5 ways to save when you’re online shopping

Know where to look.

Sometimes, online shopping isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s a world of hefty postage fees, incorrect sizes and outfits that show up well after the date you needed them.

There are definite advantages to shopping from your couch, though. Trackies and vino, for starters. You’re also way more likely to find yourself a sneaky discount, if you know where to look.

Being seasoned online shoppers ourselves, we’ve pulled together a list of five things to consider before you hit ‘checkout’.

Find coupons

Just because a site hasn’t advertised a sale, doesn’t mean there aren’t discounts to be had. It always pays (pun intended) to search around for online coupons, just in case there’s a deal you weren’t aware of. A quick visit to a site like Picodi and you’ll find coupon codes for a multitude of brands, stores and products. Picodi adds around 250 new coupons per week, with some deals exclusive to the site – Think Uber, Printvenue and Mixbook. Depending on the deal, Picodi estimates that you can save up to $400 per month by using its coupons at least twice a month when online shopping.

All you have to do is copy the coupon code and then use it at the checkout. Easy peasy.

Sign up for rewards

Who doesn’t love rewards? The internet is just waiting to give you a reward for doing next to nothing. Sign up to the mailing list? Take 15 per cent off. Refer a friend? Have $10 off. Fill out a survey? Have a free iPhone (jk, that one’s a gimmick).

If you’re shopping on a site for the first time, it’s worth checking out whether they have a new customer discount. And if you’re a person that doesn’t mind having a full inbox, signing up to mailing lists is a surefire way to nab a saving or two.

Be smart about discount codes

If, by some chance of fate, a website you want to purchase from has multiple codes running, it pays to be wise about how you use them. No seriously. Play them in the right order and you’ll save more money.

If you’ve got a ‘per cent off’ code and a ‘dollars off’ code, it’ll pay to use the ‘per cent’ one first. For example, play your 30 per cent off coupon before your $15 off coupon. Hello $2 saving.

Buy in bulk

A lot of the time, we seriously underestimate the damage of postage. It can add up quickly if you’re buying from multiple sites, especially international ones. That’s why it’s best to stock up from one store. If you’ve got multiple birthdays coming up, get your presents out of the way at the same time. If you purchase multiple items from one store, the difference in postage isn’t likely to go up if you add a little more to your cart. If anything, you’re more likely to score free postage, giving you another excuse to buy a little more.

Focus on the details

Returns are expensive. We get it, you’re on the couch, Netflix is playing while you idly search the web. Can you really be bothered finding a tape measure to check the difference between a Country Road size 8 and a standard? Probably not. But you should do it anyway. Returns and exchanges are unwanted time killers and you’ll always cop the postage fee. Two seconds to check out the sizing chart may save you a hassle in the long run.

Illustration by Twylamae who also made this Larry David tee.