Don’t you wish that every single thing you laid your eyes on could be bought with a discount? We do too. Savings don’t only build your wallet, but they have also become an obsession. Being able to get something on discount feels like a victory.
There’s science behind this too, actually. You see, discounts encourage the release of a hormone called dopamine which injects feelings of satisfaction. No wonder we’re all so addicted! However, is not it unfair that you have to wait till sale seasons to shop if you want to save?
Or do you not have to wait and can save on buying anything at any time? The latter is totally possible. Most people don’t know but just by putting in a wee bit more effort they can save money every time they shop. Confused? Here are 7 ways you can get discounts on everything on the internet.
A newsletter is an email that contains information of all the recent happenings of the brand. For instance, it can talk about old products that have been restocked or any new brick-and-mortar stores opening soon. Newsletters also hold details about upcoming, running or exclusive discounts. Wondering how to subscribe to a newsletter or join the email list of a business?
It’s pretty simple; the option to join is given in the footer of the website. All you have to do is enter your email address. You may also see a popup inviting you to subscribe when you first open a website. Thinking that people don’t actually read emails? You’re wrong. 57% of them spend up to an hour reading emails weekly.
Another way you can bag discounts is by following your favorite brands on social media. With more than 50 million small businesses on Facebook and 25 million businesses on Instagram, you’re sure to find some amazing offers.
You can find the social accounts of your brands by simply a google search or on the brand’s website. If you have an account on the network, you can follow with a click. If you don’t find the brand in your feed, you can visit the page and just below the follow button, click on ‘see first.’ This way, no offers will escape your attention ever.
3. Join loyalty programs
According to a 2017 survey, 39% of people join loyalty programs for receiving discounts. What is a loyalty program, though? A loyalty program or a rewards program is an online membership that customers can become a member of. Typically, such a program grants points that sum up to bucks on every purchase.
The perks of loyalty programs don’t only include exclusive member-only coupons and free shipping deals. They also bring other offers. You can join a loyalty program of a brand that has one by finding the button in the footer. This will take you to another page that would require some info, such as your email, name, etc.
4. Visit couponing websites
You can visit coupon sites for collecting coupons and codes. Here’s how you can go about this – head to coupon databases that will help you look for coupons for particular products for free. Or go to an online couponing site. Most of the online saving websites provide printable along with digital coupon codes. Then there are daily deal sites that follow the policy that reads purchase while supplies last.
There are also coupon referral sites that direct you to where you can find deals. To know more you can find coupon groups. If you join a coupon community, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the coupon lingo first. There are blog posts dedicated to explaining this language which comprises of abbreviations.
You can either head to a couponing site that provides all products in general. Or one that serves a dedicated product category. For instance, ClothingRIC; a coupon site for fashion products would show deals being offered by your favorite apparel and accessories brands. A particular vertical niche website may be more helpful in bagging coupon codes, targeted deals, free shipping and site wide discounts. You can also sign up for receiving emails on the latest deals to never be late to the party.
5. Abandon your cart
Be a tease – rather than checking out once you have added all the items to your cart, leave the page. Abandon the cart and wait for an email reminder from the brand prompting you to complete the purchase. This email may contain a discount code to push the customer to complete the purchase process.
While the tactic is not guaranteed to work, it often does. Which is why 40% of consumers open the email notification from the brand who’s shopping process they left midway. Toys R Us, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Crocs are among the brands that are likely to offer a coupon within their email.
6. Make use of browser extensions
You can also make savings when shopping online by adding browser extensions. All you have to do is download the extension. However, only go for reliable extensions that are well-known. For example, PriceBlink is a great extension that finds you coupons, allows you to compare prices between different products, and informs you about your order total including sales tax and delivery costs.
Moreover, this application also lets you make a wish-list for future buys. Swagbucks is another extension that can help you save. It gives you rewards in the form of Amazon, Walmart or PayPal gift cards every time you watch videos, search for products, or do other such things. Similarly, there are several other apps as well that can be used.
7. Purchase through cash-back sites
Like extensions, cashback sites also save you lots. Here’s how you can make use of them – instead of purchasing anything directly from the retailer’s online store, you buy it by clicking a link on a cashback website. While you receive your order directly from the retailer, you get a sum of money back from the cashback site that you placed the order through.
Ibotta is one cashback site that you can shop through. On most purchases, Ibotta returns you 25 cents. You can also go for Ebates which gives you up to 20% off the total you have paid back. There are other cashback websites like these as well.
Key takeaway
There’s only one thing better than shopping and that’s getting discounts. Luckily, with these techniques, you don’t have to wait around for sales. You can save on buying almost anything from grocery to apparel to booking flights.
Do you have any other tips for saving when online shopping in mind? Let’s talk about them in the comments.
