This post is in partnership with Splender. All opinions are my own.
As you know I love shopping online. My online shopping obsession began when we lived in Cuba and we didn’t have anywhere to shop on the base. It was right about that time that most retailers really started investing in their online stores and it was great to have options when we were living overseas.
We moved from Cuba to West Virginia and we lived over an hour from the closest Target, Walmart, or clothing store (gasp!). My friend and I would spend hours using dial up internet, shopping for our kids at OldNavy.com and LandsEnd.com. It probably wouldn’t have taken hours if we had faster internet, but you take what you can get in the middle of nowhere.
My online shopping continued as our family continued to grow and we moved back to civilization. It was the IKEA trip of 2004 that had me swearing off in-store shopping for the rest of my life.
When I first started shopping online there weren’t many coupons or deals. Sometimes I would search online for a coupon, but many times the coupons I would find were expired or were “one time use” so they didn’t work for me.
Thankfully all that has changed drastically in the past ten years and if you are a savvy shopper you will never again pay full price for the rest of your life.
Here are three ways I save when shopping online.
Shop Ahead
Back when we lived in the arctic circle (aka Maryland for this Florida gal) I would do most of my winter clothes shopping in March. By then all the major stores had discounted their winter gear because they wanted to make room for their spring and summer inventory.
Currently I’m shopping for patio furniture, swimwear and shorts. Just last week I was able to stock up on goggles for under $3 a pair. (If your kids swim you know goggles are a hot commodity!)
Get Cash Back
Getting cash back is probably the easiest way to save when you shop online. Last summer I heard about a cash back site called Splender.com. We’ve talked about cashback shopping sites in the past, but in case you aren’t familiar with how they work, I’ll walk you through it.
Go to Splender.com and sign up for a free account (this takes under 5 minutes). Once you have an account search Splender for coupons and deals for your favorite sites.
I love Old Navy for my kids’ clothes, so let’s start there. Right now, when I shop through Splender I can maximize my savings by using the 20% off sale merchandise coupon plus an additional 3% cash back. All I have to do is click on the “Shop Now” button to start saving.
I can shop on OldNavy.com and use the code ENJOY to save immediately and then next month I’ll receive my cash back from Splender.
What I like about Splender is that unlike other cash back programs you only need $10 in your account to get your cashback. Also, they pay every month which is really fast.
Use Coupons
There are so many ways to get discounts and coupons when you shop online. Since I like getting cash back I first look to see if Splender has any coupons or discounts on their site. Since they have partnered with over 800 stores they usually do, but if not, a quick google search will almost always bring up a coupon.
If I can’t find any coupon or discount on Splender, I go directly to the website and see if they have any discounts for loyal customers. Almost all retailers offer a discount when you share your email for the first time. I ALWAYS do this for additional savings.
Remember to also check for free shipping. Lately I’ve been shopping for uniform shorts. Since almost every children’s apparel store carries them, I’m comparing cash back percentages between stores (Splender usually has the highest), coupons, and free shipping to decide where I’m purchasing the uniforms. I’ve been able to get uniform shorts for under $8 a piece (including shipping) when I am strategic about it. That sure beats the $17 price at the uniform shop!
If you are hesitant about giving your information to another website, Splender has been a trusted partner in the cashback space for ten years (which is about a million in internet years). Also, you can request for payment via paypal so all they need is your paypal email address.
Finally, you can actually MAKE money when you shop Splender.
When you refer a friend to Splender you get $10 in cash. Not only do you earn $10 for every friend you refer, your friend receives an extra $5 after their first purchase of $50. So not only can they save using a coupon and cash back, they will get $5 after their first purchase.
If you are like me and don’t like to take five kids shopping regularly, I highly recommend shopping online more often.
I’m able to compare prices and maximize my savings from the comfort of my home.
If you haven’t tried Splender yet, you should sign up for your free account. You can start saving without even trying!
Linda says
I too love shopping online. I did have a bad experience with the Top Cash Back site. I diligently shopped through their site before Christmas one year. When I went to try to get the money owed me from shopping, I couldn’t get into my account. They told me the account was frozen due to a dispute with a store over a returned item. However, I had not returned anything! I did all that I could do for the next several months to prove they had me mixed up with someone else…but to no avail. After several months, I decided it wasn’t worth my time and energy. I ended up not getting a penny.