Matthew Stern

Technology content strategist

Introduction

Online shopping is booming. Many are taking advantage of the convenience online shopping provides because of the pandemic, and many will continue using online shopping services far after. But there are a few things you should know about online shopping before you dive in.

Finding the best prices online in 2021. Source: pexels.com

5 Tips to Use in 2021

1. Try to control overspending

It can be hard to resist the urge to spend money all the time. This goes double for the past year, where undue stress from world events has led people to spend more. Unfortunately, it’s easy for people to overspend when online shopping.

There are a few ways to reduce overspending. For one, some online banks offer accounting services that will warn you when you spend a certain amount in a certain timeframe. Also, try to reduce the amount of time you spend looking at shops and social media and avoid the temptation to buy something.

2. Request less packaging for deliveries

One downside to online shopping is the waste that it generates—more specifically, worry lies in the amount of cardboard made and wasted. And that’s not to mention the waste of paper.

As a consumer, there’s not much you can do; businesses will continue to use cardboard. However, you can request that your packages contain fewer materials and waste.

How to put in such a request varies from retailer to retailer. For Amazon, you can talk to a customer service rep and put in the request. For other sites, you may be able to request it at checkout.

3. Take advantage of cashback rewards

Credit cards can be useful as much as they can be dangerous. A positive aspect of using a credit card when shopping online is the concept of cashback rewards.

Cashback rewards earn you a percentage of the money you spend back. The percentage earned varies from issuer to issuer, but as long as you use these cards responsibly, you can end up saving quite a lot of money.

4. Use a VPN to keep your accounts safe

A common practice for online retailers is to adjust prices of certain products based on where the customer is located. Now, this could happen for a variety of reasons, from a country having an uneven exchange rate to customers being forced to tackle delivery pricing.

No matter the reason, it’s not ideal having to pay more for something others get cheaper. If you want to avoid this practice—a practice known as geo-pricing—you can use a VPN.

The way VPNs work is they encrypt your data and mask your IP address from third-parties. Instead, a VPN gives you another IP address that tricks services into believing you’re located somewhere else. For this reason, using a VPN may get you cheaper prices when it comes to airplane tickets, digital goods, and more.

5. Search for the best deals

Online shopping not only allows you to buy whatever whenever, but it also allows you to search for the best deals at any moment. Never will you be locked into buying a product and have to worry about bothering a service rep by asking them about any potential promos or deals.

While online shopping, Google is only a click away. Plus, there are many sites dedicated to finding you coupon codes, promotional deals, and more. Even apps like Honey will automatically enter discount codes to try and get you the best deal.

Conclusion

And there you have it! With these five tips, you’ll be well on your way to finding the best deals online and staying safe doing it!

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