5 Ways to Save: Tips for Online Shopping

A quick clip from the Oprah.com video series "One Minute to More Money with Jean Chatzky" gave 5 simple and smart tips to save money while doing your shopping online. Jump below to check them out and bookmark for your next purchase:

1) Use a Shopbot like Bizrate or Google Product Search to find the best price.

2) Google the name of the merchant you are thinking about purchasing from along with the word "coupon" to find any discount offers.

3) Sign up for emails from retailers you regularly shop from to receive offers.

4) If an item you purchased goes on sale within15 days of your purchase date, call the toll free number for the retailer and inquire about a credit.

5) Think about whether it is a "need" or "want" item before hitting the "buy" button!

Watch Jean in the video right here at Oprah.com.

Image: JadeGordon on stock.xchng

Comments (12)

I never buy anything online without checking www.retailmenot.com for coupons first. I have saved hundreds of dollars thanks to that beauty of a website!

posted by sholt on February 6th 2009 at 1:21pm
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That's my favorite for discount codes too, sholt. They have a sibling site, BeatMyPrice.com, that still needs some work but can often turn up some better deals. I also use MySimon.com to compare total prices including shipping (often a significant extra cost).

posted by FiatLex on February 6th 2009 at 1:27pm
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Her tips are basic. I do all of those things all the time and I use currentcodes.com to check for discounts.

posted by dnice on February 6th 2009 at 1:49pm
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The only problem with signing up for mailing lists is that it encourages you to shop more than you might otherwise. Or at least that is what happens with me!

posted by Lucy (SF Bay Area) on February 6th 2009 at 1:58pm
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retailmenot is good but it often is missing codes to more obscure places. i do the google search of the place with coupon to find them and check out a few other sites first. Also certain retailers have asked RMN not to post coupons for them anymore...

cheapstingybargains is a great site, been going there since it was called cheapstingybast***. lots of deals, but it does encourage me to shop more if i find something for an amazing price

posted by jmorey on February 6th 2009 at 2:05pm
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if you're too tempted to shop, never ever save your info into the system. typing in your info and actually digging out your credit card to get the number, while not exactly difficult, makes you take a little more time to think about what you're doing that simply clicking 'submit my order'!

posted by foodefafa on February 6th 2009 at 2:08pm
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hunt around for 100% or 110% price matches. even if you only find a 100% price match for a retailer with better customer service or returns/exchange guidelines, all the better!

posted by selena on February 6th 2009 at 2:48pm
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Also dealoz.com for book price comparisons. During Christmas I practically live on that site.

posted by nohatein08 on February 6th 2009 at 3:32pm
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oh my god foodefafa. you have hit it right on the nose for me. this past week ive been itching to buy things online "do i need that t shirt, that duvet" etc. but i always close the window at checkout, because getting my visa out gives me that extra moment to reflect and say "no, i dont need this right now"

posted by serrakat on February 6th 2009 at 3:34pm
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Forget those comparison sites, pricegrabber.com is the absolute best as far as I'm concered. I've used it for years and it's never failed me.

posted by Tiamat_the_Red on February 6th 2009 at 5:16pm
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Any good tips for Canadian websites?

posted by scotty214 on February 7th 2009 at 10:42pm
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I just went to cybershopping.ca. It offers coupons. Haven't used it yet but it's worth checking out.

posted by Crystal Walker on February 8th 2009 at 3:48pm
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