Five creative ways to save money shopping online

Love online shopping? Here are five creative ways you can save money.

Shopping online continues to increase in popularity because of the high level of convenience it offers. For many people, it’s enjoyable to shop for goods from different types of stores in the comfort of your home.

Although it can be easy to overspend due to the options available, there are a few creative ways to save money while shopping on the internet.

1) Look for discount codes

A variety of sites are dedicated to providing customers with different types of discounts and promotional codes that are currently available. This means you can find codes that take off a percentage of the price of an item you’re purchasing.

Sites like BrokeScholar.com are great examples of a provider of discounts and coupon codes in alliance with major name brands on clothes, stationary, food and drink, electronics and more. Not only do they give access to these discounts for students, but also teachers, to enhance affordability on a variety of online shopping websites.

For example, Lazada offers vouchers that give customers 15% cash back on their purchases from a number of brands. It’s always worth doing a search for codes to avoid paying full price on items you’re already planning on buying.

2) Sign up for Ebates

Ebates is a great site to use to ensure you get cash back for purchases that you make every few months. You can even pair Ebates with the coupons you’re using. Every few months, you’ll get money deposited into your bank account or a check based on the purchases you’ve made on major websites like Target or Walmart.

3) Check for sales

There are always different sales and promotions available online, especially at different times of the year when there are holidays. This makes it easy to take advantage of discounts on a continuous basis, especially if you want to make a large purchase. Many retailers also have annual sales around their anniversary as a way of attracting more customers. Look for discounts that are available and wait until items go on sale to save more money.

4) Buy secondhand

Many people don’t realize how many secondhand items are available online. From eBay to Etsy, there are a variety of products that are cheaper instead of buying them brand new. There are also apps like Poshmark where you can buy pre-owned items like designer shoes or children’s shoes and spend less than you would in-store.

Selling your own items on some of these websites can also allow you to obtain more funds to put towards some of your future purchases.

5) Sign up for newsletters and emails

An easy way to obtain a discount on a specific website is to sign up for the newsletter or emails that the retailer sends out. Subscribing to their emails often allows you to earn a 10 percent off coupon and is a quick way of saving money if you spot something that you want to buy.

Many retailers will also send you an additional coupon on your birthday, making it necessary to enter your information. Loyalty clubs will also allow you to save up to 15 percent when you become a regular customer and make more than a few purchases throughout the year.

The options are endless when it comes to finding ways to save money while shopping online, whether you’re looking for clothing, electronics, or furniture. Not only can you have more of a selection with what’s available, but you can stay within your budget and feel better about your purchases.