from Shopaholic movie lol Sure your tips will help xx
Jenny Wu
Thank you Naya! Haha, I definitely relate to you (and the girl from Shopaholic!), but now that I try to save as much as possible and make less impulse purchases, my shopping trips feel guilt-free :P
Caked To The Nines
Love these tips! I'm always trying to save money because I spend so much lol. Today is actually my two year anniversary with eBates. I love them!
Jenny Wu
So glad to hear that, thank you for reading! Ebates is heaven sent for shopaholics like us :P
Face to Curls
These are all fantastic tips. I tell my hubby all the time that when I shop, the world gets better. Haha
I also have Ebates and use it all the time (when I remember). I can kick myself when I forget. It's a must have if you shop online like I do, all the time. Thank you for sharing these great tips! xx
Ann-Marie | http://facetocurls.com
Jenny Wu
Haha, love it, I should tell my husband that too! Having the ebates browser plugin really helps, it reminds you when you forget to enable it!