As nice as it would be to never spend any money, some spending is necessary to live life. If you are going to be making those purchases anyway, you might as well get the most for your money. Online shopping often offers the easiest and least expensive way to do your shopping, especially if you are posted outside of the United States. We did a lot of online shopping when we lived overseas!
Coupon Codes
Before you make your online purchase, make sure that there aren't any rebate or coupon codes available. Try a Google search for "coupon code" plus the name of the website you're shopping to look for applicable offers. You might have to try a few offers to see what will give you the best deal.
Payment Method Discounts
If you are paying by a Visa or Mastercard or American Express, check out their discount pages. There can be some very generous offers available depending on how you pay for your purchase.
Cash-back Programs
Join pages like Mr Rebates, Ebates, and MyPoints to earn money back on your purchases. You can earn up to 20% back, depending on the program you use and the particular offer. As long as you are spending the money anyway, you might as well get any available rebates!
Email Discounts
Many companies will send you coupons or discount codes if you subscribe to their email list. Whether this is worth it to you will depend on how much you spend with that particular company and how you feel about email advertising cluttering up your mailbox. You can always unsubscribe if you find it to be too much email or too annoying.
Keeping costs down on necessary purchases is a great way to improve your financial future. Take advantage of the internet to locate the best deals available. You'll be glad you did!
