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The quick guide to saving money via online shopping

Article originally from sorted.org.nz. 

The internet has made shopping for everything you could possibly think of just so easy. So easy, that anyone, anywhere, can do it from the comfort of their own home, in seconds – from dog toys to caravans, USB sticks to holiday packages! But before you click on that big shiny BUY button, why not have a think about how you can save money when purchasing online? You might just get that new home stereo for $200 less.

Want to save money when online shopping? Here’s the skinny on how to do it.

pexels-photoShop with large, trusted low price retailers

Often when online shopping, the larger the retailer or company, the sweeter the price. These retailers have greater buying power so they can pass on the savings to their customers.

Large, trusted retailers like ASOS, for fashion, The Warehouse, for home, garden, and more, and JB Hi-Fi, for computers and electronics, can often help you to find what you want, for less. Building up a list of bookmarks of online retailers that you reuse (and trust) can help when you need to make another purchase.

Check discount code sites first

Ready to click “buy” on that brand new outfit from your favourite store? Stop! Before making your purchase it can pay to have a look on coupon sites such as NzVouchers, Coupon Kiwi, and Choice Cheapies first. You might very well find a coupon code for $10 off, or even 20% off the price of your purchase. For a few extra minutes spent you may find yourself saving a bunch of cash.

Use price comparison websites

If you are after a specific item that you know will be offered across a range of retailers, then price comparison websites will put in the hard work for you. Now you will be able to view the prices across retailers all in the one place. For instance, a search for “Apple iPhone 7 Plus 128GB” turns up 17 results ranging from $1347.88 to $1629.00 on the Price Me comparison website, and 21 results ranging from $1347.88 to $1828.99 on the similar Price Spy website.

Join deal of the day subscription services

If you’re more of an incidental shopper, and like to purchase a good deal when it crops up, then you will probably enjoy shopping on ‘deal of the day’ websites. These websites offer great deals on everything from dinners out, to sportswear, to academic courses, and grocery supplies, all available only for a limited time. If you find something that stands out, you can often save a lot of money. Check out sites like 1-Day, Groupon, and Crazy Sales.

While generally prices online are cheaper than you’d find elsewhere, to begin with, you can often get a better deal – if you use the right tricks. Try these out next time you’re online shopping and let us know how they work out for you!