There are so many ways that the internet can help you save money when shopping. There are online shops that are cheaper than brick-and-mortar ones, there are comparison sites, and there are coupon sites. Here are three less ordinary ways I use the internet to save money when I go shopping:
1. Online catalogues
I don’t get some of the catalogues that shops send out, and you may be in the same position, especially if you live a bit further away. Most major stores upload their recent catalogues onto their websites, so you can browse through them before you go shopping.
2. Online stores as a comparison tool
I tend to buy my groceries in store, because the postage is usually quite expensive. However, the three major groceries in Australia (Safeway/Woolworths, Coles and Aldi) all have online stores where you can see the prices of products, and this may be the case for your local grocery as well. This is a neat comparison tool – you can usually rank the product you’re looking to buy in order of unit cost, so you can decide in advance which brand you want to buy. It saves the hassle of trying to do the math in your head at the store. This is especially useful if there are sales on certain items and you’re wondering if the branded item will be cheaper than the generic one.
In addition, you’ll know whether the store actually carries the item you’re looking for, instead of having to wander around the store or trying to track down a sales assistant to ask.
3. Price matching
You can see the price that Store X is offering on their website or their online catalogue, but it’s too far away for you. If you’ve got internet on your mobile phone, walk into your nearest retailer, and show them the price that their competitor is offering. Most of them offer price matching (check the website beforehand to be sure) and they’ll give you a discount. Easy peasy.
Does anyone have any other unusual ways of using the internet to save money when shopping?
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