Shop smart online: The savvy shoppers guide

Monday 21st November 2022

Cashback. Rewards. Discounts. Freebies. In the market for a great deal? Who isn’t! In 2021, more than 85% of us bought something online and, on average, spent around £1,000 over the year. All of that makes us a very attractive proposition for online retailers who put a lot of time and effort into using the latest technology to part you from your hard earned. So we thought we’d help you to beat the big guys at their own game. Here are our top tips and tricks to getting more of what you want for less…

Compare the market the easy way...
Time, as they say, is money. And these days, when money is on everyone’s mind, not a lot of us have time to shop around.

And what happens if you do spend a lot of time looking for the right item at the right price only to realise it’s not available or the postage costs mean it’s not the most affordable option?

If you’re not all over the Shopbots, you’re missing a trick!

Comparison sites crawl the internet looking for whatever you ask them to. And they’ve very easy to use:
1. Search for a product
2. Use the filters to narrow your search
3. Select the item
4. Compare
All search a wide range of the best-known retailers. Google Shopping also searches eBay and deals sites such as Groupon. You can also sort results with or without postage, for example.

Our favourites are:
Give them a try!

How to use price comparison sites
Looking for a big deal? Here's where to find them
Ever had that sinking feeling when you buy something and the find out that it’s discounted somewhere else??

Again, finding the good deals all comes down to doing your homework. And again, the good old internet can do a lot of your homework for you!

Check out our top three daily deal and voucher finder websites…
- Voucher Codes offer codes that work and lots of big brand sale information!
- Latest Deals have deals, freebies, vouchers and competitions shared by real people.
- Money Saving Expert has all the deals on everything from food & drinks to days out.
Follow them on Twitter or Instagram to keep up to date.
Abandon your basket

It doesn’t always work but it’s definitely worth a try!

People abandoning their basket right at the point of purchase is a real issue for online shops. Some experts say that almost 70% of baskets online are abandoned before checkout! That’s a pretty high number and often because people are filling baskets on several sites to see what the total is. Clever people!

To get around the issue of abandoned baskets, lots of retailers use technology to entice you back. They’re alerted when you don’t complete a transaction and might send you an email to encourage you to come back and buy!

We’re not saying it happens every time. You might get a notification to say you left something behind… or you could hit the jackpot and be offered a discount or free postage.

In the case of larger items – like a sofa or a holiday - the savings can be significant.

Want more?Want to save some money?

Of course you do! Get a grip on your cash with our money saving tips, guides and videos sent straight to your inbox.

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Follow the money with apps like Honey

“Couponing browser extensions” might sound like something complicated.

But they’re really simple. They’re Apps you add on to your internet browser that automatically search for coupons when you add something to your basket on a shopping site.

Honey is perhaps the best-known.

Add it to your browser and, when you add something to a shopping cart on one of their recognised sites, and it searches for working codes. When it finds them, it adds them to your transaction automatically.

Honey also has a cashback programme – Honey Gold, which gives you points on selected purchases from their big brand partners.

Voucher Codes also has a browser extension app that’s worth checking out – Dealfinder.
Get smart with cashback credit cards

Get paid every time you spend! But be careful: the key is to pay off your credit card in full every month so you don’t pay any interest.

So, for example, if your card pays out 5% cashback on purchases, and you buy a £500 mobile, you’ll get £25 back. That’s a nice little earner.

You can build up your cashback over the year – it’s usually paid out annually in the month you took out the card and appears as a credit in your account. Some cards pay out cashback monthly too. Others convert your cashback to store vouchers which may be worth more.

It’s worth having a look around and comparing cards to see what’s best for you because the devil is in the detail: some cards offer different rates of cashback depending on what you buy, or if you pay contactless. There may also be introductory rates too which taper off with time. Or rates that increase the more you spend on your card.

One way to maximise your cashback is by using your credit card for every day spending. BUT! Always check if there’s a fee for paying buy credit card – this might wipe out the benefit – AND! Always repay in full. You don’t want to pay any pesky interest!

RIFT Round-up

Now you're all set to go smart shopping and save money along the way but there's more...

If you're also one of the 2 out of 3 UK workers who never claim overpaid tax, you could be due a windfall too. Use our tax refund calculator to find out if HMRC owe you money.

Or maybe you know someone who can make a tax refund claim? We can help you both. Refer them to us, we'll get in contact and work out what they could be owed. They get a tax refund and you get a £50 reward. Every 5 people you refer will also earn you an additional £150 - that's £400 in total!

Read our guides for more money saving advice and sign up to our newsletter to get delivered free every week.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for tips, giveaway and challenges
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for our video guides on how to make the most of your money
Use our hand tools and spreadsheets to help with budgeting and saving.

Finally, please spread the word. It's more important than ever that people aren't missing out on money that belongs to them.

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Shop smart online: The savvy shoppers guide​

Compare the market the easy way...

Looking for a big deal? Here's where to find them

Abandon your basket