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I haven’t met a woman who doesn’t love to shop. And I’ve actually crossed paths with many men who love shopping more than I do. Yes, I am a shopper, and I’m proud of it. These days I have a bona fide excuse to shop: I’m getting married! So for the past couple of months I have mastered the art of online shopping. There have been good moments, bad moments, and frustrating moments, but in the end, everything has worked out and I am certain that I have saved money and time.

First of all, online shopping saves hours of time, especially when you know exactly what you are looking for. But even if you don’t know what you’re looking for, a simple Google search or browsing through various sites can help you find what you want. And instead of wasting time going from store to store to compare prices, just look on bizrate to find every online store that is selling what you’re looking for, and to see who has the cheapest prices. Ebay usually has the best deals, and for exclusively new items, check out Ebay Express. Before you even think about clicking on “Add to Cart,” be sure that the item you are looking at is exactly what you want, because returns are usually a pain and most likely will end up costing you money (read the fine print “Return Policy”). Read all measurements, because what appears on the screen is usually not the exact size of what you will get in the mail. Trust me, I’ve made this mistake before (a few times) and have learned a valuable lesson. Read the entire item description and even search for more pictures so that you know exactly what you are purchasing.

Shopping for airline tickets? I will definitely go into more detail about traveling in a later post, but for now, be sure to check out Sidestep, Travelzoo, or BookingBuddy to compare airline prices.

Always look for the free shipping option!

So you can obviously see how you can save time by shopping online. No wasted gas, no frustrating long lines, and no annoying checkout clerks. With the ability to compare prices, you can also save an insane amount of money, especially if your original plan was to make a purchase from the first store you found. You also save money online because usually you don’t have to pay taxes upfront unless the store is located in the same state as your shipping address. However, the legal take on this is that you are technically supposed to report it as a “use tax” to the IRS. Hey, don’t get mad at me, I’m just the messenger. But there is still yet another way to save money by shopping line. The good ol’ coupon code. If you are about to check out and you see a box that says “coupon code” or “promotional code,” you best believe that there are savings out there in cyberspace that you should be taking advantage of. Your best bet is to just Google “(store name) coupon code” and if there is one out there, it should show up. But if you want a specific site to look up coupon codes, try Currentcodes.com, Couponcraze.com, Dealcatcher.com, or ecoupons.com. But seriously, do the Google search because there are a bunch of coupon sites and you never know which one might have the coupon code you’re looking for. If you can’t find a code after several minutes of looking, then there probably isn’t a promotion for that store currently going on. Go ahead and check out, or if you’re not in a hurry, you can postpone the purchase until you do find a coupon. And last, but certainly not least, always look for the free shipping option! A lot of online stores are offering it these days. My personal favorite is Amazon.com, even though you have to buy $25 worth of merchandise to get the free shipping. But with the savings that Amazon provides, it’s definitely worth it. But if you honestly don’t need that extra something just to get you past the $25 threshold, then go ahead and pay the shipping costs. Just make sure you pay attention to the shipping option before you click that last submit button, because sometimes the stores (like Amazon) have already selected a shipping option, hoping that you won’t pay attention. Some other stores require a minimum purchase of $75 or $100 to get the free shipping. This is still a good deal if what you are purchasing costs at least that much. Shipping is usually UPS or FedEx, and a tracking number is usually provided so that you know when to expect the package (though there are some lame sites that don’t provide a tracking number, which is just plain wrong, but you usually don’t have any way of knowing this until you start getting your post-purchase emails).

Buyer Beware!

I don’t want to scare you but I don’t want you to get taken advantage of. If you are going to buy something that is expensive, like electronics or jewelry, be sure to do your research. That may not seem time efficient, but it is definitely worth it, especially if the store that came up with the cheapest price is some no-name place. Just look them up and see what the reviews are. Try sites like Epinions, Cnet, or ConsumerSearch. If you don’t find the store you’re looking up on one of those sites, then do a Google search. Reviews are important. If a merchant has 100 positive reviews and one negative one, I usually will look elsewhere. One bad experience from a consumer is all it takes to deter me. But actually reading the review is important because sometimes people are pissed and bitter about a shopping experience for no relevant reason and that was of no fault of the merchant (i.e. they messed up and bought the wrong item). Also, check the Better Business Bureau if you are still uncertain about the merchant.

Overall, online shopping is the way to go, especially for YBPs on the go. Save time, save your hard earned pennies, and be comfortable with the internet.

Scared that you might have an online shopping addiction? Check your symptoms.