Shopping in "brick and mortar" stores seems so old, out of date, and boring in today's world. Every year, millions of people sit in their pyjamas and drink wine while shopping online for clothes, home goods, gifts, and almost anything else you can think of.
One of the best things about shopping online is that there are many coupon, rebate, and money-back programmes. When you click on a link or use a coupon code, you can save a lot of money. You also get all the other great things about shopping online, like not having to drag your kids through stores, not having to pay for gas to get there and back, and not having to deal with crowds.
So, once you have decided to shop online, where can you save money? Online, there are many ways to save money. First, let's talk about coupons.
Coupons
This is pretty typical. Go to one of the coupon sites (many are listed below), and look for the store you want to shop at or search by category, depending on what you need. When you enter the coupon code at checkout, make sure to click "apply."
In the early days of online shopping, coupon codes were easy to find and often gave good deals, like $10 off a $10 purchase with free shipping. These days, however, it's hard to find good coupons. Some stores, like Lands' End, don't offer coupons very often, while others, like L.L. Bean, often give free shipping on orders of any size. Sign up for the website, either by registering or signing up for coupons, even if you don't place an order. Most of the time, these coupons that you get by email are some of the best you'll ever find.
Here are some excellent coupon sites to get you started:
MyBargainBuddy.com — A mom has put together this list of good deals and coupon codes for you. Some of the best deals don't even need a coupon, but if there's a good deal and a coupon, that's even better.
FatWallet.com — There are a lot of codes and active message boards where you can find other deals.
MyCoupons.com — The best part of this site is the message boards, where you can hear people talking about how they saved money. Check out the "sticky" posts at the beginning of each forum. There are often links to printable coupons for popular stores like Toys R Us and Chuck e Cheese there.
Note: If you're looking for a code for a certain store, don't assume it doesn't exist if you can't find it on one website. Different sites have different codes. Visit a few coupon sites before giving up on the idea that a code for that store does exist.
Rebates
Here's how the biggest programme of its kind works. Sign up for an account at Ebates.com. There is a $5 sign-up bonus, so you already have $5 for free. Then, when you want to shop online, check Ebates first before going straight to a store. Even if you have a coupon from another site, you can save more money by clicking on the store link on the Ebates page.
Say you want to buy a new jacket at Kohls and have a coupon for $10 off a $75 purchase. Great. You go to Ebates with the coupon code in hand and find Kohls on the list of stores. This store gives back 2%, so you go to the Ebates page, click on the Kohls link, and make your purchase. You not only saved money because you used a coupon code, but you also got an extra 2% back on your purchase. Not a bad deal. Ebates will send you a check or send money to your PayPal account.
Points
Not everyone knows about the different point programmes, but it's important to know about them because you can earn points even if you don't shop.
Sign up for an account at MyPoints.com. Emails will be sent by My Points (sometimes daily, sometimes several in one day). When you click on a link in an email, you get 5 points right away. Sign up for an offer or make a purchase through that link to get even more points, from hundreds to thousands per offer.
My Points is most helpful when you shop online, though. Like Ebates, you click on a link on the My Points site and make a purchase to get points. Most stores give you between 2 and 4 points for every dollar you spend. Once you have at least 1,000 points, you can turn them into gift certificates for places like restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and clothing stores.
You can't use both Ebates and My Points in the same purchase, so if a store is linked through both, you have to decide which is the better deal for you. Try to use a coupon code with a My Points or Ebates deal whenever you can.
