Optimizing Online Shopping

Have you ever kicked yourself when you are on the last leg of making an online purchase (be it for flowers, a flight, a designer garment, or tickets to a show) and the option to enter a coupon code appears? It is often too late and you realize that you've missed the chance to save some cash.

The question sometimes arises: does any item actually have a price? Or is the price always variable? It seems that in most cases, discounts of varying sizes are available for those who know where to look.

Online discount coupon sites unite whole rafts of retailers, making coupon codes easily obtainable on the specific brands or products that the individual customer tends to prefer. Personal preferences can be recorded and a tailored selection of discounts regularly offered.

Referring others is a tried and tested method of gaining a discount for oneself. When catalogues - literally heavyweight paper compendia of goods for sale - were the principal mail order vehicle, those who became agents were rewarded with discounts on their own catalogue shopping. Not surprisingly, all of the big-name catalogues have gone online, cutting off that particular earnings stream. However, online retailers do value loyalty, and this appreciation generally translates into dollars.

In order to avoid being bombarded with too many offers - many of which are of no personal relevance - wise shoppers can sign up to sites that specialize in just one type of merchandise. It may be beauty products, computer accessories or tickets to events, to name just a few possibilities. Online shopping is on balance a safer bet than 'live' shopping in stores. You are less likely to find discounts with impulse shopping, as a greater amount of thought and price comparing can be invested into the process of shopping online. And then, of course, there is the availability of all those promotional offers. The message is: don't purchase until you have checked out all the discount possibilities.

Tweet