I am an online shopper.
This is how I prefer to find my items across all platforms – home, clothing, health & beauty, cleaning supplies, you name it. My neighbors laughed at me for a while about it always seeing boxes on my doorstep. Truly the places I actually go into for shopping is the grocery store, the hardware store and Home Goods (a girl can’t resist this place).
There are so many options for online shopping. You can check a variety of places for style, price and quantity without getting in your car going to and fro with extra time and mileage. Not everyone will agree with me and sometimes a good ‘ol mozie through the store for retail therapy or inspiration gathering is just what I need. But when it comes to gathering what I have on my list, online is always my number one route.
Beyond being able to shop from the comfort of your home (bra and glass of wine are optional), you can find some stellar deals. In fact, I get the text or phone call from my mom pretty regularly of ‘can you find _______ for me’ or ‘can you find me a coupon for _________.’
I’m going to share with you some of my tips and tricks for online shopping. While it is already enjoyable in not having to fight the crowds or the missed sizing, there are extra benefits with money savings!! This bargain hunter at heart is not a regular price shopper. My home and my closet are sale rack purchases, figuratively speaking for online sale racks. Here are my top 5 tools for getting your best deals online.
- Ebates
Ebates is my number one go to. Beyond the hunt for coupons, sometimes you need what you need or you have it narrowed between a few items. Ebates rewards you for purchasing items you were already eying. Different vendors have a specified percent cash back allocated for you to receive based on your cart subtotal. You simply have to select the button (on the app, ebates home page or header) and your webpage is refreshed and linked to Ebates. Once your order is purchased, you will receive a notification of when your account has been credited for that percentage of your order.
This is not immediate cash back. Your lump sum is given to you via check once a quarter, so four times a year. Since opening my account in 2016, I have gotten almost $1,000 dollar back! This is just me too. I don’t have a family of five I am purchasing for, just me and my dog. So, I am shopping as I usually would and being rewarded. Depending on price and coupons, a store having Ebates as an option (not all are supported by Ebates), sways me to purchase from one store or another.
This can seem timely and confusing but really is very simple. Once you find your rhythm and know how the system works, you can practically do this in your sleep. Also, if you made a purchase but were not issued your rebate, their awesome customer service staff are happy to assist you, no phone calls necessary.
Here is a quick look for how to set yours up!
- Honey
Honey is an internet application that holds all the coupon codes it can find. All my deal finders out there have had the struggle of googling and searching for coupon codes and coming up empty handed. Honey automatically tries out every coupon it can find into your carts ‘promo code’ slot to find you the best deal. No more copy and pasting and searching on your own. Honey does all of the work and you just get to press ‘purchase’ with the best price possible. Just like Ebates, Honey is linked into your internet browser for ease 😊
- Ibotta
Your local grocer probably has an app for you to click coupons to add to your account that are then applied at check out. Ibotta links to grocers as well as other vendors (including amazon) for coupons for percentages back. Sometimes it’s a simple amount of pocket change back just for shopping period. This one can suck your time away so it’s typically a quick skim and carry on with my day. This one is also not a direct cash back but you gather your total to a minimum of $20.00 and then pay yourself via your PayPal or Venmo account or if you prefer gift cards, there are a variety to select from.
- Google Shopping Tool
Google shopping tool is my go to for basic searches. Google searches all internet location that sell the product you are searching for. Sometimes you wouldn’t even think about some stores to carry a certain product. This takes out the guess work and narrows it down pretty quickly.
A great example from my life is my electric dog fence. I was looking to install an electric fence around my yard so the dog could roam but I didn’t have to pay the hefty price for a fence and keep a clean landscape look for my backyard as well. In searching via the Google shopping tool, I was able to find an electric fence kit in the brand I was searching for $60.00 cheaper than anywhere else at Overstock.com! Who would have thought Overstock would have had such a product!?
Proof that Google Shopping cuts down time and finds the vendor you might not have thought of.
- Bloggers
Go ahead and make fun of me or call me a millennial, I don’t care, but bloggers and social media are how I find most everything in my day to day life. Bloggers fill me in on deals and trends and inspiration and everything else in between. Many bloggers will provide coupon codes or deals or simply share a sale from one of their favorite stops or for one of their favorite product.
Social media is how I consume. Bloggers that I choose to follow provide me with information and sources that would spend hours searching and researching. Some of my favorites are Chris Loves Julia, Young House Love, Living with Landyn, Liz Adams and Jillian Harris. Those are my core five that are on my daily must check list! These bloggers fit my lifestyle and my interests. While we may not align on all the things, they provide me with deals, trends and inspiration that suit my lifestyle!
I hope this information helps your online shopping endeavors and saves you a buck or two! Another thing to consider is what benefit your credit card might offer. My American Express offers a free membership to ShopRunner.com and provides extra coupons, but more importantly free shipping as well as a variety of other monthly or annual perks for using their card to shop.
Let me know if you have any other key shopping tools or ways you save! I want to get information in your hands to make your day to day life simplified so you can get back to living and enjoying the beautiful life you have. Happy Shopping and Happy Saving!
Xo, km
