One Quora wanted to learn tips people use to save money when they go online shopping. Here are some of the best responses from this conversation.
Open Sites in Incognito Mode
Kartikesh says that your browsing history is used to make recommendations, influencing the price of whatever you want to buy. If you buy in private mode, you can buy cheaper, “Fortunately, my friend told me that while online shopping, you must open the window in incognito mode. Then I opened it, & price was 699 Rs only.The reason behind it is Recommended System. Every shopping website has recommended system, which captures your online activities like products you are looking for, products you like, etc. It sends cookies to your browser. And you’ll see the products & their prices shown by the site’s recommended system. So be careful while shopping online. Always open shopping sites in incognito mode or in a private window. It’ll prevent you from getting captured from Recommended System.”
Take Advantage of the Return Policy
Kartikesh further gives a tip that made her get the best out of a product while paying nothing for it, “Whenever you see the offer, you hastily place the order, always look for the guarantee of product and return & replace policy. Return policy means your product will be returned, and you’ll get a refund… If the product provides a return policy, then you can use the product for 10 days free. During my final year, I required a Fingerprint scanner for my project. My project submission was on 15th May. I ordered it on 10th May. It was delivered to me on 13th May. After the project submission, I initiated a return request. The next day, I got my money back. In this way, I saved 4000 Rs.”
Abandon Your Cart
Shubham offered several tips on how to save money while shopping online. Some may be unorthodox, but they seem to work for him, “Add items to your cart and then leave the website without completing the purchase. Some online stores may send you a reminder email with a discount or offer to encourage you to complete the transaction.”
Use Price Comparison Tools
According to Shubham, do not buy products online without comparing their prices, “Before making a purchase, compare prices on different websites or use price comparison tools and apps to find the best deals. Sometimes the same item can be significantly cheaper on a different platform.”
“PriceBlink offers price comparisons and coupons. A yellow bar appears at the top of the screen when looking at a product online. It will tell you if you can find a better deal somewhere else,” says another user.
Using coupon apps to help you save money is the way to go!
Join Facebook Groups
Jarred says that although it takes long to browse through these pages, some of these Facebook groups offer great tips on how to save money online, “I am part of dozens of Facebook pages where people share their money-saving hacks. Many share discount codes, coupons, and even which websites offer the cheapest items. I like to browse through the posts when I have some free time. Reading through loads of posts is tedious, but you also get golden rewards like a 50% discount off Costco or a 2-for-1 at Zara.”
Use Browser Extensions
Shelli advises people to use Chrome extensions whenever accessing e-commerce websites online, “You can save a lot of money while shopping online by using a variety of great and useful Chrome extensions. I found one Chrome extension called Pocketbuddy. It is a Chrome extension that helps you to find the best offers and discounts on your available payment cards when you shop online. This is an amazing and hassle-free way of saving while shopping online.”
Buy During Big Sales
Taking advantage of big sales can help one save considerably; as Preston notes, “There are basically two great sale seasons in a year – Black Friday sale and mid-year sale. Take the best time to save more on your desired items. Pay attention to your favorite brands and they’ll have great discounts at that time. If you’re looking for water filters, Waterdrop is a brand providing premium water filters for households or businesses. And they’re having an up to $299 sale on Black Friday!”
Use Coupons
Sakshi swears by coupons as the best way to save money while shopping online, “Coupons are the best way to save money while you enjoy your online shopping. Some of the best websites that provide these offers are… Ad dekho, couponmozo, shoppirate, and my Tokri…”
Use Cashback and Rebate Websites
According to Sahil, these sites give you back a percentage of whatever you spend, “Cashback websites allow you to earn a percentage of your purchase amount as cashback. Before making a purchase, check if there are any cashback opportunities available. Some popular cashback websites include Rakuten (formerly Ebates) and Honey.”
Buy Refurbished Items
Sahil also points out that used items can help save money because they are cheaper than new ones, “Consider purchasing refurbished or used items if it makes sense for the product you need. These items are often significantly cheaper than new ones, and many online retailers offer warranties or guarantees for refurbished products.”
Call Support
Sean urges people to call support and negotiate prices before purchasing, “I recently went to change flight times through a web portal. I went in with the understanding that it would cost me a few bucks. But the costs were ridiculous. There were add-on fees at every corner; they wanted me to spend as much as the original flight to move the flight by 3 hours. Deliberately, I made it a point to call and find their support number (which they strategically make difficult to find.) Doing so saved me a substantial amount of money. In situations like this, be it flights, Amazon, Walmart, any web portal, the moment you pick up the phone and call a support center, you’ve moved a chip in your favor at the negotiation table.”
Sign Up for Email Lists
IgorVetushko via DepositPhotos.com.
Some companies offer discounts to their email subscribers; as Fi Money notes, “Many retailers offer special discounts and promotions to email subscribers. By signing up for email lists, you can stay informed about sales and discounts.”
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