The rise of the internet has done wonders in helping us save a little cash, but navigating the online retail world on a budget requires skill. There are countless ways you can meet your spending needs online, and just as many ways you can do it without breaking the bank. Let’s look at some of the best ways to save money while surfing the web.
How Shopping Online Can Be Cheaper
- There’s less of a risk of impulse purchasing.
- Lower overhead costs for retailers, meaning lower prices.
- It’s easy to compare retailers to find the best price.
Look out for Bonusus and Promotions
One great way to save money while shopping online is through the various bonuses and promotions that websites often offer. This can be anything from retail sites providing free delivery on purchases over a certain amount to subscription services like Spotify or Netflix offering free trials so you don’t have to part with any funds for some time to enjoy entertaining content. Additionally, many UK gambling platforms that aren’t on Gamstop regularly provide their customers with bonuses and incentives, allowing them to play without parting with much of their funds and allowing them the chance to make a profit (source: ukgamblingsitesnotongamstop.com).
It’s also important to remember that:
- If you are a student, make sure to always check websites to see if they offer any kind of student discount that could help you save a little cash.
- There are many websites dedicated to providing people with promotional codes that they can take to various websites and cash in for money off their purchases.
Prioritise Online Shopping
Picture this: you head into your local supermarket for a couple of things and come out with a trolley load of goods. We’ve all been there, and it might help to know that supermarkets are designed in a way to encourage this impulsive behaviour. The layout of the shelves and the locations of various items are all strategically placed to ensure you see as much of the stock as possible and are enticed by what’s available. This often means we return home with bags full of items we don’t need and don’t really remember why we purchased them.
One way to combat this is to prioritise doing the big food shop online instead of in the shop. Doing this lets you write your list beforehand and search for the exact items you want to purchase. This enables you to avoid the temptation of other unnecessary products completely, as long as you don’t fall for the shop’s final attempt to reel you in by showing you various tailored products at the end of your shopping. Also, doing your shopping in this way means that you can see the price of your shopping increasing in real time, which often makes it much easier to stick to a budget and make sensible decisions.
Don’t be fooled by a sale
We get it; you see a BBQ for 50% off, and although you’ve never wanted a BBQ before, now the price is surely too good to pass up, right? Actually, no. Most retailers are very clever about how they promote sales, promoting messages like ‘Last Chance to Buy’ and ‘Get it Before it’s Gone’, but this isn’t quite the truth. These shops often cycle through sales regularly, switching around what stock will be cheaper and when.
When shopping online, it can be tempting to grab a sale when you first see it, without first considering whether you really want or need the item. Remember that sales come and go, and that even if this website does stop selling a particular item at a reduced price, there will be plenty of others that still will. There is no rush, and never buy anything just because it’s discounted.
Buy Second Hand
Nowadays, there are countless second-hand sites where you can buy and sell pre-loved clothes and items. It’s always a good idea to check these websites, places like eBay or Vinted, before you make a big purchase, to see if you could get the same thing at a fraction of the price.
Additionally, it is really simple to sign up to sell on these sites, and it can be a great way of earning a little extra cash from the things you don’t need anymore.
