It’s estimated that online sales in the United States was $870 billion in 2021 — that’s a lot of people clicking on website “Buy Now” buttons.
I recently saved $25 on a $100 online purchase simply because I spent two minutes searching the Internet for applicable website coupons known as promotional codes. Best of all, you can get promo codes for stuff as varied as airline tickets and contact lenses — and everything else in between.
The bottom line: Yes, buying online makes shopping a breeze, but unless you’re willing to invest some time looking for promo codes, you’re probably spending more than you need to.
Photo Credit: Cameron Russell
You’re right. That is an extremely smart tip. Velieve it or not for those willing to look there are some promo codes out there waiting to be claimed that will save you $50, $100, $150. I know because I’ve redeemed them myself for places like Home Depot. When doing an internet search, type in the name of the site your shopping at and the words “promotional code” (without quotes) and if there are any available, they’ll come up.
I appreciate the added advice, Theo. It’s tough to get all of the dirty details in a 100 word post. The whole point of these smaller articles — besides sharing financial tips in quick little bite-sized pieces — is to invite my readers to help fill in those blanks and get the dialog rolling. Thanks again!
Yep, great tip. I saved lots of money looking for last minute coupon codes before buying my winter coat online last year.
Len this is fantastic advice. I ALWAYS look for coupon codes before making an online purchase. The savings can really add up, especially if a retailer allows coupon piggy-backing. I recently purchased a piece of luggage that retails at REI for $350 plus tax from another online retailer for $250. Shopping online and spending time searching for coupon codes eventually saved me over $100 including shipping costs.
Wow, that is quite a discount! Great job! It’s really amazing how many big coupon codes are out there that many people simply fail to take advantage of.
Love using promo codes online! So easy and can save so much money!
It really is a no-brainer, Robert.
Coupons is the best way to have discount. Every retail store give more or less discount on coupon. Yesterday I saw one place where Sears is giving about 68% discount on a coupon. It is a matter of thundering. I quickly visited the link and they redirected to the Sears site. Then I knew the event was real. So why we not use these coupon code! I just love it so so.
When I bought some items online, I usually used the promotional codes. By using promotional codes, I can save about 10% from the regular price.
Absolutely! The Honey browser extension is supposed to find and apply coupons for you, but is kind of hit-or-miss in my experience. There’s also EBates, which has a browser extension also and gets you cash back on lots of sites. I can say from personal experience that Ebates works.
The Capital One Quicksilver cash-back credit card does a coupon search for you when you use their credit card online.
If you even look at something on a site that has your email address, they will target you. If you don’t buy it, you’ll get emails saying, “What You Love Is Almost Gone”. I start singing “Let It Go” from Frozen.
Always look for coupons, and discounts. If you can help it, don’t ever pay retail for anything.