Online Shopping Tips

As much as I love to shop, I really only like to shop for me. It's that instant gratification thing.

However, I LOVE to shop for others online. I put a lot of thought into gifts and the most unique come from browsing the internet.

About 80% of my shopping this year is being done online. I've become somewhat of a pro. So, I have a few tips for those of you who do not want to leave the house, fight the traffic, be out in the cold, etc.

Tip 1:

Search for online coupons before completing your order. For example, if you are buying things from Red Envelope, search for "online Red Envelope coupon code" or "online Red Envelope promotional code". This particular search found me a 15% off discount my total purchase.

You'll often find free shipping discounts too, which always help.

Tip 2:

If you are a member of any type of frequent flyer or credit card rewards programs, visit their website and see who they are partners with. Often, if you follow a link from their website to the place you are going to shop at, you get either additional discounts or additional miles or rewards. A couple of times I have received "4 miles for every $1 spent" through Delta.

Tip 3:

Ebay. Think of something the person you are shopping for likes, and just type that in. For example, my uncle loves Poker. I typed in poker. After browsing, I narrowed the search to Poker Chips. I found a St. Louis Cardinals Poker Chip Card protector and a USMC Poker Chip Card protector (for my stepdad). They were $2 each after shipping.

So if you are like me and want to get something special/unique but don't have the creativity to think of something. Search for it. I guarantee you someone else has thought of something.

Tip 4:

This one is fairly simple. Have things shipped to the person you are buying for to save you from making the trip to the post office. Often, places will wrap it for you and include a card with a message.

Tip 5:

Get on mailing lists. This way, you don't have to keep checking websites to see when they are running an additional percentage off or any item specific sales. Often, if you are members of these lists, you'll get discounts specifically for mailing list members.

Hope this helps!