I am a self-proclaimed online shopping fanatic.  I buy all my books, some groceries, clothes (that I know what size to buy), decorative items, diapers, and several home supplies.  Some people think that the best way to shop online is wait until you see a sale promoted.  I use to think that too but over the many years of shopping online I’ve learned a few tricks.

Here are my Top 10 Tips to Save When Shopping Online:

1.)  Use Coupon Codes

Before you buy anything online, always, always, always check for a coupon code first.  We have a online coupon database right here on our site so that you can easily find a code to save a percent off, dollars off, or free shipping.

2.) Ask for a Discount

If you’ve searched for a coupon and haven’t found one you might want to try your hand at asking for a discount.  I’ve found that nine times out of then when I ask for a discount I’ll usually get one.  I like to use the chat feature on websites for this.  For smaller boutique type of sites or Etsy stores I’ll send an email and they’ll usually respond within a day or two.

3.) Shop Ebay

For years Ebay has been a fabulous place to score deals on last season’s hottest clothes and toys.  While they’re still great for that, they now have discounts on this season’s hottest toys and fashions.  Ebay is a fabulous resource to have in your savings arsenal.  I’ve been guilty of this so I feel I have to warn you, be careful not to get caught up in a bidding war and end up spending more than you intended to.

4.) Shop online

That sounds like a given doesn’t it?  One of my tips to save money when shopping online is to shop online.  Countless times I have found something in the store that wasn’t on sale and I held out on buying it until I got home to check for a coupon code (see point 1).  I won’t always do this because I do like to help support my local community but if times are tight I’ll do this in a heartbeat.

5.) Shop through Ebates

Ebates is one of my absolute favorite ways to save when shopping online because it takes so little effort!  Ebates is an online rebate program where you simply go to Ebates and sign up or log in, then you search for your favorite store, and that’s it!  You’ll earn from 1%-20% cash back on your purchase.  You have the option to receive a check in the mail every 3 months (when you earned at least $5.01 cash back in your account) or you can have your cash deposited into your PayPal account.

6.) Shop Amazon

Amazon’s logo clearly says that they carry everything from A to Z and I’ve found that to be true.  I bought an iPod Touch through an Amazon store and saved over $50 from what that store had it listed for on their site. {Check out my tutorial for how to amplify your iPod’s sound for free!}  Amazon has a coupon section for home supply, beauty, and baby goods that not everyone knows about.  Just do a simple search on Amazon to find all of the current coupons.  If you buy a lot online it might be a good idea for you to purchase an Amazon Prime membership for $79 a year.  This will give you free 2 day shipping.  2 day shipping has been a blessing to me numerous times when I’ve forgotten to buy diapers or a friend’s birthday gift until the last minute.  Plus, you’ll also get a wide variety of free Amazon Instant Videos.  Not only can you save by just shopping on Amazon, using Amazon’s coupons, and signing up for Amazon Prime but if you click through Ebates you’ll be able to get cash back on your purchase (see point 5).

7.) Visit “Daily Deal” Sites

There is a plethora of daily deal sites online now where you can save on national and local deals.  My family has really enjoyed taking advantage of the local spa,  salon, cooking classes, and photography deals.  Be careful though because not all of these “deals” are the best price you can get.

8.) Check Social Media Sites

Many social savvy stores will have their own Facebook and Twitter accounts where they’ll post exclusive deals, sales, and coupon codes.  I recently saved 25% on my Christmas card purchase by quickly glancing at Shutterfly‘s Facebook page.  I found a free shipping code through my coupon database (see point 1 for the link) but this exclusive coupon code was only available on their Facebook page.  Plus, I’ve also seen people share one time use coupon codes on Shutterfly’s wall for free products that they don’t necessarily want.

9.) Save Money on Gift Wrap

With all of the fabulous homemade gift wrap ideas floating around on the internet why buy the fancy pants paper at the stores.  Buy the cheapest {but cute} paper you can find and embellish it yourself.  There are oodles of free printable gift tags and cards on the internet.  Plus, even if you have to shop and buy a gift tag template I’m sure it will still be much cheaper in the end than buying pre-made tags year after year. Besides, who doesn’t like a personalized gift {or personalized gift-wrapping} anyway?

10.)  Regularly Read EmbracingBeauty.com

Come on, you knew I had to add this!  Embracing Beauty’s motto is, “Embracing God’s best for your finances, home, and life!”  We’re not a site that includes every deal known to man for two reasons.  Number 1, I won’t post a deal when I know it’s not the lowest price you could get it for.  I just won’t.  Number 2, I can’t post every coupon and every deal.  I would if I could but I have a real life outside of this blog and I have to keep my priorities, my priorities.  I think you understand that.  However, it’s my goal to give you the resources to find those deals and coupons on your own so that you don’t have to rely on me {or anyone} to save money.  We still feature the hottest coupons, freebies, and money-saving deals every week to save you time so please bookmark us and follow us on our social media pages {the links are found at the top right of this page}.