Hate spending hours shopping in stores? Are you more of an online shopper? Me too! Here are a few tips and tricks to get the best deals out of online shopping:

(Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will make a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)

1. Shop During Free Shipping (Duh)

We all know the feeling when you find the cutest clothes online, add them to your cart, get ready to check out and see that *whoa* shipping is $6?! If you’re like me, you just close out of the browser because that extra six dollars is just too steep. You’ll end up spending that on an artisanal latte later this week anyway, but I digress. It’s simple, but I sign up for newsletters for online shopping websites such as H&M, Forever 21, Lulu’s, and more. That way you’re saving a trip to the store and shipping costs. Plus, usually stores pair free shipping with some sort of discount deal.

Tip: Did you know CVS does a discount + free shipping combination all the time? About every other week I get emails about 30% off + free shipping. I end up saving a ton of money on my toiletries and makeup that I usually get there. Plus with the CVS Extrabucks, it really adds up. Make sure to get a CVS Extracare card (it’s not a credit card, don’t worry) and sign up for their emails to save as much as possible.

2. Ebates

If you haven’t heard of Ebates, you’ve unfortunately been missing out on a lot of cash back for your purchases. Here’s the deal, Ebates allows you to get a percentage of cash back on all of your online purchases and pays you those rewards every 3 months. You can get paid by check or through PayPal and it’s super convenient. Click here to install the Ebates plugin on your browser. That way, you get this awesome little message when you go to a website that lets you know how much cash back you can get on a purchase.

While it’s usually only around 3-7% cash back, some stores offer as much as 10-15% off. The plugin will also search for coupons for you at check out, so you can really save that money. 

You can earn $10 right away by using my referral link here. Check it out and see how much you can save from your favorite online stores.

3. Always Google Coupons

Every time I’m about to check out online, I always Google coupons for the store. So let’s say I’m clothes shopping, I’ll type into Google, “Forever 21 coupons”. Usually, the website RetailMeNot.com is always the first to pop up and has some options. There are usually always coupons floating around out there even if they aren’t publicized. Some websites will scan the internet for codes, like Honey, but I haven’t always had the best of luck with those.

Tip: Sometimes if you leave items in your cart without buying them, you’ll get a special offer email from the brand shortly after. I’ve abandoned my cart a few times once I realized that I didn’t want to pay shipping, or I just decided not to go for it. Then a few hours later I received an email offering me 15-25% off if I came back to purchase it. Score. 

4. Amazon Warehouse

I literally just discovered that this was a thing and it’s unreal. Basically, it’s a collection of all sorts of items that people returned to Amazon for various reasons. Usually, the item descriptions include why the item was returned, so if it’s because of a small scuff or scratch on something, the 50-70% discount is totally worth it. Just scanning the website for a few minutes, I found Adidas Cloudfoam sneakers for $40. Have fun getting sucked into this shopping black hole.

5. Shop Online, Pickup In-Store

So many stores like Forever 21, Target, and H&M, allow you to pick up your online purchase in store. If you aren’t shopping during a free shipping period, this pickup option is usually free. You won’t spend hours searching through a store, waiting in fitting room lines, or getting upset when you can’t find your size. Plus it’s super convenient because you can go to the store to pick up your purchase at the register and usually pay in advance.

Tip: This is especially helpful if you can use online coupons that you can’t use in stores. That way, you can get a solid discount, still not have to pay for shipping, and actually end up paying less than you would if you bought it in the store. So don’t forget to always check for online coupons like I mentioned in Tip #3.

Do you have any other ways that you save online? Let everyone know in the comments below!