Top Tips For Saving Money On Your Online Shopping

Online shopping is now common practice in the UK, with around 85% of Brits making purchases through websites. From the weekly food shop to clothing hauls and newly released tech, you can buy pretty much anything from an electronic device.

However, online shopping isn’t just beneficial in terms of convenience, it can also help you save serious money. If you’ve got some time to spare and fancy being a bit more savvy with your cash, here are some of our top tips.

Ways to maximise your online shopping savings

Utilise price comparison websites

It’s not new knowledge that prices can differ greatly between retailers. While this may be mere pennies for trivial things, you could find some major savings for larger investments. Use a comparison website to see where you can bag your items for the best possible price.

Additionally, you can track the price history of an item to see when it’s typically at its lowest. This may also highlight whether a sale price is as good as it seems and not inflated just days before.

Look for deals and discounts

Consider signing up to discount sites such as Wowcher and Groupon to get deals sent straight to your inbox. Again, make sure these prices are competitive first and check whether delivery charges apply.

It’s also worth seeing if newcomers get a reduced rate for their first order or if there is a loyalty scheme available. For example, HelloFresh offers 50% off your first box and free desserts for life, and making use of referral deals mean you can grab first-time user discounts, with the Gousto upto 70% off offer being a good example, and Amazon Prime offers a 30-day free trial. Additionally, supermarket loyalty cards such as Tesco’s Clubcard and Sainsbury’s Nectar Card offer unbeatable discounts on your everyday shopping items.

However, it’s important to keep track of any free trials you sign up to and make sure that each password is unique, to ensure your details are secure. By using a free password manager, you store all of these safely in one place.

Use cashback sites

Rather than buying directly from an online retailer, you can instead gain back a small percentage of the cost from cashback sites. Some are free, whereas others may require a subscription fee.

While you won’t see instant returns, by consistently using sites like TopCashback, you’ll find yourself up to £345 better off each year. Opting for a premium account where you pay extra means you can receive higher rates of cashback.

Purchase discounted gift cards

There are sites that allow you to buy gift cards at a discounted rate. You can save up to 30% of the original cost of these, which you can put towards your basket and make your money go further. Alternatively, gift card cashback apps such as JamDoughnut can offer you cashback of up to 20% on purchases you make online (and in-store) and pay by a gift card instead of your credit card, and those savings can really add up over the course of a year!

Your employer may also offer discounts on gift cards at places like Waitrose, ASOS, and Tesco. Even savings as small as £5 on your food shop can quickly accumulate. Just confirm the legitimacy of the site you are using first, otherwise, you might expose yourself to fraudulent activities.