For all those compulsive shoppers out there, you know you cannot resist all the deals online and want to have the latest trends in your wardrobe or home. Online shopping can be fun, but also might burn a hole in your pocket.
If you are simply checking out the cart after just glancing at the product once, you might be in danger of piling up credit card bills. However, there are a few ways to save some dollars while shopping online. We tell you how:
Research
That’s right! Seek and you shall find better deals. Searching for the same product on different websites helps you understand price differences. You can simply type in the name of the product on Google and look for images. The results that appear with the “product” tag is what you should be looking at. Search for your exact product and you can easily locate it on another website. Apart from that, there are many websites which claim to provide a comparison of the same product across sites.
Your research of brands can also help you find better products. For example, Michael Kors bags available in America are affordable than in other countries. So you can decide which model you want and ask your friend to get it on his/her next visit. This way you don’t have to pay for shipping, you get the authentic brand and most importantly get it at an affordable price.
Read the reviews
Sometimes your research might land you on a website that offers low prices, no/low shipping charges with swanky pictures. Basically, most too-good-to-be-true websites should be treated with caution. Read up on the website that you are not familiar with. Reading the reviews on the site might not be enough because sometimes they could be fake or they would only post the good reviews. Search for reviews and complaints against them. This will give you a better picture of how the site functions.
Try and buy
When buying clothes, if you can find the same brand in stores, try it on to understand your size. All brands have different measurements for different sizes. So, it is better to find out which one will fit you. This could save the hassle of returning products and waiting for a refund.
Sign-up
Yes, signing up might seem like a task especially with all the passwords to remember. You can simply create a separate email account only for shopping. In order to remember the password to all the sites that you sign up for, just use one password for all. Signing up on shopping websites will help you to get information about a clearance sale or discount quickly. New customers also get exclusive discounts on their first purchase on many websites. Websites also send alerts in case of price drops of the items in your cart.
Filter it right
When looking for products, filter your search according to the price and more importantly, look for free shipping. This is where you can save a few dollars by getting it at your doorstep for free. Some sites might include the shipping cost and show you the price of the product, whereas, some may show you a lower price, but later charge a high shipping fee. Check the breakup of prices before you checkout from the cart.
Stock up on basics
It is a good idea to buy your wardrobe staples when you find them on discount. If your wardrobe is made up of white shirts, black tees, sneakers, innerwear, joggers, jackets, scarves, or anything else, you could stock up on these when there’s a sale. However, do not go overboard with it.
Use rewards credit cards to shop
Instead of using a regular credit card, you could apply for a plastic that is designed for shopping online. Many banks in Singapore offer credit cards that offer rewards when you shop online in the form of reward points, cashback or even air miles.
Here are a few credit cards that reward online shopping spends
Citi Rewards Card
Get 10X Rewards Points on online shopping purchases.
OCBC Titanium Rewards Card
Get 10X OCBC$ on online shopping.
Standard Chartered Spree Credit Card
Online purchases will get you 3% cashback.
DBS Live Fresh Card
Get up to 5% cashback on online purchases.
OCBC 365 Credit Card
You can get a cashback of 3% when you shop online.
Now that you know a trick or two, it is easier to save when shopping online. You could use these tips to be a better shopper and also earn rewards using credit cards. However, do not buy anything that you will never use. This will just be a waste of money apart from adding clutter to your home.
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