Online Shopping - getting the best price

[angie_nrs]

I'd love to hear what others have for tips on getting the best price when shopping online. I guess I'm old school b/c I prefer to shop in store, but sometimes you can find a better deal online and have it shipped for free to boot! So if I'm planning a purchase on a specific product, I'll look to see what's available in store and do my research online as well. Sometimes a better deal can be had in store and sometimes the best deal is online. If I decide to purchase online, I'll check at least 3 places first. I'll check Amazon (if only to look at the reviews), ebay (since they also carry new products even though used is sometimes worth the savings depending on the product), and I'll check the website of the manufacturer. In addition, I'll also check retailmenot.com for available coupon codes as well.

As an example: Yesterday our spot bot quit working properly. We tore it apart to fix the issue, but haven't been able to fix it quite yet, even though we think we have a correct diagnosis. I checked to see what was available online since I would like to get a backup in case we can't fix it. The model we have is no longer readily available. Even after a google search, either the same product we have is wayyyyy more expensive than we bought it for or it is a different model. I want the same model so that we can at least have spare parts available from the unit we have now. Amazon had one, but it was $20 more than what we bought it for and it was a different color. Ebay had one for 3x what we paid. Then I checked the manufacturer website and they were still available there, also with a coupon code and free shipping.....which made it the same price we paid before. I ordered 2

I used to use ebates, which I believe is now rakuten. I've not been doing that so much lately b/c of privacy concerns, but then again using online payment options such as paypal or CC's pretty much shoot privacy out of the water too. Of coarse, there's also CC cash back options as well, but those can be used in store as well.

Does anyone else have any online money saving tips to share?

 

[zoomzoom]

Although we haven't walked into a Wal-Mart in years, Mrs. Zoom compares their prices to Amazon before purchasing. Amazon often uses 3rd party sellers and some jack up the price well beyond what Wal-Mart sells for.

 

[Sentry18]

I have a ton of bookmarks for deal sites, coupon code look ups, post a deal, etc. I also have a "spam email" account I use to sign up for deals, sales, clearance notices, etc. which I check often.

 

[snappy1]

Online, I always check eBay, Amazon and Walmart.com. Sometimes I will google an item for more options onlne. I do like to check in store first, even now.

 

[Bacpacker]

I'll search online in as many sites as I need to so I can get good comparisons and reviews.. This includes stores that have local places. I will buy local even at a slightly higher price if I know them to be reputable and stand behind thier sales.