Just because Christmas is on Wednesday doesn’t mean I’m done shopping online. With rush shipping and ship to store options, I can continue to avoid the crazy last-minute holiday crowds. And hey, if I can save money while I’m doing it, I’m all for it. Here, 3 simple ways to save money shopping online for the holidays and frankly, all year long.
1. Sign up for the store rewards programs where you already shop
I tend to forget about rewards programs at stores I frequent in part because I do most of my shopping from home, and there’s no nice sales person to ask me, “hey, want to take advantage of this awesome thing?” But many of the rewards programs, like the Shop Your Way program from our sponsor Sears and Kmart, are available for online shoppers too. Unlike a lot of other rewards programs I’ve seen, Shop Your Way gives you points for every purchase you make, which are as good as cash.
We’re talking millions of dollars worth of points towards discounts on cool items; or you can even earn enough to get your purchases completely free.
Signing up is free and really simple. And hey, if you’re already a member, check your account and see if you have points that expire 12/31 so you can use them now! Otherwise it’s like losing free money.
2. Install the Honey extension for Chrome
Like a lot of online shoppers, I always search the web for discount codes before I click “purchase,” so I totally love the Honey extension which does it for me right at the online checkout of dozens of the top stores. Basically, when you’re about to finish your purchase, it will ask you if you want it to search for discounts and deals currently available for that specific online store–and it often finds them. Amazing.
3. Look for savings using Priceblink
The handy Priceblink website (which is also available as a browser extension) will show up right at the top of your browser, so you can easily check on any deals happening in that store. Click the “coupons” dropdown menu and–there they all are. This is super handy if you’re doing a quick search and you want to see if it’s worth sticking around at a specific shop or moving on to somewhere else. I also find it can alert you to free shipping offers that aren’t always prominently featured on the site.
Thanks to our sponsor Sears and Kmart for making last minute gift buying easier on the wallet (and more fun) for so many shoppers. Join the Sears and Kmart Shop Your Way rewards program for free, and start earning points and member privileges. If you’re a member and your current points expire 12/31, be sure to use them now!
If you aren’t shopping on a deadline, you can try pricify.com and get sale alerts when prices drop on something you were planning to buy.
Before checkout, I’m used to finding relevant coupons/deals which may be applied to my shopping items. Some sites like anycodes.com, savings.com are among the best. It seems they update frequently and on time.