Five Easy Ways To Save Using The Net

Posted: 27 Jun 2011 04:00 AM PDT

Oh, the wonders of the Internet. Convenient, entertaining and in our own homes, we can watch television shows or keep up with current events, chat with people from around the world or even become ordained ministers using this modern technological marvel. Every time my Internet goes out I become depressingly hopeless. How did we survive (or at least entertain ourselves) before Lolcats?

Alright, so I am exaggerating…you hope. But there is no denying that the web has opened up avenues that were once taken up by much less convenient methods. Shopping is one of those larger areas that are now made much easier online, unlike the old shop-from-home alternatives like catalogs and TV order by phone scams. Especially since you can actually save money by shopping online rather than in stores.

Shopping Online

In fact, there are a whole mess of ways that you can save money by turning to the Internet, whether you shop through online stores or not. Here are five easy ways that you can keep some cash in your bank account when getting those things you want or need.

1. Cash-Back Programs

Did you know that you can earn cash back for online purchases? In fact, you can use a number of sites for this purpose.

One such program is Ebates that works by offering 1 – 25% back on purchases made from dozens of participating stores.

While it doesn’t seem like much (most are smaller purchases so on the smaller end of percentage), it adds up a lot over time. Especially if you use their retailer list to buy from stores that specifically offer it.

Bank Of America is one of the financial institutions that has their own cash back program. If you prefer online banking, you can earn a good chunk of cash (10%) for using your PayPal debit card. That will work for every couple of hundred you use, so it can be worth it to transfer cash to that account for any purchases online or in store.

2. Trade-Ins

I know it can be tempting to hop onto Craigslist or eBay and sell your stuff, and sometimes that can be a great option for getting a bit of cash for something you don’t need. But if you are looking for books oir even electronics, you might be better off trading in your items than selling them and buying your new stuff.

Gazelle is one of the sites that will pay for you to ship in an old mp3 player or console and then get point towards cash back or other items. If you are just wanting to trade in for cash you can check out MyBoneyardRecycle, which will give you cash on a prepaid Visa for electronics of all kinds, as long as they are easy to ship. They give you a preprinted shipping label, too.

For books you have BookMooch, which lets you trade with other people through the actual site.

3. Comparison Shopping

Simply following the old rules of comparison shopping can really help you to save cash. Luckily, most online stores seem to have a ‘lowest price’ guarantee, or at least claim to. There are also ways to search via engine, such as through Google Shopping. Or there are Firefox plugins and iPhone apps that will alert you to lowest price tags or dropping costs on any item you are looking for.

You can also check out sites like eBay to find a selection of lower cost alternatives. But keep in mind any shipping, insurance and packaging costs, and that buying on auction might not guarantee you a win unless you are watching it carefully. I prefer to make a bid and then put in my absolute maximum price I am willing to pay so I don’t have to watch it. If I lose the item, I wasn’t willing to pay more anyway.

4. Coupon Sites

Coupons are a classic way of saving some cash, but we have moved beyond the usual Sunday newspaper clippings of old. There are online coupon and discount code retailers like Rather Be Shopping that give endless savings to their members for online stores. Coldwater Creek, Sears, Kmart…you name it, they probably have it.

You can also get online coupons through social networking site. For example, by following a store of your choice on Facebook or Twitter, you can often get updates with coupon codes to use at checkouts, as well as special sales and offers for loyalty customers. I have personally saved a ton through doing this at everywhere from Walmart to Kroger. Very useful and a way to justify the huge amount of time you probably already spend playing Farmville. [Also see 6 More Places to Find Coupons]

5. Buy In Bulk

BulkTix is a great bulk wholesaler that lets you easily cut your entertainment costs by buying for cents on the dollar in large amounts. Movie tickets and snack vouchers are provided at huge savings in large amounts, which can then be used any time you decide to wander into a theater. Since they can be redeemed at any film (excluding some 3D showings), they really help if you are a movie buff. You can also pay using PayPal, Google Checkout or Amazon.

Other online stores like Costco and Sams Club let you buy online, and that can be great. Not only do they have wholesale on baking products, cleaners and household items, but you can get specialty and gourmet items as well.

Share Your Own!

Obviously, this is a pretty general list and not at all complete. What are some of your favorite ways to save money by shopping online?

Annie is frugal blogger and a SAHM blogging for pleasuer and money. She writes for Home Loan Finder, the free tool for mortgage comparison. Home Loan Finder is based in Australia but users worldwide might find our saving resources quite useful.