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With the fact that 90% of people say they bought something online in the last year, there are many factors that can affect the price of your purchase. So, how can you save money while shopping online, you may be wondering! Happily, this is exactly what I’m sharing with you in this article!
To help you overcome your financial struggles and bad spending habits, we have interviewed 33 experts and finally came up with a nice list of 33 saving tips that can help you put aside some extra money!
This post is full of helpful tips for saving money while still getting great deals. If you find this post inspiring and valuable, share it with your friends, please! (Virtual high fives and hugs to all my sharers out there)
33 Epic Tips for Saving Money Online (According to Experts)
We know how tough saving money aside can be, especially with all of these shopping facilities available today! Therefore, we’ve taken the time and interviewed 33 experts and asked them for their killer tips about saving money online!
Luckily, we came up with a great list to help you better control your finances and spending habits, and only spend money on things that matter most to you!
1. Check All of Your Subscriptions | Andrei Vasilescu – CEO at DontPayFull
Have you ever checked your junk email and realized a bill was there for a subscription you pay for but forgot about? That’s an indication you could be saving hundreds of dollars a year if you just took an inventory of your household spending.
Many people are canceling cable subscriptions for example in favor of signing up for things like Netflix. While that’s a great option for anyone looking for TV entertainment, it’s easy to sign up for free trials for streaming services and then forget you have them.
It’s only worth it if you’re using them. This leads to subscription payments every month for services you’re not using. I know some of them are only seven bucks a month, but it’s a good chunk of change if you’re not turning it on. You can even alternatively invest them in apps like Acorns!
With that said, check your bank statements and your junk folder to see what else you can find that you’re not using, and then cancel them. You’d be amazed at how much you would be saving.
2. Make Use of Debt Consolidation | Scott Nelson – CEO at MoneyNerd
If you have multiple credit cards or personal loan debts, then consolidation can save you a lot of money and time. Debt consolidation get’s a bad rap, but in reality, if you can find a lender who’ll give you a lower interest rate and similar repayment length, then it’s a win-win.
3. Always Check Coupons Available | Mark Aselstine of WineClubReviews
There are always coupons available on the internet, just take a few minutes to find them or use the Honey app! Even if you can’t because some brands, like Airbnb for example, simply don’t offer discounts, there is another solution! Rakuten and some other sites make a commission for sending your business to Airbnb, instead of keeping it all for themselves, they send a portion of it back to you. Click to check out Rakuten!
4. Switch to Save Money on Utilities | Gerrid Smith Director of eCommerce at CIC
In my opinion, nobody wishes to spend more on something that is identical in every other way. Despite this, a significant number of us do this with our monthly payments, such as our gas and electric bills, auto insurance, and mobile phone contracts.
It is straightforward to search for a better deal, and doing so might save you dozens of dollars. Websites that compare products and services make it easy to find the best deals and can give you more leverage in negotiations with the companies that currently deliver your services.
Boost Your Broadband is a portal that provides information on the many types of broadband available in your area and objective guidance on how to negotiate the lowest price. If you have the financial means, it is generally more cost-effective to acquire a mobile phone outright and then sign up for a SIM-only plan than to join a long-term contract to pay off the device.
Always consider numerous options. Due to rising energy prices, it has become nearly impossible to obtain decent fixed agreements, therefore caution is essential. Although switching providers may not be possible at this time, there are many other strategies to minimize your monthly energy costs.
5. Get a Side Hustle | Tanner Arnold – President & CEO of Revelation Machinery
According to Wikipedia, the word side hustle refers to labor that is done in addition to one’s primary career for the goal of bringing in additional cash. The term was coined by American author and entrepreneur Malcolm Gladwell.
In an ideal world, integrating new technologies into your daily routine shouldn’t be too challenging. YouGov and PineconeResearch are a few examples of websites that are among those that are capable of conducting online surveys. You have the ability to earn money with Slicethepie by listening to music and rating it in exchange for around 10 pence for each track that you rate and provide an opinion on.
Opportunities to work as a tutor, particularly if you are skilled in a language other than English or can play an instrument like the piano. In a recent article I published, I talked about online side-husles that you can start today! It can help you get started!
6. Establish your budget | JM Littman – Founder & Director of Webheads
The easiest approach to get started with budgeting is to become aware of your spending habits. Get a receipt for everything you buy throughout the month on the first day of the month. Organize your receipts by categories, such as restaurants, grocery, and personal care.
You’ll be able to see exactly where your money is going at the end of the month. This may also be available as an online banking service through your bank or credit union. It can be humbling to see how much you spend on food, shopping, and other expenses.
Wise is a great online banking solution that offers these features and allows you to categorize your payments and receipts! Check out Wise by clicking here!
7. Leverage Cash-Back Credit Cards | Nick Jordan Founder & CEO of Workello
My friend, let me tell you that you’re losing money if you’re utilizing a debit card to make transactions! The reason for this is that you can make purchases with credit cards that offer cashback rewards. Depending on the card, you could get anything from 1 percent to 6 percent cash back.
As an example, you can earn 5% back on rotating quarterly categories (on up to $1,500 spent) with the Chase Freedom Flex, while also earning 3% back at restaurants (including delivery) and 1% back at drugstores with the Chase Ultimate Rewards site.
If you want to get the most out of this credit card, you’ll need to keep track of their official quarterly bonus categories. Another great option is Chase Freedom Unlimited. On travels purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, members earn 5 percent, 3 percent on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5 percent on other transactions!
When it comes to cash-back credit cards, Chase Freedom Unlimited is an excellent one to get started with because you may receive hefty rewards for every purchase, no matter where you spend.
8. Say Goodbye to Debt | Zephyr Chan – Growth Marketer & Founder of BetterTools
When it comes to saving money, monthly debts are the biggest cash suck as debt will take away your income! So now is the time to pay off that debt. The debt snowball strategy is the quickest way to pay off debt.
This is where you pay off your bills from smallest to greatest in sequence. Isn’t that a little tense? Don’t worry; the focus is on behavior modification rather than numbers. Once you’ve freed up some cash, you can finally start working toward your savings goals.
9. Verify Discounts on MyPoints | Benjamin Stenson Owner of Norsemen
The website MyPoints allows you to accumulate points by making online purchases. You can redeem these points for cash through PayPal, or gift cards from a wide selection of online businesses, restaurants, hotels, and airlines.
The way that it works is that you begin your shopping experience at MyPoints and then proceed to the retailer’s website to complete your purchase as usual. There are, however, more ways to make money, such as viewing videos, doing surveys, and even playing games.
MyPoints gives you 25 points for every dollar you spend online. You can earn as much as 500 points every day by watching videos. Up to 300 points a day can be earned by taking surveys, and you can get 10 points per dollar spent on video games to earn. Check out MyPoints by clicking here!
10. Compare Prices Between Different Stores | Andrew Makhovskyi – CEO of Effy
When you’re buying things online, it’s always good to compare prices between different stores. In fact, there are websites that list all of the places selling a specific product. These can help you look at the prices and potential discounts.
Also, some stores have better shipping conditions, which is another factor you should take into account. This may seem small, but the difference in prices between online stores can go up to 10% or even 15%. Once you develop a habit of searching for the most affordable option, you will be able to save a nice sum of money online.
11. Be Explicit About the Amount You Wish to Save | Kenny Kline of BarBend
This is a great saving trick that actually works! You should establish a savings goal for next year from the outset. From there, you can establish monthly milestones to achieve as you got closer and closer to your goal.
In the long run, saving on a whim is not very useful. With no clear quantity or objective in mind, it is difficult to track progress or determine how much must be saved on a weekly or monthly basis!
12. Monitor Your Spendings | Andrew Priobrazhenskyi – CEO at DiscountReactor
My belief is that we can fall into the trap of believing that spending on large items is what gets us into difficulty, while in reality, it’s often the small things that cost us the most. Therefore, it is essential to monitor your daily expenditures so that you successfully live within your means, not over them!
Your bank statement will indicate the amount of money entering and leaving your bank account. Then, you may compare it to your budget to determine whether or not you’re sticking to it. Then, you can find places where you can save money. The mere concept of keeping track of our expenditures can deter us from making impulsive purchases.
13. Establish a Saving Account | Mark Valderrama – CEO of AquariumStoreDepot
By restricting access to your funds, I believe savings accounts can offer a better interest rate than a standard transaction account. You can place some or all of your discretionary income the amount remaining after paying for personal expenses and taxes – and any windfalls in savings accounts (e.g. tax refund).
Setting up automated, recurring transfers from your primary account (transaction account) to your savings account might help you resist the desire to spend this money.
Daniel Foley, SEO specialist at Raylo, also confirms that you must first separate the money you spend on everyday necessities from the money you want to save.
This entails opening a separate savings account. As a result, you reduce the likelihood of having to tap into your savings account to cover daily expenses. Rather, it motivates you to stick to your daily budget while protecting your savings from temptation!
14. Control Your Impulses | Josh Pelletier CMO of BarBend
Credit cards, ATMs, and online shopping make it easier than ever to spend money, in my opinion. Typically, our willpower determines the extent to which we succumb to temptation, especially when it comes to items we want rather than need.
Self-control is comparable to a muscle that weakens with use. Ironically, the willpower of poorer shoppers depletes the most frequently. This is because they must repeatedly make difficult financial judgments. It’s not that the poor possess less determination than the wealthy.
Rather, every decision, including whether or not to purchase soap, involves self-control and a portion of their limited willpower for those living in poverty. If you see something you desire, you should wait at least a day before purchasing it, or 30 days if it’s a large, non-essential purchase.
You may discover that the impulse passes. If you calculate how many hours of labor the price of an item represents, you will likely conclude that the item is not worth the money.
15. Save Money By Using Swagbucks | Kim Abrams – CEO of AbramsRoofing
Using Swagbucks, you can earn points by doing anything from buying online to watching movies to taking surveys. To redeem your points, you can either use PayPal to get cash back or gift cards. When you join Swagbucks, you’ll be able to purchase at 1,500 businesses, including Amazon, Walmart, and Target, among others.
It’s possible to earn Swagbucks on the fly because there is a mobile app available. I believe it’s worth checking out!
16. Check Rakuten For Discounts | Edward Wright CEO & Founder of CerealSecrets
Rakuten has partnered with over 2,500 retailers to give customers cash back on their purchases, making it easier than ever to save money as you buy. You won’t want to shop any other way when you get 2% cash back on your favorite book at Barnes and Noble or 7.5 percent when you book a hotel stay with Hilton using Rakuten.
Once you’ve signed up with Rakuten, you’ll need to go directly to your store to get your cashback. You’ll know you’re on the right track to actual savings if you see a confirmation pop-up indicating that cash back at that store is operational.
Cashback will be deposited into your account automatically when you complete your purchase. It is possible to pick between receiving a check or a PayPal payment from Rakuten once your rewards surpass $5.
17. Control Your Decision-Making Process | William W. Co-Founder at Almvest
One of the biggest obstacles to saving money quickly is succumbing to the temptation of instant gratification. At the very least, give yourself three to four days to consider your decision before making a large purchase. That part of your brain that craves a quick fix of serotonin isn’t able to take control of your decision-making process.
If you truly want to push yourself, wait 30 days before making a major purchase. This is a surefire method for controlling your impulse purchases. When you’ve got a few days, it’s possible to find an even better offer somewhere else.
18. Limit Your Online Shopping | Sarah Walters – Manager at TheWhitGroup
Online shopping is simply addictive, especially when things are gamified. A simple solution to save money is to gradually limit how often you are on these sites and replace it with a different activity like reading or meditation until you are no longer visiting them.
You will never win the game as it is rigged against you, this is one of the few occasions that the way to win is to not play at all.
19. Accommodation Holiday Swap | Emre Kami of HolidaySwap
I think Home swapping is the best trick to save on accommodation when you travel! I use Holiday Swap to save on accommodation by swapping my home via the platform. I think it can be advised to save money online by skipping logging costs and spending that money on something else.
Holiday Swap is the biggest and most award-winning home exchange platform with over 500k users across 184 countries. The founder and CEO of Holiday Swap is called James Asquith and he’s the Guinness World Record holder as being the youngest male to ever travel the world.
20. Be Generic | Joanne King – Director of ICMP
Giving up name brands is one of the most straightforward methods to save money. In most situations, brand-name products are only better because of their marketing. Look at that box, for example! The logo is stunning!
That’s pretty much the end of it. Generic versions of pharmaceuticals, staple foods (such as rice and beans), cleaning supplies, and paper goods are much less expensive than their brand-name counterparts and perform just as well.
21. Newsletter Subscriptions | Adam Wood – Co-Founder of RevenueGeeks
Because I’m a millennial, I check my email at least once every hour. Every time I open my inbox, there is a new newsletter from a firm attempting to sell me something. Sometimes I roll my eyes, occasionally I feel enthusiastic, and sometimes I hesitate before hitting the delete button.
Regardless of my reservations, I always open the newsletter. Why? Because 8 times out of 10, there’s an exclusive online shopping deal waiting for me inside. While a packed inbox might be frustrating, it is beneficial to subscribe to company emails.
You’re frequently the first (and sometimes the only!) person to learn about any brand-related offers, discounts, or flash sales.
Not only that, but you’ll frequently receive a discount or bonus simply by subscribing to the email! Thank you very much for the 10% discount on my full transaction. The best part is that you may always unsubscribe if you feel your needs aren’t being addressed.
22. Enroll in Reward Programs | Joseph Harisson Co-Founder of ITCompanies
I no longer carry a slew of plastic cards on my keychain, but I am a member of a plethora of online rewards programs. Get a 20% discount and points just for joining a free program. That seems nice to me.
Rewards programs are exactly what they sound like programs designed by businesses to reward you for your brand loyalty (buying things from them regularly). There are various types of reward schemes available, some better than others.
My favorites are those in which you gain points that may later be redeemed for cash. It’s a mindless cash-back system that costs nothing. Typically, information on rewards programs may be found on the company’s website, either in the footer or as a pop-up on the page.
You may sign up and create an account online, then use your account to buy stuff and earn points along the way. You may also receive additional savings for joining up, as with the newsletter.
23. Make a Shopping List Online | Adam Garcia – Owner of The StockDork
Before you go online, you should have a good notion of what you want to buy. This can help you stay focused and avoid being distracted by unrelated goods or spending hours jumping from store to store.
By categorizing your potential purchases, you may clarify what you actually need — and distinguish between what you need and what is merely good to have. You’re already saving money when you eliminate unneeded purchases.
While your primary goal is to get the most bang for your buck, it’s important to remember that the cheapest option is not usually the best. When compiling your list, keep elements like sustainability and quality in mind.
If you’re looking for a laptop and choose the cheapest alternative, your computer will most likely be of poor quality. However, once you’ve decided on a high-quality product with solid environmental credentials, there’s no harm in browsing around for the best deal.
24. Leave Items in Your Shopping Cart | Frederic Linfjard – Director at Planday
This old method works nicely for stuff you don’t need right away. Go over your shopping list and cross out the nice-to-haves and any items that can wait. When you find an item online, create an account on the merchant’s website and add it to your shopping basket.
It’s now time to play the waiting game. Online retailers typically have procedures in place to encourage you to complete your transaction. You may receive email reminders, and advertisements for the product will most likely begin to surface on other websites you visit (this is called retargeting!)
Hold on and don’t be taken in by attempts to generate a sense of urgency, such as the last opportunity! or just 1 item remaining in stock. Many stores may eventually offer you a coupon code for the item in your cart in order to complete the transaction. Bingo!
25. Purchase & Use Discounted Gift Cards | Tim Parker Director at Syntax
Gift cards are the ideal money-saving tool since they allow you to get more for less. When you buy gift cards from sites like Moola, you can earn discounts and benefits.
With a single tap, your $100 becomes $110, giving you additional money to spend on the items you desire. The greater the value, the greater the bonus or discount.
Purchase gift cards using your phone and use them online by entering the card details. Moola allows you to copy and paste gift card numbers from the app, making redemption a breeze! You can check through our website and see what we have in stock to see if anything catches your eye. I guarantee it will be the simplest $20 you’ve ever obtained.
26. Use Checkout51 | Daniel Foley – SEO Manager of Skuuudle
To me, cash-back websites usually seem too wonderful to be true. You merely give me money back on my purchases and mail me a cheque every three months? Rewards websites give ranging from 1% to 8% cash back on purchases.
The nice part is that you can save more money in stores where you would normally shop, such as Amazon and Shoppers Drug Mart.
Simply visit Checkout51, create an account, and begin buying! Depending on the size of your purchases, you’ll only be able to collect a few bucks at a time. However, give it a few months and you’ll receive a lovely little check in the mail.
27. Use The Envelope Budgeting System | James Parkinson – Head of Marketing at Personnel Checks
Dave Ramsey‘s envelope budgeting approach is a terrific life hack for saving money quickly. This entails withdrawing your monthly paycheck in physical cash (yes, all of it!) from the bank at the start of each month and dividing it into different envelopes.
Each of these envelopes should correspond to one of your financial objectives. As a result, you’ll have envelopes for set costs (such as rent and energy bills) and envelopes for variable costs (e.g., clothes shopping, eating out, and groceries).
You’ll stay inside a specified budget for each spending type if you pay for everything with a fixed quantity of physical cash.
28. Don’t Spend on Things You Can’t Afford | Rameez Usmani – Director of E-Commerce at Selkirk
Spending more than you can afford is often the first step toward money problems. One way to avoid getting into debt is to only buy what you can already pay for.
By following this rule, you can avoid buy now, pay later plans, which, according to me, cause many people who use them to spend more than they should!
29. Get Budgeting Applications | Robert Zeglinski – Editor at Breaking Muscle
I believe that installing personal financial software is the finest suggestion for reducing expenses while shopping on the Internet.
The usage of money management applications, in addition to reading about ways to save money, is another option for keeping track of your expenditures.
Making a list of all the things you buy on the spur of the moment can serve as a powerful deterrent to overspending.
30. Disable Device Autofill | Joe Troye – CEO at ReviewGrower
In my opinion, the best way to save money online is to turn off autofill on your devices. You’ll have to fill in each of your personal information one at a time, which will make it more difficult to make online purchases.
Instead, store your credentials in a password management program or on a password-protected note. This way, you will start thinking twice before making any online purchase!
31. Make Use of Add-Ons for Your Browser | Lily Wili – Founder of Everwallpaper
When it comes to buying online, there is one rule that you should never break: never pay the total amount for anything. Even though it can be challenging to acquire a lower price on your purchase, there are discounts if one knows where to seek them.
Having said that, making use of your browser add-on is an excellent method for locating the finest deal online and saving money!
One great way to find the best value for your chosen product is to use coupons that you can literally find anywhere on the web.
There are two ways to do it, either manually or using browser extensions. But I recommend choosing the latter, as it saves you time and effort. By adding a browser extension to your browser, such as Honey, the plugin will automatically search for and apply coupons and discount codes to various retailers.
32. Avoid Shipping Whenever Possible | Melanie Hanson – Editor at EDI Refinance
A simple way to save big when you’re online shopping, no matter what platform you’re using, is to avoid shipping whenever possible.
While some services from brick-and-mortar stores like Target will allow you to reserve items online and pick them up in the store, you can also simply use online stores as a research tool to find the products you’re looking for, then look for a local store that carries them.
33. Incognito Browsing | David McConaghy – Co-Founder at ByRossi
Incognito browsing is a method of saving money online. Almost every online retailer stores information about you using cookies. When you leave a website and return later, the results you see may vary based on the products you viewed, what you searched for, and whether or not you purchased anything.
The site may show you different pricing, messages, and discounts than other users, depending on your cookies, so you may not receive the greatest deal.
To avoid this, use incognito mode to prevent websites from recognizing and storing your cookies. A website cannot tailor the pricing or discounts you see if it cannot identify you.
Conclusion
Considering how easy it is to save money while shopping online, the hardest part might be remembering all the different ways you can go about saving.
Therefore, this article has discussed 33 of the best ways to save money online according to 33 experts around the world! (You can bookmark this page to easily refer to it every month or anytime you decide to shop online!)
Although saving money is cool and can allow you to put aside extra bucks here and there, it won’t make you rich… If you really want to have an undefeatable lifestyle, it’s just not enough to save money on subscriptions or food! You would need a sustainable business that can make you money even while you’re sleeping, working out, or traveling!
The budgeting lifestyle and limiting your spending will already get you out of your comfort zone, unfortunately, but why don’t you make it count and work on multiplying your money instead of saving it?
If you care about your future lifestyle and want to create something that lasts, join the FREE training by one of the most successful entrepreneurs and even copy his entire ecosystem!
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Cheers,
Odeh Ahwal