26+ Genius Shopping Hacks To Help You Get Great Deals

Purpose: To Get Special Discounts
Est. Savings: $5+*

Whether it’s because you didn’t want to rush-order something you might regret later or because you were just online window shopping while adding the items to your cart “just to see” what the total would be, not all online shopping excursion ends with a sale. But online retailers want to change that.

Leave Items in Your Cart ©William Potter / Shutterstock.com @reallygoodemail/Pinterest.com

When online shoppers abandon their shopping carts, many retailers automatically send discount emails to the customers’ accounts to lure them back with incredible savings. Not convinced? Ask one of the millions who have received discount emails from Old Navy, Gap, and American Eagle over the past few months. 

Purpose: To Spend As Little As Possible
Est. Savings: Unlimited

Shopping for the things you need has never been easier. There are unlimited stores to choose from, and you can browse most of them from the comfort of your own home. What’s lost in translation is the ability to convince a store clerk to give you a better deal. When online shopping, you usually have to settle for the website’s price, but not anymore.

Download Honey's Money-saving Browser Extension ©13_Phunkod / Shutterstock.com | /i.insider.com

Thanks to money-saving browser apps like Honey, that’s not the case anymore. This extension searches the web for the deals that are right for your order. This PayPal-owned extension is designed to help you spend less. The more you shop, the more you save.

Purpose: To Get The Best Price Possible
Est. Savings: 10%-30%*

Online window shopping is a great way to get an idea of how much something should cost. However, have you ever noticed that the more often you price-check what you’re after, the higher the cost seems to get? This is because of something called dynamic pricing, a process online retailers take advantage of in which variables like your location and browser history play roles in dictating price points. 

Outwit the Dynamic Pricing Trap ©Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock.com

Clearing your device’s cookies is a good place to start. You can also avoid dynamic pricing traps by switching your devices to incognito mode before your online shopping trip. Logging out of active accounts will also get you out of the trap.

Purpose: To Make Sure You’re Receiving The Lowest Price
Est. Savings: $5-$10/Item*

These days, buying something online is as simple as clicking a button a few times and waiting a couple of days for the order to arrive at your door. With how easy it is to order things online, many customers have inadvertently traded finding the best deals possible for completing an order as fast as possible. 

Compare Prices Online Before Checking Out ©Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com

Don’t be one of the people who choose convenience over reasonable prices. Take a few extra minutes before checking out to search price comparison sites like Shopzilla to ensure you’re not paying more than you should. 

Purpose: Receive Cashback Rewards
Est. Savings: 1%-5%*

Credit card companies have been offering reward programs for cardholders for decades. Some rewards include flights with select airlines, while others provide cardholders with savings when they shop with participating retailers. However, the hidden gem in all these savings is actually the cashback program most credit card companies offer.

Use a Rewards Credit Card ©fizkes/Shutterstock.com

Not only do you earn air miles, and not only would you receive bonus points or a gift card when signing up, but you can also end up with 1%-5% cash back on purchases—depending on the credit card you use. 

Purpose: To Not Miss Out On Sales
Est. Savings: $5-$100+*

Wednesday isn’t just the hump in the middle of the week that Monday to Friday workers look forward to getting past. It’s also the day of the week most retailers roll out their specials. So, if you’re itching for a good deal on a product you’re after, it’s best to avoid shopping on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Shop on Wednesdays or Fridays for the Best Deals ©MG Best For You/Shutterstock.com

You should also do everything you can to avoid booking flights on Mondays, they are the most expensive booking day of the week. Alternatively, Sundays usually turn out to be the cheapest day to book a flight.

Purpose: To Benefit From The Time You Spend On Social Media
Est. Savings: 5%+*

Social media influencers have been given their titles for a reason. Simply put, what they say influences their followers’ options. Meaning, if they name drop a retailer’s name, there’s a good chance that the retailer will see an uptick in visits and probably sales. That being said, the aforementioned influencers are usually given discount codes to give to their followers to entice them further.

Follow Influencers on Social Media ©Antlii/Shutterstock.com

All you have to do to get these savings is follow popular influencers with the same likes as you. Check their daily feed and keep an eye out for any posts with discount numbers or codewords with the hashtag of what you’re looking for.

Purpose: To Not Pay Outrageous Shipping Fees
Est. Savings: $10+*

It’s one thing to pay a couple of extra dollars for shipping, but customers find themselves shelling out almost as much for shipping these days as they’re paying for their order. That’s the case for customers who don’t look into how to receive the service free of charge, at least.

Find Out How to Get Free Shipping ©Hafiez Razali/Shutterstock.com

Not paying for shipping is usually as simple as spending more than the minimum price threshold set out by the retailer you’re dealing with. Instead of ordering one item at a time and paying shipping fees every time, plan ahead. Order more to pay less for shipping. Many retailers will also partake in ‘Free Shipping’ promos. Sign up for text alerts to find out when they’re happening.

Purpose: To Optimize Unused Travel Reward Points
Est. Savings: $25+*

Most credit cards these days have reward programs that go along with them. The type where you earn points toward travel and other luxuries things. Unfortunately, everyone’s travel plans were thrown for a loop in 2020, and reward points remained unredeemed. Unable to use their points for flights, reward members began looking for other options. And they found one in the way of gift cards.

Cash in Rewards Points ©Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Credit card companies allow you to redeem points for more than just airfare. They give gift cards starting at $25* as well. A gift card for the Disney store isn’t as majestic as a trip to Orlando to see the real thing, but at least it’s something.

Purpose: Last Ditch Effort
Est. Savings: Varies

It’s impossible to deny social media’s widespread effects on the world. No matter what you’re looking for or what you’d like to know, there is someone online who will have the answer for you. That includes knowledge of shopping sales and discounts.

Reach Out Via Twitter ©XanderSt/Shutterstock.com

With more than 300 million active users, Twitter is usually a great place to get the answers you’re after in no time. If all else fails, look on Reddit, it has message boards for everything. Don’t forget to leave thank you messages for those who have helped. It’s just good karma.

Purpose: To Make The Most Out Of The Marketplace
Est. Savings: $5-$10/Item*

Any retailer that hasn’t made the transition to online sales by now is lightyears behind the competition. However, all because a company sells its products online, that doesn’t mean the price it’s promoting is the best price you’ll be able to find. Check Amazon for extra low prices and savings before clicking send on any online orders. 

Always Check Amazon First ©Casimiro PT/Shutterstock.com

There’s a reason Amazon is considered by many to be a one-stop shop for everything you need. The online marketplace has partnerships with over two million companies worldwide that sell their products through the e-commerce giant’s platform. If there’s a lower price to be found, there’s a good chance Amazon will have it.

Purpose: To Receive By The Minute Sale Updates
Est. Savings: $10-$25*

The last thing anyone wants is to receive calls and messages from telemarketers. That being said, it’s completely understandable why customers are hesitant to give retailers their mobile phone numbers. However, there are quite a few more perks involved in receiving messages these days than there once were.

Sign up for Text Alerts from Your Favorite Retailers @krazycouponlady/Pinterest.com

Giving your favorite retailers your mobile number can result in you receiving SMS alerts about upcoming sales or, better yet, secret discount codes that can save you heaps off your next purchase. Signing up for text alerts is a great way to save money while shopping online, as long as you don’t mind getting some ‘spam’ messages every now and again, of course.

Purpose: To Get Frequent Discount Opportunities
Est. Savings: Varies With Each Loyalty Program

Everyone has probably known or seen someone with a wallet close to bursting due to all the discount cards it’s holding. It seems crazy to have that many cards, but when you’re able to see the benefits of each one, it comes across as genius more than anything. Aside from point-gaining credit cards, store-specific loyalty programs are probably the most beneficial way for customers to save.

Join Store Loyalty Programs ©Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com

Loyalty programs don’t give you as many benefits as a credit card, but you’ll understand the true power of loyalty the more you use your membership discount. Take Hollister’s loyalty program, for instance. It gives customers $5 back for every $125 spent. 

Purpose: Discounts, Discounts, Discounts
Est. Savings: $10-$25*

The majority of online retailers don’t allow the use of multiple discounts on the same purchase. However, some do. And when shopping at those websites, it’s best to be prepared to save as much as possible. Using more than one coupon or discount code sounds great, but like anything, there’s a strategy to getting the most out of it.

Use Multiple Coupon Codes Strategically ©ShutterOK/Shutterstock.com

Start by utilizing the highest percentage-saving discount code you have, and then work your way into the coupon codes with dollar-amount savings. You’ll always save more money by applying the percentage discount to the highest price possible before deducting the dollar amount. Who said you’d never use math in real life?