Who doesn’t love a discount? We’re confirmed bargain hunters, and here are some of our favourite tips.
Shopping online means time saved, and the thrill of presents in the mail. Sure, you have to pay for them, but you still get the joy of opening those boxes. Or maybe you just don’t want to deal with the chit chat and the queues involved in going in to a store. Whatever your reasons are for preferring online shopping, we’re sure that you can lift your game and do it better with a few of these tips.
This one’s for the rookies. If you’re paying for shipping, you had better really want that item. Otherwise look for free shipping, or free shipping over a minimum amount. If you haven’t hit the minimum, have a hunt site-wide for something else to add- even better if this is something you actually need.
Timing is everything. You’re more likely to snag a discount if you shop later in the week- brands typically wait and roll out their discount codes and offers between Wednesday and Friday, leaving you time to shop over the weekend.
A quick Google can mean serious savings. Sites like Retail Me Not list available promo codes and offers for online retailers. Or try Honey, a browser extension for Chrome, that will help to alert you to any available offers.
Can’t find an offer for what you’re buying? It’s time to haggle. Even if this isn’t something you’d try in person, you’re just talking to a computer, right? When your customer support dialogue box pops up, try asking if there are any discount codes or promos available for the item. You never know!
An accepted rule of thumb is that if you wouldn’t buy something full price, you shouldn’t buy in on sale. But where’s the fun in that? Sometimes something you’d never usually consider buying becomes a great option when it’s, say, 75% cheaper. But get strict with yourself and only shop with size filters on. There’s no point in buying something that’s not in your size no matter how good the deal is.
Before you hit the button to buy, again, Google is your friend. The search engine now has Google Shopping enabled, which is an incredibly effective way of checking that you’re getting the best deal on your purchase.
A more old-fashioned way to shop smart is to stock up. When you’re shopping for something you know you’ll use- and we’re talking the boring essentials here—and you find a great deal, stock up! Just make sure you’ve got the storage space, and you’re across any expiry dates, because no-one wants to be brushing with old toothpaste.
Stocking up your cart and exiting the site can mean that you get some good offers remarketed to you. When you start seeing the “Hey, did you forget something?” subject lines, the discount codes should follow. Sneaky but (often) worth it.
Online retailers in Australia and across the world will roll out great offers for online sales day events, like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You can also take advantage of similar days overseas, like China’s Singles Day on November 11th. In 2017, shoppers spent more than $33 billion in just 24 hours, or more than Australians spend during the entire month of December.
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