There are many tools to help you navigate the web and find the best available deals. It’s also important to develop positive spending habits that can help ensure you are confident in the prices you pay for your purchases.
Shop in the Comforts of Your Own Home
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a personal shopper that could help you find the best deals? DealNews.com keeps their eyes on millions of products and finds the best deals possible. Their deal hunters update the site about 200 times a day with bargains they find from across all of the most popular retail sites.
The other great thing about this site is it takes you directly to the sale they reference. You can also customize a newsletter that sends you deals from retailers and items you are interested in. Just sign up and shop away.
Brad’s Deals shops 3,800 web retailers daily for the best rebates, sale prices, store rewards and coupons. You can easily navigate this website and set up a buyer profile with all of your favorite items. It makes finding a deal simple.
If you have found a deal you are excited about, make sure to check out RetailMeNot.com for coupon codes before completing your purchase. Every retail site has a promo code input, a lot of times you can find a code to use on this site. You can also subscribe and they will send you deals and promo codes for retailers you are interested in.
Ever searched online for a specific item? Do you notice that search engines like Google aggregate multiple sites with different prices for similar items? This is a feature called Google Shopping. If you are looking for a specific product and want the best price, this is a great place to start. It compares various websites to yield the best price offered.
Another great tool that allows you to compare prices is FreePriceAlerts. This is a plug-in you can add to your browser. When you are shopping on your favorite retail sites, this tool will automatically send you price comparisons from different sites. You do not have to register to use the tool but if you do, you can set a price you would like an item to reach.
Find Deals On the Go
Shopping may not be a priority. If you are in the market for a specific item, you can download several apps that will help you compare sites and find the best deal for the items you want.
One of the leading retail sites in the world has an app that may change the way you shop. Amazon has a feature that alerts you with price notifications. You can set up the app to watch a certain item and send you notifications when there is a change in its price. You live a busy life, it’s nice to have Amazon do the work for you.
ShopSavvy empowers shoppers to purchase wisely. Tell the app what items you’re searching and it will keep an eye out for the best price and major sales for your favorite stores. Scan the barcode of any product and you will instantly see several sites that are selling it online or locally.
If you want to try out another barcode scanner, RedLaser can be of service. Quickly scan any barcode and your item will appear with a range of prices from multiple sites. Within seconds you can find a price that fits your budget.
Adjust Toxic Shopping Habits
Beyond these countless tools, it’s also important to have positive shopping habits. There’s no point to using these tools if you have toxic shopping habits. Here are a few habits you may want to give up to make sure you don’t bust your budget.
Impulse buying –hopefully using these sites will eliminate the urge to impulse buy. Take your time to find a deal that will fit your budget. Online shopping makes impulse shopping simple. Take your time and make sure you really need the item you are looking for.
Buying just to buy – spending hours online shopping can fill your head with items you would never have considered buying. Just because it’s a great deal doesn’t mean it’s something you need to add to your household. It’s not a great deal if you don’t need it.
Using credit – it sometimes makes sense to use a credit card instead of your debit card. However, this could get you into trouble if you aren’t careful. Make sure your purchases are planned and fit within your budget. Also, be cautious about store credit cards.
Word of Caution
If you are surfing the web for the best deal, you want to ensure your information is protected. Check for security settings and make sure when you check out that you see a green lock, which indicates the site is secure. You also want to ensure that you completely understand each retailer’s return and exchange policies. You don’t want to get stuck with an item that is not up to your standards or is damaged when you receive it.
Now you have the tools you need in order to be a champion shopper. Now go find the items of your dreams!
