There are very few feelings in the world greater than receiving a package in the mail. That’s a fact and another awesome feeling is when you save a lot of money and in this post I’m going to give you tips on saving money and online shopping tips.
I mean, it’s hard to stop online shopping but it’s not that hard to save money and time while doing it. Hopefully these tips help your shopping addiction in the good way and, if not, well, at least you’ll get a lot of mail and that’s always fun, right?
1. Wait for minor holidays.
Even though Labor Day Weekend or April Fool’s Day aren’t typically considered to be holidays, a lot of online retailers tend to have some kind of deal. Valentine’s Day is another day that tends to have great deals. Take advantage of these deals on these random holidays because not every day is going to be Cyber Monday.
2. Search for discount codes.
Before I order anything from anywhere I Google “STORE NAME coupon code” and usually find one for free shipping for 10%+ off. There’s also a Google Chrome extension called Honey that helps find you working discount codes and offers as you shop. It’s pretty handy. This is my favorite of the online shopping tips because I saved 40% on my business cards just because I found a discount code for business cards that expired the next day.
3. Sign up for the store newsletters on a separate e-mail account.
Make a “junk” e-mail that is specifically for store accounts. If you get these deals mailed to your main e-mail you’re more likely to order things you don’t really need because the deal sounds too good to be true AND you’ll be overwhelmed with spam. By creating this e-mail account you will only check it when you’re thinking of making a purchase, not on a daily basis. It’s there if you need it but you can ignore the e-mails if you don’t.
4. Familiarize yourself with deals.
Bath & Body Works has a semi-annual sale and it’s the only time I buy things from there because they have huge mark downs. Mark the dates on your calendar because they’re generally the same times of year! Victoria’s Secret and other retailers often have huge sale events so try to plan your shopping around those. Also, I have more money saving shopping tips on the blog if you’re really interested in lowering the prices of your purchases.
5. Don’t buy a ton of shit to get free shipping.
I’m SO guilty of this but it’s a trick from the online retailer who wants you to spend more. I once wanted to order two $6 Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams from Ulta and ended up ordering $30 more of free stuff just to avoid paying $6 for shipping. Listen, I hate shipping as much as you do but look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if spending $30 to avoid spending $6 is really worth it. Sometimes it is but most of the time it really isn’t.
6. Join reward programs for places you frequently shop.
I’m a member of the Ulta program that gets you points for each purchase and it’s certainly paid off. Most of these “reward programs” don’t cost you anything and they will only benefit you so definitely look into them anywhere you love to shop. Also, Sephora’s program gives you free birthday gifts, so that’s pretty sweet.
7. Ask friends/family if they want to buy anything before ordering.
This can help you hit free shipping without doing #5 on the list. If you and you roommate both want to order some Colour Pop Lippies, splitting the bill can lead to hitting the free shipping minimum and you both walk away with only what you wanted and no shipping. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to shop when free shipping is involved.
8. Read the item description
I recently received a dress from eShakti which specializes in SUPER customizable clothing. The dress arrived after about a week and a half and while it did fit me incredibly well, it wasn’t what I was expecting. I had neglected to read what type of fabric the dress was. I’m going to be honest here. This was my own error though–like I said read the item description. Read which type of fabric the garment will use, because I had never thought to do that before now.
Also, how cute is the little heart print overlay neckline? I’m not sure what shoes I’ll wear this with yet (hence the barefoot photos) but I’ll figure it out eventually.
If you have a difficult body type to shop for or just like having clothes that are customized to your perfect length, neckline and body shape, I would recommend eShakti but just be sure to read your item description on this site and any site you shop on. Pictures of the item are great but descriptions can be really helpful, too.
What are some of your online shopping tips?
