We’re all on the lookout for the best deals and steals online. But apart from giveaways,
freebies, and other promotions, how can you save money on the things you buy
everyday?

Plenty of ways! Use these tips before you hit “add to cart” on any site to make sure
you’re getting the best deal you possibly can:

Search for coupon codes. There are many sites that aggregate all current coupon codes
across the web, including Retail Me Not and Coupon Cabin. Many of these sites give you
a review of how successful other users have been at redeeming each code. You can also
do a regular Google search for coupon codes by typing in the name of the product you
want to buy plus the words “coupon code.” Coupon codes can get you a percent off your
order, free shipping, or a set dollar amount discount.

Use comparison shopping sites. How in the world can you tell if you’re getting a good
bargain on something when you can buy it at a million different sites? Luckily for you,
comparison shopping sites like BizRate, Nextag, Price Grabber and Fat Wallet do all the
work for you. Just type in the product you’re interested in, and these sites will give you a
list of the sites that currently offer it at the best price.

Use cash-back sites. Sites like Ebates give you a percentage back on any purchase you
make through them. Say you’re looking to purchase something at BestBuy.com. Just go
to the Ebates site first, click their link to get to the Best Buy site, and 2.5 percent of your
purchase will be added to your Ebates account. (Percentages vary by merchant.) After a
certain amount of time, Ebates will send you a check for the amount you’ve built up so
far.

Save on shipping. One of the downsides of online shopping is that while you might get
an item at a great price, the shipping costs could nullify any savings you get. Use sites
like FreeShipping.org to find free shipping deals across a wide variety of sites.

Become a fan of your faves on social media. Whether it’s a store like Target or Amazon
or a brand like Johnson & Johnson, “like” your favorites on Facebook and follow them
on Twitter to get access to special, fan-only flash sales, discounts, and sweepstakes.

Kelly Gurnett writes for QuickQuid, a quick loans lender that provides fast and
convenient solutions to everyday financial problems. She also manages the blog Cordelia
Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t
matter and focus more on the things that do.

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