How to save money while shopping online
Everyone loves shopping online. There’s nothing better than snatching great deals without even leaving the sofa. We know It’s no secret that it can be a total strain on the old bank account.
Everyone loves shopping online. There’s nothing better than snatching great deals without even leaving the sofa. We know It’s no secret that it can be a total strain on the old bank account. It’s just so easy to go a bit crazy online.
So, never fear Slash is here! In this article we’ve written a whole load of tips and tricks that will get you spending smart in no time. By the time you finish you’ll be a shopping assassin.
1. Create a budget for your online shopping
There are so many ways to blow your wallet online. We’re constantly surrounded by ads, deals and discounts. This information overload can get your head spinning and put you into a difficult situation financially. The best solution is the one that’s as old as the concept of money; Create a budget. This works very well with the shopping list we helped you create earlier.
Your budget should be closely tied to your shopping list. You’ll have essential items factored in to create the core of your budget. It should be roughly calculated as prices dipp and weave. Once you’ve factored in the important stuff you can start adding things that are just nice to have. It’s important to buy yourself nice things sometimes.
Finally, you’ll have your contingencies, these are costs that can sneak up on you or change from time to time like shipping and taxes.
This budget is a foundation that will set you up on your journey to becoming a savings guru.
2. Make a list
Browsing a shop is a harmless bit of fun, we’re not here to judge.
However, having a written out list of what you want can really help organize your thoughts, keep you from getting distracted and prevent a financial fiasco. Have the items you want written out. You’ll start to realise which ones you really want and which ones you could live without.
Shopping around your budget doesn’t mean you need to squeeze all of your style into bullet points or settle for cheaper options with lower quality. No, the list is a guide through the fashion wilderness. It allows you to identify what you value and gives you more options in the long run. Investing in high quality and sustainable items will actually save you money. Once you know which items you really want you can get to point number 2.
3. Compare prices and check for special deals
Comparing prices and looking for discounts is a great way to save money. “Doing it all yourself?” Not so much. It can be a real bore and a waste of everyone’s time. We’ve all heard stories of sketchy websites and expired coupon codes.
Luckily, Slash is here to help once more. Our browser extension automatically gets you the best deals and discounts for the items you want.
When you sign up you’ll find out how many extra goodies you’re in store for.
Slash offers a huge selection of features like cash back, discounts and store credit. Each of these is a little gift from us to you.
Add the Slash extension to your browser and we’ll remove the grind. Leaving you with all the benefits.
4. Sign up for online reward programs
Brands love loyal customers and tend to offer all sorts of reward programs. Unfortunately, many people don’t take the time to inquire. You could be missing out on huge savings by ignoring a loyalty card from your favourite retailer.
The list is far more extensive than most people realise. It doesn’t just cover the big names! There are a whole host of smaller retailers and niche suppliers that include these programs. If you find yourself constantly returning to a shop, It can’t hurt to ask.
5. Leave items in your shopping cart
A hidden technique mastered by only the most adept discount divers, is to do nothing. It can be tempting to buy something as quickly as possible. When the adrenaline hits and you’re in a race to grab that lovely pair of shoes before they’re gone forever. The only downsides are that you pay full price and miss out on a saving.
The secret to online shopping is that as long as you put your items in the shopping cart the retailer reserves it for you. Your items aren’t going anywhere and that’s good news for you.
The store will want you to close the sale as quickly as possible. They’ll start employing tactics to create a sense of urgency.
The important thing is not to break. This is a battle of savings and “all’s fair in love and war.” Your inbox will get flooded with emails about the items urging you to “buy now”. You’ll see ads for the products everywhere you go, this is known as re-targeting. If none of that works you’ll get warnings about the cart being cleared and items vanishing unless you finalize quickly. This is a scare tactic to get you to fold. If you’re cool headed and you’ve held out long enough you’ll get what you want. The price will go down and you can finally close the sale. Bingo, you just scored yourself a sweet deal with barely any effort!
5. Avoid shipping fees at all!
2020 was the year that brick and mortar took a major hit. Many local stores started offering curbside delivery services in order to survive the lockdown. You order the things you want online and the store sends it directly to your door.
Curbside-delivery has emerged as a great way to support local businesses while getting the convenience of online shopping.
Because you’re getting clothes from stores directly you avoid crazy shipping fees. Local shops don’t need to order their clothes from global distribution warehouses located across the world. So you’re not on the hook for customs, tariffs and big ships that sail halfway around the world.
All this while supporting your local community? Sounds like a pretty good deal.