Online Shopping Tips and Tricks

Let's be honest with ourselves for a quick second... Is there ANYTHING better than online shopping? No one cares what you look like; you can sit on your couch or in your bed with a glass of wine, a bowl of ice cream (or mini m&ms, my weakness!) with your hair up and your favorite show on TV. Plus the added bonus of "online only" coupon codes, and no ones judging you from a few racks over! Plus, does anyone really appreciate the awful lighting in fitting rooms? Although online shopping has grown exponentially over the past few years and SO many people prefer it over in-store shopping *raises hand* it can still be difficult to navigate the endless pages of products on an online shop. This girl is no newbie to online shopping, and it still can be sort of stressful but I've found a few things that have made it a breeze - and STILL makes it better than navigating through overflowing clothing racks and crowded stores!

Use Ebates to make cash back on purchases

Ebates is one of the absolute easiest ways to save money all year round and while you can occasionally use its perks in-store, it works much better with online purchases! If you haven't heard of Ebates, it's basically the most genius program ever invented, and really just makes you want to shop more LOL. With every qualifying store's purchase, you make a specific percent of cash back. It's basically an additional discount on your purchase and it really does add up; I've made close to $200 back since January! If you want to sign up (which you most definitely should!), sign up here and we BOTH will get a bonus - the easiest free money I've ever heard of! ;) It also is a great website to find coupon codes and it categorizes stores having sales, making it even easier to shop.

Be sure to use the sizing charts

Every brand is different, and if you aren't sure about the sizing or have never bought anything from said brand it's super helpful to get out the tape measure and find your true size. A lot of websites now have True Fit, which lets you put in your height/weight information, and depending on what the piece of clothing is, your bra size or pants size in other stores. To find my exact size in this dress, I put in my information and my size from a few other brands to get exact sizing. It suggested a large, which sounded about right and ended up fitting perfectly too! These fit predictors are popping up on more and more sites and it's SO helpful.

Always check for coupons and bonus deals

Is there really such thing as a deal too good to be true? Some say yes, but when you know what to do to get the most out of every purchase, it's seriously gratifying! Some stores only allow one coupon code, in which case you have to try and find the best possible offer. But some stores offer samples (like Sephora) plus a coupon code on top of a sale already going on on the site. Some of the best sites to find valid coupon codes that actually work are RetailMeNot, Groupon and Coupon Cabin.

Check for price matching eligibility

This one is HUGE! More and more stores have begun to price match lately, and it's a genius marketing tool for them but it's also extremely beneficial to us - the shoppers! Nordstrom prides themselves on price matching and it's super helpful since they offer perks like free shipping and returns. This allows you to choose a store to purchase from and lets you save as you go. I do believe some larger department stores have begun to price match in store, but it isn't nearly as easy as it is online.

When in doubt, buy multiples

Now this isn't always the most practical, but if you're in between sizes or just aren't sure which size will suit you best, order two! Whether it's a top, a dress, jeans or shoes, isn't it better to grab both sizes and make sure one works perfectly? Then you can simply return the other! BUT, it's crucial to check each store's individual return policy. Some stores like Forever 21 only allow store credit for returns, but Nordstrom and Sephora on the other hand allow free returns in a set time period. This is especially helpful and important to do if you're purchasing a sale item - you don't want to wait for your product to ship to you, only to find out you need a size up or down and then find out that the store has already sold out. I've learned this the hard way a few times and now, when in doubt, I always order two!

Feel free to use the "chat" feature

A lot of online websites offer the ability to chat with a sales associate. Guys, they can be SO helpful. Of course you'll occasionally get the person who can't help for whatever reason, but for the most part they're great for any questions you may have. I chat with the Nordstrom associates probably more than I'd like to admit... LOL, but they're always extremely helpful. They want to help make your shopping experience easier and more enjoyable, so use this feature that's so easily available these days.

Take advantage of free shipping and/or returns

When ordering from stores that have a great sale going on, or from stores that offer free shipping and returns (like Nordstrom - I may be a little bias because I love them, but they're so great!) it's an awesome idea to order a bunch of things and have your own little fitting room try-on session at home. That way you have the comfort of your room and lighting, the luxury of trying things on in your own time and you can sit around in things to decide if you like it for as long as you want to. Trying things on at home beats trying things on in the store by a mile!

What's your favorite online shopping tip?
Happy shopping! ;) XOXO -A