Five tips to save money shopping online

Life is getting increasingly expensive, especially big-city life. Now that the Internet has become our primary shopping destination, finding the best deal takes real low-price-hunting skills. Here are five precious tips that will save you time and money.

1. Start from a retailer you trust

Amazon is always a good start. They have a huge range of products with high-quality pictures, detailed specifications and reviews. The first thing you want to establish is whether you need something and that’s the most appropriate place to begin your journey.

2. Do your homework

Once you have identified something you like and need on Amazon, dig deeper. You want to know more about what you buy before you actually spend your money. A simple Google search will give you plenty of information: you want to see more pictures and, more importantly, read more reviews. It’s a bit like checking out a hotel on TripAdvisor: what you want to read is not a raving review, it’s the feedback from those who gave it one or two stars; you want to figure out what went wrong and whether the problem is still in place.

3. Check on eBay

22 years after its launch, eBay is still one of the most competitive e-commerce platforms. While Amazon is most of the times the fastest option, eBay offers the broadest selection of sellers, based in UK and abroad (mostly China). You can decide whether to consider auctions too – what eBay became famous for – or just “buy it now” items. Whichever you go for, the most important thing to do is sorting your results by “lowest price + P&P” rather than the default “best match”.

4. Look for a discount code

Now you know the price on Amazon and eBay, however there might be discounts for the very same products in your local high-street store. Check on websites such as HotUkDeals.com to see if there are offers for your product, or simple google keywords such as “promo code” or “this bonus code”. Once you find one, make sure it works before. Access the online retailer where you can use the discount code and apply it to your product.

5. Don’t be impulsive

Impulsive decisions are those we regret the most – give yourself a good couple of hours to think it over. If you are still sure about your decision, make your purchase.

The editorial unit