10 Smarter Online Shopping Habits That Will Save You Money 

I love online shopping. I even do my grocery shopping online and have it delivered because I just don’t have the time or inclination to walk around stores. 

Slowly but surely online shopping is taking over the world with easy browsing and easy returns. The average American spends $91.75 on Amazon each month, not to mention other online stores.

You would think we would be experts by now but we still make dumb mistakes when shopping online and those mistakes can cost us money and time. They can be frustrating to resolve too. 

So how can we have smarter online shopping habits? By applying the smart shopping tips below! Let’s dig in.

#1 Smarter Online Shopping Means No Late Night Shopping

My first rule of smarter online shopping is that I should never ever do it late at night. Why? I just don’t make good decisions at night. 

Late night online shopping tends to result it impulse purchases that are more based on emotion than actual needs. I also tend to get lax about the details and make mistakes.

It’s kind of like getting drunk and calling your ex. Not a good idea. Smart shopping online just does not happen at night. 

#2 Double Check Sizes and Quantities 

Another big problem with online shopping is that we can’t actually see the item or try it on if it’s apparel. That means that in order to do smarter online shopping we need to pay extra attention to sizes, and quantities.

A funny of example of this is when I got one banana in my grocery order. I had forgotten to up the quantity to four or five bananas and the person who was shopping for me probably thought I was crazy for just wanting one banana.

When buying food items pay attention to quantity and ounces. You might get a tiny jar of sour cream or a giant bag of rice if you don’t. 

If you are buying clothes it can get even trickier. You really need to get a measuring tape and know your measurements. Then you need to consult the size chart.  

I can’t tell you how many reviews I’ve seen where people say “I usually buy a medium and this was way too small.” That’s because they weren’t paying attention to the size chart. As crazy as it is, each company will size their clothing differently and you can be a small at one store while being an extra large at another. 

Let go of the size you think you should be and start looking at those size charts. Even then, surprises can happen but they will happen less often. 

#3 Check Seller’s Reputation for Smart Shopping Online 

Lately I’ve been getting a lot of Instagram adds for cute stuff being sold by companies I don’t recognize. Is it a good idea for me to buy these things? 

It depends. I did pop for some book shelf earrings as a gift for my reading buddies and they came through just fine. On the other hand a few years ago I bought a dress that came looking nothing like it in the pictures.

In general I have made a practice of only buying from well known entities like Amazon and actual stores like Old Navy but that doesn’t mean I never buy from other companies. I simply Google them first. If you you Google a company and no information comes up that’s a bad sign. If they have Trust Pilot reviews that may also help you figure out if you trust buying from them.

#4 Look at Reviews

One thing that really helps me decide when I’m trying to do smarter online shopping is the reviews. I always slide down to the reviews to look for comments on the quality of the product, how it fit or functioned, the texture and other things people liked or didn’t like about an item. 

When looking at reviews be aware that there will always be at least a couple complainers. Focus on the percentage of good reviews in comparison to bad reviews or at the very least the star rating. 

I have even used reviews for in smarter shopping in store. When I’m not sure about an item I look it up on Amazon or Walmart and check the reviews while I’m standing there in the isle. 

#5 Smarter Online Shopping Means You Always Comparison Shop 

Smarter shopping has always included comparison shopping. Fortunately comparison shopping doesn’t require driving all over town any more. Within one shopping app like Amazon you will have a lot of different options for any given item. Compare prices and reviews.

When you have narrowed down which item you might like best comparison shop some more. Type that item into Google and using the shopping tap to see if there are any crazy good deals at other stores like Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Best Buy, and so forth. 

Comparison shopping is essential for smart shopping online because prices are always changing and there are lots of different kinds of everything from turquoise blouses to air fryers. 

#6 Sit on It

The smart shopping tips we have discussed so far are mostly pretty basic. You may have followed a lot of them already. But now we are going to get into the nitty gritty of smarter shopping. These are the tips that minimalist shoppers follow to make sure they don’t buy anything they don’t really need. 

The biggest and most important tip for how to to do shop smarter is to sit on it. You almost never need to buy something when you first see it. Instead, why not wait a bit. Leave the store or the website and if you think about that item later that’s a good sign you might actually need it or at least really really like it. 

Then if you really want or need an item wait a little more. Add it to wait for later in your Amazon cart and see if the price goes down. I got a pair of shoes that were originally listed at $80 for $25 that way. 

And finally ask yourself if you really need this item. Where will you put it? Can this item replace some thing or things you already own? Is that money better as money or better as the item? 

#7 The E-Mail List

The next step in smarter online shopping can be a slippery slope if not handled carefully. Most online stores offer ways to get their e-mail offers. These e-mails tell you about all their sales and sometimes you will even get rewards points or credits after purchasing. 

Now, it’s easy to see why this could be tricky. These e-mails can be very enticing and can send you into a spiral of ordering to use credits given. 

In general, my advice about the e-mail list is to see if you can get on it while you are considering your initial purchase of an item. That way you can get special discounts as well as being notified of sales. Then, once you have purchased whatever it is you had your eye on get off the list before those tempting e-mails trick you into buying things you don’t need. 

#8 Consider Sustainability 

Another thing we should all consider in our smart online shopping is the sustainability and ethics of ordering. What does that mean? Well here are some questions to consider. 

Is the company you are purchasing from trying to reduce it’s enviromental impact in some way? Are the people who make these products paid a fair wage and do they work in a safe environment? Does the production of these products result in toxic waste dumping?

It can be hard to get the real facts about these questions for every company but it is worth a quick Google search. For clothing items you can check companies at goodonyou.eco which is a great resource. 

While I can’t claim to shop 100% sustainable it is an important question to me and big part of the reason I have reconsidered buying preloved items at places like Poshmark.

Perhaps the biggest question we can ask ourselves in regards to sustainable shopping is this: “Do I need to buy a bunch of random junk that will end up in landfills sooner than later?” 

That simple question may slow you down quite a bit. 

#9 Return Promptly 

Now you know a lot about how to shop smarter online and offline too. But there are still a couple more tips you need to keep in mind. 

When you buy something online and receive it how soon do you open it, look at it, use it, or try it on? In my work I have seen that some people take weeks to open their Amazon packages.

Remember though, you have a limited time frame to return things. That means you should check out your items and return them promptly if they don’t work for you. Sure it may take a little time but when you return something it turns an item you won’t use from clutter back into money. Isn’t that worth it?

On this note, if you buy something and you don’t even care to open and use it right away should you have bought it in the first place? 

#10 Delete the App 

My last tip for online shopping is this. Delete the app. Every store has an app these days and those apps can notify you of sales and special offers constantly. While it’s great to save money it’s not great to be tricked into buying things you don’t need. 

If you don’t have the store app on your phone you may just have to get on your computer to do your online shopping. Don’t you think that would slow down your spending and help you make better decisions?

This tip may not apply to every single shopping app but it can certainly apply to some of them. Give it a try! 

Will You Try These Smarter Online Shopping Tips? 

Smarter online shopping is so important because it will save you money, protect your financial information, and help you avoid impulse purchases that are not sustainable for the planet or your household. 

Will you try these smarter online shopping tips? Do you have any other great ideas for smart shopping online? Please share in the comments below! 

Could You Shop a Lot Less? 

There is a essential fact we all need to acknowledge. Most of us buy way more junk than we need to. That’s because we live in consumer society that pushes stuff on us all the time. But do we really need all that stuff? Could we stop shopping so much? Are there cool things to do instead of shopping?

If that is a question you would like to explore further maybe the minimalist lifestyle is right for you! But how do you start living the minimalist lifestyle? Isn’t it too strict?

Don’t worry! I wrote the book for you. In Doable Simplicity (minimalism for normal people) you will learn how to simplify your home, your schedule and even your chores so you can simplify your life and start focusing on your big goals!