Online shopping is the way most people shop now. You skip the queues, can do it at any hour of the day and most of the time you can get a good deal. Even more so if you are using a site like NetVoucherCodes.co.uk.
There are still ways you can maximize what you save when you are shopping online. Here are a few tips for you.
Leave It
One of the quickest ways to get a discount is not to finish your shopping. Many companies are set up so that if you abandon your cart, within around 10 hours, they will issue a discount to your mailing address. This is a two-pronged way to save, though. First off, you didn’t make a (likely) impulse purchase and secondly, one of the things that most stores put a lot of marketing and money into is closing a sale.
You leaving your cart means that you will trigger a follow-up email and for most places a discount code. Usually, you will need to be logged into your own account to benefit from this, so they have somewhere to send the code to.
Multiple Email Addresses
The first purchase from an email address is typically the one that comes with the big discount. Unless a store is also tracking home addresses. If you sign up using different email addresses, you can take advantage of the big % discount a couple of times. If you have your eye on a few items, then it is better to check the T&Cs before you split your order into different email addresses.
Reward Programs
There are a few apps and online platforms that will pay you simply for following particular instructions. You can be paid for online surveys, for looking at websites or even just looking at a specific product. Swagbucks, and ShopKick are all offering up cash or gift cards in exchange for your time.
So while this isn’t strictly saving money on shopping, it is making better use of the spare time that you have. If you prefer the idea that spending money will earn you money, then TopCashback is a great option too. Although there are other platforms, you should look in to.
Ditch Dynamic Pricing
The world of online shopping has put a lot of power in the hands of the brands. However, you can take it back by playing them at their own dynamic pricing games.
Have you ever taken a look at a hotel room, and it seemed like a great price, so you decided to think about it some more, and the next day it had shot up in price? That is dynamic pricing in action. As time has gone on, this technique has gotten even more sophisticated.
The best way to get a less biased price is:
- Log out of your online social media accounts – so you won’t be targeted with these adverts
- Switch to incognito mode, or use anonymous browsing
- Clear your browsing history and cookies
- If you get the option to choose a less economically developed country as your ‘homepage’ then do so – they use this to pitch the correct price point. So it is lower in many countries.
Call Them
Yes, in the age of the internet, a call works wonders. If you have just found a massive discount in your junk emails and want to use it, then you see it has expired. Call customer services and ask them to extend it. Explain that you are about to make a purchase and in most cases, they can grant an extension. Of course, if you do this, you should be sure that you actually want to complete the purchase.
Sales reps and customer services are all in the business of closing sales and helping customers – so let them. Oh, and always be nice if you are using the online chat or the phone, sales reps have some codes that they can use with their discretion.
Comparison
Always compare the price of the item you are thinking of buying. There are some extensions that will automatically do that for you. Other times you might like to do it manually. Either way, you can find a big difference in what stores are charging.
A final tip is to be careful of the day that you choose to do your shopping. Sunday is typically a big online shopping day, so you might find flights are cheaper if you book them then. Midweek is when most discounts and sales hit the stores too.
How are you saving money online? Let me know your best tips in the comments below!
This is a collaborative post
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