Who doesn’t love to spend less money than they intended? Scouring stores for discounts is a good strategy, but you can also use technology to save both money and precious time. Find out how!
Online shopping is great – you can browse items whenever you want, and you don’t even have to leave the house to buy something. But what is also amazing about online shopping is that it can save you a lot of money if you know how to approach it.
1. Install coupon add-ons
Coupons are a great way to save money on discounts, but how do you get them? You can sign up for newsletters, join loyalty programs, or visit the same stores regularly. These are traditional methods. How about you try this instead – installing a coupon add-on in your browser.
There are various add-ons in extension stores out there – pick one that has good reviews and works with your browser. Popular ones are, for example:
- Honey
- Rakuten
- CouponCabin
Coupon extensions do their job by searching the web for available discount codes – the same ones you might get in newsletters. They can really save you some bucks when shopping online!
2. Use a VPN to search from different locations
Did you know that some websites, such as hotel booking platforms or plane ticket sellers, show different prices depending on where you are? This means that the same flight could cost you less or more if you buy it online in another country. This happens because vendors predict that the average person shopping from a prosperous state/country can spend more money on vacations, tickets, etc.
Luckily, there is a way to “trick” websites and make them think you are elsewhere. You can use a VPN to connect to a server located in another country. You may have to play around with different locations to find the cheapest offer, but it’s worth it.
Don’t have a VPN yet? Fortunately, Black Friday is coming, and with it – great discounts on online subscriptions. Get a VPN Black Friday deal and use it to save even more money in the future!
3. Take advantage of opportunities
Speaking of Black Friday – you can plan your shopping in advance and use the upcoming Black Friday to get some discounts. And don’t forget about Cyber Monday right after!
Both Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great for online shopping. Online stores offer occasional good bargains, so if you plan to buy a new TV or laptop, use these days to your advantage.
The same goes for other seasonal shopping opportunities. For example, small gifts and toys are at their cheapest after Christmas, so if you want to give yourself a present, wait for it to become excess stock.
4. Save money while helping to reduce food waste
Up to 40% of food produced in the United States goes to waste, while millions of people starve. Restaurants and stores throw away food that fails to sell – even if it’s still good to eat. You can help fight this problem while saving a lot of money!
There are mobile apps, such as Too Good To Go, developed for the sole purpose of reducing food waste. These platforms connect you with nearby restaurants and stores that want to sell their unsold food cheaply. Everything is good and fresh – it hasn’t sold out in time. Restaurants in the US are offering surprise packages of fresh food for just a few dollars!
5. Use financing apps and software
Staying on top of your finances can be difficult. It’s fairly easy to overspend if you don’t plan your budget ahead of time. Years ago, people used pencils and ledgers to record their income and expenses. Today, managing finances is much easier thanks to technology.
There are plenty of budget managing and planning apps available in the App Store or Google Play Store. They can record your expenses, categorize them, and visualize them by creating useful diagrams. Overall, they are very helpful, so if you have a problem with overspending on entertainment or junk food – try them out, see where your money goes, and plan your budget in advance.
You can also try out several money-making apps that can help you earn some money on the side without putting a lot of effort and money into it. One app that stands out is the passive income app Honeygain, which will pay you money for doing nothing. All you have to do is download the app, register, and leave it running in the background of your computer or mobile device.
6. Try out smart home devices
To some people, smart gadgets are just expensive toys, but they can actually help you save money. Smart home devices are investments, but if you can afford to buy them – they will reduce your bills.
For example, smart thermostats and heaters connect to your smartphone and use your location. They can turn themselves off when you are away from home, reducing gas and energy consumption. Other gadgets, such as smart light bulbs, can be scheduled to turn off automatically after a given time.