5 Examples Of How Internet Research Can Save You Money

Recently, I almost bought a shower panel from Amazon, that required two separate water connections, one for the normal water and the other for hot water. But our bathroom has only one nozzle, the water connections were inside the drywall. I only got the information as I have a habit of reading a few bad reviews (1/2 star rated reviews) of a product before buying it.

Had I gotten that I’d have spent $300, after reading the reviews, I bought a $40 shower head instead. The internet not only allows you to find products fast and conveniently but also to save money when you are shopping. With a little bit of internet research, you can spend less than usual on your shopping.

While the savings may not be much, you can save some extra money to pay bills, pay for more shopping, grow your savings or even pay debts. Below are some key examples of how internet research can save you money when shopping.

Save Money By Finding Free Deals

Through internet research, you can actually find totally free stuff. Manufacturers and stores give freebies occasionally as part of their marketing and when introducing new products.

It’s a great way for them to get new customers and make the existing ones feel special. Some customers shy away from free products because of the assumption that such goods could be of a lower quality or are not legit.

This is not true for most freebies you will find online. However, be careful when signing up to receive a freebie, especially from a manufacturer, retailer or third-party you are not familiar with.

There are a number of scammers who use free deals ads as a way to collect personal information. Therefore, check whether the one offering the deal is legit before you disclose your personal details.

Save By Finding Coupons Codes

Coupon codes are the internet version of the printed coupons you cut out from magazines and use in physical stores. You can find coupons by searching for couponing sites or on retailer websites.

By using codes, you can save between 5% and 50% off the purchase price. We regularly use ‘Retail me not’ app on our phones. Especially for items of clothing, we can find a 10%-30% discount through this app. This is over and above the in-store sale and discounts.

Save Money Through Comparison

Another way you can save money is by researching and comparing prices from different manufacturers and retailers.

Each store sets its own price based on the manufacturing cost or buying price, operating expenses, competition, and demand among many others.

By spending some time online, you will find the manufacturer or retailer with the best deal. However, before you do price comparisons, ensure you check the quality of the product.

We use google shopping feature, they list the items from different sellers with their selling prices. This is a great way to buy things. You can find things there that are cheaper than Amazon prices.

although we have Prime membership, we still comparison shop between every online retailer and Amazon. Often we get cheaper prices at Walmart.com

Also, don’t forget to take into account the shipping fees, especially in cases where you have to pay for shipping separately.

Finally, compare price differences for buying in bulk and monthly subscriptions for goods that you buy repeatedly throughout the year.

Save Money By Finding Cash Back Apps And Sites

By using cash back apps, you can earn some cash back when you buy something online, shop from the grocery store or fuel your car.

You will get back a percentage of the amount you spent. Cash back can be immediate or you may have to wait a couple of weeks or months before earnings are sent to you.

My wife is an avid user of InboxDollars she uses this every day for her regular web searches and answering surveys, time permitting. This is a great way to earn cash and get Amazon gift cards.

To enjoy this benefit, simply spend some time online, find relevant cash apps and sites depending on where you shop and start using them immediately.

In addition to that, you should consider credit cards with cash back rewards where you earn points and miles when you use your card to pay for goods and services. Once the points accumulate, they can be redeemed for shopping or even airfare.

Save Money By Reading Reviews

Internet research will save you from buying a product that is not worth your money. Before you buy a product, take time to read reviews posted by other consumers who have used the product.

You can find consumer reviews by using search engines and also on social media. When reading reviews, check the dates they were posted.

This is because manufacturers are constantly updating products, especially when negative reviews arise. Thus, issues raised five years ago maybe non-existent today.

By spending a few minutes doing research before making a purchase decision, you will get the best deals, save money, and avoid making bad decisions. Refer to my story above at the beginning of this article.

So readers, how often you use the internet before you spend money? Does online research always work? Or sometimes you feel this is too much to do to save a few bucks here and there?