We are all guilty of shopping online from time to time. With the busy lifestyles we all lead shopping online is one of the easiest, and sometimes cheapest, ways of finding what we need when we have little time to shop. Shopping online can be a problem for many people though. With shipping cost and so many options available to the public a lot of people tend to go over budget when they do their shopping on the internet. There are a few ways to avoid spending too much money while your online though. These trips will ensure that you will get the best deal every time and you might even find that you will get money back just for shopping for the items you would be anyway.

1. Use E-bate sites
Before you begin an online shopping trip you might want to look around for electronic rebates, or e-bates. This will help you get money back on some of the larger items you purchase online. A lot of e-bates site will help provide you with quite a bit of a discount and you could potentially receive free shipping just for using an e-bate site. This is a great way to fully take advantage of your shopping experience. Many e-bate sites will require you to register for the site in order to gain membership. A lot of registrations are free, but a few might charge you a small fee. Generally, your fee will be paid back in full by the amount of rewards you get through the membership. Shoppers should also keep an eye out on rewards that are specifically offered to first time shoppers, or shoppers who frequently buy from a specific site. So, if you tend to frequent the same online shops make sure to look through the site to see if there is any way you can be rewarded for your loyalty.

2. Coupon Codes
Just like shopping at local stores coupons can be a major help when you’re looking to save money on specific items. However, you can’t exactly use tangible coupons on online stores in most cases. Luckily enough, there are a lot of coupon code websites available to anyone who knows just where to look. There are many major sites that specialize in finding you coupons to help you save, but many major retailers will provide coupon codes right on their site. These can especially come in handy when it comes to buying larger items, but you might find that the little things are where the biggest difference occurs. If you find that you shop at certain sites a lot then you might want to sign up for their newsletter as this will give you access to the latest sales and coupon codes.

3. Membership Sites
There are a large number of membership sites online that can help you save a lot of money. These sites can range from retailers to sites that were created to provide you with discounts for a large number of stores. Many retailers will offer a free membership or reward program to customers who frequently shop with them, which can be one of your major saviors when it comes to online shopping. Other membership based sites will collect a small fee from you. This fee generally goes to help find the deals, coupons, discounts and freebies that many members are then privy to. If you want to maximize your savings when you go shopping online then these memberships sites are a must.

4. Used Goods Websites
If you love to find a good bargain then you might want to shop for used goods online. This will help save you a lot of money and will provide you with an abundance of goods you might not have been able to afford otherwise. There are many second hand stores online such as ebay, half.com and some areas of amazon, so you have a large selection to choose from. You might also want to check out stores like the goodwill who also have an online branch that you can shop from. If you are looking for technology based items then you might try shopping in the refurbished section of any major retailer, or you could try looking for a trustworthy refurbishing company that can help you find a nice discount on the device you’ve been looking to buy.

5. Free Shipping
One of the worst things about shopping online is the shipping charges. A lot of the time these charges will actually force you to pay more for items you could get locally. There is a way around this though. One such way is by joining a free shipping website. This will allow you to work with numerous companies who will give you free shipping just for becoming a member of the site. Free shipping sites usually charge you a membership fee, but when you add up all the shipping cost you might find that it is more than worth it to purchase this membership. There are also many sites that will offer you free shipping just for upgrading your membership, such as Amazon Prime. This is a great way to make the most out of your shopping experience and can save you hundreds of dollars throughout the year. You should also check out any retailer who is offering sales as many items will qualify for free shipping.

6. Hidden Fees
Whenever you’re shopping online for things such as hotel rooms, airline tickets and technological devices you should always consider the fees that are more than likely going to be added on to your bill. A lot of the time when a person goes shopping they forget about these fees and feel that they are getting a good deal until they check out. You can pretty much guarantee that there will be hidden fees on many things that you plan on buying online. For example, most hotels will go ahead and tag on an internet cost as well as a pool fee for your stay. It doesn’t matter if you plan on using these services because the fee is added on to everyone’s bill. The same can be said for anyone who shops online for airline deals as there are many fees and taxes you might not realize when you see your price tag. Technology can be a huge disappointment if you think you are getting the same deal that you originally see. Most devices have state tax as well as a disposal fee added on that can cost you a lot of money if you aren’t paying attention.

7. Clearance and Sales Bins
Many shoppers spend a lot of time just browsing before they know what they want to buy. One of the best things you can do is steer away from the full price areas of the site and browse through the clearance and sales bins. This is a great way to avoid spending a lot of money when you’re not looking for anything specific. If you are looking for some specifics, like prom dresses and other formal attire, then you might take these bins first. Generally, you can find amazing items that will satisfy what you need for a lot less than you could hope to spend on the items. Clearance bins are also one of the best places to find decoration items for anyone who is looking to decorate for a wedding or other special event.

8. Paid to Shop Sites
As online shopping continues to gain popularity there are many websites dedicated to pay you for your shopping activities. A lot of these sites are research based and want to know how the average consumer buys. Many of these sites, like Plink, can work on and offline which can help you get the most out of your shopping experience. Generally, these sites pay with gift cards so you can actually gain more points from shopping than ever before. Many of these sites will ask to link to your bank account though, so you will want to be careful as to which you choose. Try to do a lot of research on a company before you sign up for their program and make sure to look at reviews and ask your friends if they’ve had any experience with the site. Using a paid to shop site can really benefit your household though, so try to go for one that will work best with your shopping trends and that will reward you in a way that will be useful.

9. Shop multiple sites
When it comes to shopping you tend not to shop at the same grocery store when another has a better deal, so why do this when you shop online? Shopping online should mimic some of your offline shopping behaviors. Looking at various different sites for an item can be one of your best ways to save a lot of money. There are many search engines that will offer you a shopping engine, such as Goggle, that will compare an item for you. This will give you access to a wide variety of websites that will offer you prices you might be amazed with. Shopping online requires knowing more about stores online, so with the search engine you will be privy to stores you might not have known existed. Many search engines will even let you know if the site is trusted and will offer reviews so you can feel more comfortable about where you shop online. If you can, try to find all your items on one site to minimize tax and shipping cost, but if this is impossible then utilizing the shopping tool will help you avoid a lot of unnecessary charges. Many search engines will even show you how much shipping each site charges which can help you make the ultimate decision.

10. Social Media
Spending time on social media pages can really earn you some big time savings. Many retail pages on social media sites will offer special discount to anyone that is their friend, likes them or is following them. This can help you find the deal you’re looking for without actually having to do a lot of work to get it. Before you go shopping try looking on the social media page to see if there is any special deal available or coupon codes that they’ve added to the site. A lot of retailer will even host free giveaway here, so keep a look out. Another great thing about social media sites is they also have a great groupon section. This will allow you to plan out an adventure with friends or family at a lesser price than you could ever believe. With social media on the rise you will find that picking up your favorite retailer is more than an important way to save money, but will give you the insider news whenever your store has new sales or inventory that you might be interested in.

Shopping online is one of the most popular forms of shopping today and is on the rise in popularity. If you tend to do a lot of your shopping online then you might want to try out a few of these tricks to help eliminate the cost of your products. This will not only making your online shopping experience better, but will allow you to enjoy your shopping tendencies without feeling guilty about the money you spend. As you embrace the future of retail you will fall even more in love with your shopping abilities.