5 Minimalist Online Shopping Tips and Tricks to Save Money

1. Install a browser extension

Use a browser extension that searches for coupons for you so you don’t have to do it yourself. A browser is an application on your computer that you use to access the Internet, such as Google Chrome, Safari, or Mozilla Firefox.

There are many types of extensions that help you spellcheck and more. But this type of extension would search for coupons and automatically apply them during the checkout process. I tested it for a year and was able to get some good discounts and deals.

The one I use is called Honey. At checkout, Honey pops up to ask you if you want to run the coupon checker. You’d press yes, and it will find you a coupon to use. Just know it doesn’t always work with every single website, especially smaller companies. 

2. Complete your purchase discount

This is a common strategy, especially for smaller websites. This is how it works. You go on a website and add an item to your cart. Then leave the website with the cart still there with the item in it. Many online retailers will urge you to complete your purchase with a discount.

When you don’t complete your checkout, this triggers an email that offers you the discount the next day to prompt you to finish the purchase. Some offer 10 or 15 percent or free shipping to get you to complete the transaction. 

3. Subscribe to a newsletter for a discount

When you visit a website for the first time, you may see a pop-up that urges you to subscribe to a newsletter to get a 10 or 15 percent discount off your first purchase. Then you can always unsubscribe from the newsletter after you have your item.

Though it may seem unethical, consider that many companies aggressively send newsletters daily or multiple times a day and it can be overwhelming. 

4. Look for thrifted items online

Of course, you can do this in person, but it can be done online, too. For example, there’s a section on Etsy for pre-loved and quality second-hand items that are in good condition. 

5. Use your incognito window

An incognito window is a private window used to browse the Internet. The incognito mode does not track your moves with cookies, history, or other stored information.

The information that’s on your regular window is often used by advertisers and companies to track your consumer behavior. It also affects the prices you see on your site.

One strategy merchants use is that if you visit their website several times, it triggers an algorithm that shows you a different price compared to the price you’d see if you visited the site for the first time. This is where the incognito window helps.

Right-click on your browser icon and choose the incognito option. Then browse the website for the prices. You can see the price of the item without any of your history getting in the way. This strategy works especially well when you are buying airplane tickets–go on the incognito window and you could save a lot of money on a ticket.

You can also check the price of an airline ticket directly on the airline’s site in the country’s native language–it’s often cheaper than what it shows up on as American or Canadian dollars.

Online shopping tips and tricks

This is how to save money by shopping online. Have you used any of these online shopping tips? Let me know if you have other tips or sites you use to save money when shopping online.