The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money Every Time You Shop Online

With minimal amount of effort, it is possible to find a better deal online than can be found in the stores. These six strategies will help you save money every time you purchase a product online.

Search for Sales

If you see a sale advertised on TV or in you local newspaper, you can usually get the same deals online at the store's website. If you don't notice any sales, you can also do a web search for online sales. Online stores often have sale prices not available in other stores.

Check for Online Coupons

For additional savings, do a web search for online coupons. For example, if you will be making your purchase through Amazon.com type "amazon coupon" in the search box. Copy the promotional code and plug it in when you make your final purchase. When I purchase photo prints online, I almost always get free shipping or free prints by searching for coupons. I can almost always find at least a 10% on other items that I buy.

Use a Price Comparison Website

Visit a website that does price comparisons, such as Froogle.com or Shopping.com. These sites search several sites for you and show a side by side comparison to help you find the best price on the item you want to buy.

Factor in Shipping Costs

A deal isn't a deal if you are paying an excessive amount of shipping. Sometimes merchants will add the cost you save to the cost of shipping. Once when I was shopping for a large toy for my son, I found one site that offered the toy for $20 less than any other site, but when I checked the shipping cost, the shipping was $22 more than the other websites.

Check Websites that Specialize in Bargains

Overstock.com purchases name brand merchandise that has been overstocked in department stores and passes the saving on to consumers. Online auctions such as EBay may have further bargains on the item you want to buy. If you are purchasing a magazine subscription, music, or movies, search for package deals. I once purchased four one-year-long magazine subscriptions for a total of $12 through a website that specialized in magazine subscriptions.

Buy Direct from the Manufacturer