Cash Back – Saving More While Shopping Online – 52 Week Money Savings Challenge
It’s week 7 in our 52 Week Money Savings Challenge and today, we’re going to discuss shopping online, but using cash-back sites to do so. As a mom to 5, I love being able to shop online. My kids can be playing outside, working on their homework, cleaning the house or asleep in bed and I don’t have to load them up in the car just to run to the store if I can find what I need online. Of course, that doesn’t work for everything, especially things like groceries! Since our schedule is so busy, I have a certain evening each week where I can make the grocery/non-grocery shopping errands. It’s only one evening so needless to say, I have only so many hours to get my shopping done. If I don’t get it all accomplished in that one evening, the errand gets tagged on to the next week or I try to shop online for it (if it’s a purchase).
When it comes to shopping online, though, I often go to places like Amazon, eBay, Walmart and Target. I shop around the sites like I shop around at brick & mortar stores, looking for the best deal. There are always things to consider when shopping online:
- Price – is the price low enough online to justify the cost? You have to include taxes, shipping and handling costs in all of this. On the flip side, if you’re going to a store, you have to factor in gas and time.
- Time – will shopping online save you enough time
- Returns – will the stores accept online purchase returns? Sometimes returns can be an issue so it’s best to know before hand what you’re getting into.
- Temptation to Spend More – Surely I’m not the only one who has had to stop myself because of “free shipping with $XX order?!?! It’s tempting to just add more to your cart and not pay the shipping or other incentive they’re offering with a larger purchase.
Once I factor in all those questions, I hit my favorite cash-back site. Ebates is my go to site. There’s other places like ShopAtHome and one I recently learned about, Splender, but I always go to Ebates first.
Let me tell you about Ebates. First, it’s FREE to join and secondly, they offer a huge line up of online stores (we’re talking 1700 stores!). New sign-ups receive a $10 cash bonus (“To qualify for a Welcome Bonus, you must be a new member and make minimum qualifying purchases totaling at least twenty-five dollars ($25) within ninety (90) days of becoming a Member.”). Ebates is really easy to use. All you have to do is sign-up, enter your account info and search for your favorite stores within their extensive list. Once you’ve gone to your store through Ebates, just finish your shopping and purchases like normal. Ebates will track your purchase amount and add the cash-back based on the percentage for that store. Your cash-back check? Well, Ebates will send out the “Big Fat Checks” every 3 months (it can also be delivered to your PayPal if you opt for that over a regular check). If that isn’t enough, you’ll often find the latest coupon codes listed within each store listing on Ebates.
Who doesn’t like saving every dollar that they can when shopping, right?!? Between online coupons, cash back and reward sites, your savings can add up on things you would already be buying (we’ll chat about reward sites later though). Plus the added benefit of saving time and gas money by not leaving your home. It’s a win-win!
Here are some of my favorite stores on Ebates:
- Weight Watchers (there is often a double cash-back on this one)
- Groupon
- Target
- Amazon
- Walmart
- and ProFlowers
What do you do to save money with online shopping?
[Tweet “I’m joining the 52 Week Money Savings Challenge on @practicalsaving #frugalliving”]
I’m so glad to have you on this journey with me. I’m looking forward to each week and I hope these posts and the emails are not only helpful to you, but encouraging as well.
- If you are new and just now joining, subscribe to the weekly email and download your own copy of the 52 Week Money Savings Challenge printable. All current subscribers are entered into an Amazon drawing held at the end of the month.
- If you want to catch up on the reading of each week, go to our 52 Week Money Savings Challenge page and check out each week listed, as you’re able. Don’t worry about catching up on savings amounts unless you’re able to, just start with the current week and add extra if/as you’re able.
- Want to open an online bank account to help keep things separated? I personally use Capital One 360 and have for years. It takes a few days for transfers to complete if you’re using a local bank
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