8 Money saving hacks for your online Christmas shopping

By Sally Love — Sep 10, 2022

5MIN READ

Christmas shopping. It can be fun. But it can also be extremely stressful. Especially if you are short of time and are in the constant company of your kids. Which is why online shopping for Christmas gifts is a blessing.

Here are just some of the benefits of doing your Christmas shopping online:

EASIER PRICE COMPARISON

Google makes it super easy to compare prices. Simply tap in what you want to buy, then click on “shopping” and hey presto, you have a list of where to buy with prices and shipping costs. This would be impossible with traditional high street shopping.

MORE STOCK AVAILABILITY

Since online stock is held in large warehouses awaiting shipping, there is often more choice and availability. Take away the annoying part of shopping where you find the shop you want, then the product you want … but the shelf is bare!

EXCLUSIVE ONLINE SPECIALS

Retailers want you to purchase online so they tempt you with exclusive specials which you won’t find in-store. These specials can be super valuable, to the point where if you see an item in a shop, it’s worth checking online to see if you can get it cheaper with an online special offering or discount code.

NO PUSHY SALES PEOPLE

Don’t feel social? Then don’t hit the shops. Sales people are trained to give you a sunny hello whilst pressuring you into buying something you may not want. We don’t blame them, it’s their job! But doing your Christmas shopping online will avoid the hard sell altogether.

IT’S JUST SO EASY!

Shopping online is incredibly convenient. No transport or parking required. No stomping around the shopping centre. Simply order and wait for your delivery, which by-the-way is likely to be free or free if you order over a certain amount.

Make shopping online even better with these purse-friendly tricks you need to know to get the best gifts at the best prices … all from the comfort of your couch.

Here’s how to rock at online shopping.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ONLINE SHOPPING

The shopping cart tease

We love this handy hack for online Christmas shopping. Make sure you are signed in to your preferred shopping site, then put an item into your online shopping cart and then simply walk away i.e. leave the website. You might find they are keen to entice you back to complete your purchase and may even offer you a discount to do so.

You need a bit time to play this game, but it can be well-worth it and very rewarding.

Get a free trial of Amazon Prime

If you’re a seasoned online shopper you’ll already love Amazon, but you will love it even more as an Amazon Prime member.

There are heaps of benefits including fast, free shipping and free ebooks, games and music. You can get a 30-day trial so time it with your Christmas shopping to make the most of the free delivery. If need be, cancel it before the free trial ends. Cancelling Amazon Prime is easy.

Use the Honey app

Shopping on Amazon is the best for online Christmas shopping. You can’t beat the prices they offer. Yet with so many sellers selling the same products it can get confusing.

Simplify it and never pay more than the lowest available price with the Honey app. Honey will alert you if you can buy the same item cheaper from another seller, cleverly showing you how much you can save.

It can also save you money by automatically applying the best coupon code available at the checkout.

Money saving hacks for online Christmas shopping (cont.)

Suss out the product reviews

Never buy online without checking the product reviews which are available on all the best online shopping websites. They provide information on the product/service you are purchasing, as well as feedback on after service sales, delivery and returns.

Check reviews are up-to-date because it is the most recent ones that matter. And be vigilant for fake reviews. Use the Fakespot browser extension, which grades reviews in terms of credibility so you know which to take notice of and which to ignore.

Clear your browser history

It is mind-boggling how the internet works, but it definitely feels like Big Brother is watching. If you keep returning to the same product online, you might notice that the price starts to increase. You are seen as a keen buyer and you may end-up paying more. Clear your history so you can’t be tracked and you will appear as a new buyer each time.

Don’t ask for the technical details, but if this happens erase your tracks.

Get daily lightening deals

If you want to know what’s on sale before everyone else does, you will love Amazon’s Lightening Deals. If you are Amazon Prime member you can see what’s going to be on special and choose to ‘Watch the deal’. You will then be notified before it actually goes on sale, meaning you won’t miss out to another savvier shopper.

It’s a jungle out there but if you are prepared to play the game, you’ll get bargains galore.

Pay the right way

Steer away from using your debit card for online payments as they offer little protection if things go wrong i.e. card details being stolen or a purchase dispute.

Most credit cards offer purchase protection up to a certain limit, so make sure you check yours. Using PayPal is a good option as you avoid providing your card details each time you purchase and they offer Buyer Protection.

Alternatively, use just one card for online shopping so your life-savings aren’t at risk if the card is compromised.