4 Helpful Hints for Saving Money Online

Ask people what they think about the Internet and its influence on society and you’ll get a lot of different points of view. Not all people think the Internet is a good thing. Some people love it. Most people at least accept its uses and a few people believe it’s an evil scourge. However, the opportunities it presents to save money on purchases cannot be refuted.

In case you’ve not made it your business to become savvy about the ways you can save money online, this short guide will serve as a gentle introduction to online shopping and four of the best ways to save.

Price Comparison Websites

One of the drawbacks to online shopping is the inability to really get a good look at the items you want to purchase. When buying electronics in a high street store, you can have a good look at any item you’re interested in. You can have a sales assistant turn on that gorgeous HDTV and let you check the audio and visual quality. When you shop online, you don’t have that luxury.

Price comparison websites help to make up for this shortcoming though. They let you gather lots of information about products you are interested in. Thanks to the way these sites are laid out, you can get much of this information at a glance. Comparison sites also give you a very quick way to see who’s selling what at the lowest price. Before you make any big-ticket purchases online, doing your homework with the aid of a price comparison website is definitely recommended.

Coupon or Voucher Websites

If price comparison sites are the way to identify the best savings before you buy, coupon websites are the way to save at the point of purchase. There are few items for sale in online stores, which can’t be saved on if you take the time and trouble to look for coupon codes. Once compared the price and identified exactly what you want and where you plan to buy it from, start hunting down a voucher. Visit websites like Valpak and you’re almost certain to find a coupon offering some form of discount for the product you want, at the store you want to buy from.

You can find literally dozens of these coupon codes with a quick Google search. It may take you some time and patience to trawl through them for just the right voucher. Sometimes you may only be able to find a coupon for a small discount, but any saving is better than none. Given that you should be getting a good price for your item from your price comparison research, a coupon code is the icing on the cake.

Websites with Daily Deals

Another approach to saving money online is a little less targeted, but a great way to be opportunistic about getting great deals. If you sign up to a daily deal website, you will receive an email each day. This email will offer you a number of very deeply discounted prices on a range of products and services. This is where the opportunism comes in.

A lot of the time there won’t be anything in the daily offers that you want, but sometimes you will see something at a price too good to refuse. This may be for something that you have a desire to buy, but have it on the back burner. A daily deal price might just be good enough for you to reprioritize that purchase. You do have to act fast though, because the deals do literally last for just one day.

The other way to benefit from this form of online saving is to keep an eye on the daily deals when you need to buy a gift for someone. Not only do you get great savings, but also the range of items offered might inspire you when you are short of a gift idea for someone.

Save Online Shipping Costs

A slight disadvantage to shopping online can sometimes be the postage or shipping costs. Most times, you will be charged for shipping because of course, the items you buy must be delivered to your home. One way you can save shipping charges is through high street stores with online shopping websites. These stores (typically chain stores) often give you the option to order your item online and collect it in a physical store.

This type of arrangement is often known as “ship to store.” All you need to do is place your order on the store’s website and wait. The retailer will ship your item from a main warehouse to your local store, along with the store’s scheduled bulk delivery. You will be notified, probably by email when your item is in store. Then you just go and collect it. Sometimes these schemes allow you to make payment in the store as well, which can be advantageous if you don’t like using your credit or debit card online.

Other Opportunities to Save

Aside from the four ways to save listed above, there are plenty of other saving opportunities online. The lack of overheads associated with physical shop fronts gives online retailers some leeway to maintain low prices. Add to that the fact that competition is fierce and the two things combine as good news for you the buyer. The one simple golden rule to online shopping today is this: Treat it like shopping in a Turkish Bazaar, the price you first see should not be the price you pay.