Safety

How to Find the Best Deals Online

May 8, 2019 By Paula 33 Comments

How to Find the Best Deals Online

The eCommerce industry has been a boon for consumers as shopping has become more affordable than ever before because most things are just cheaper online. However, what makes online shopping even more lucrative is the lure of deals.

A 50% sale on your favorite clothing brand or a special deal on that large screen TV you had been waiting for are all now possible, thanks to online shopping. Then there are, of course, the freebies, which are essentially free products and samples from companies that you have to pay absolutely nothing to enjoy! So, in this wonderful world of online shopping and freebies, how are we supposed to find them exactly? Well, that is precisely what we will tell you all about next.

Read Your Emails

Keep an eye on that Promotions and Updates tab in your Gmail inbox because that’s where the likes of Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Just Freebies will be sending you alerts regarding awesome deals, as soon as they are listed on the site, and sometimes even before that.

Of course, you will have to subscribe to them first, so whenever you sign up with an account for shopping on any website, be sure to subscribe to the promotional emails as well.

Sign Up On Just Freebies

There is no doubt about the fact that freebies are even better than getting a discount because you are essentially getting things for free and it just can’t get better than that!

In order to get to know about the latest and best freebies offered by companies as promotional giveaways, you will have to sign up with Just Freebies. There are other freebie websites, but this is the most authentic and the most reputed website as far as getting actual free stuff is concerned.

Visit Your Favorite Shopping Sites Often

Make it a habit to visit your favorite shopping sites and freebie websites regularly for a few minutes to see if something new has come up. Usually, you won’t have to look too hard because new offers are highlighted on the Home page itself.

Particularly during the holiday seasons and special occasions, keep a lookout for promotional deals and giveaways on your favorite online shopping sites. The email inbox is once again a great place to find those offers during the holiday season.

Make Social Media Work for You

Business pages on social media sites declare contests, deals, giveaways, discount coupons, and so much more all the time. Follow or subscribe to your favorite shopping sites on social media to know about those deals as soon as they become available.

Don’t Buy a New Electronic Product Right Away

There is a tendency and even a somewhat justifiable thrill to buying new technology as soon as it becomes available, but unless you are getting an awesome deal to be one of the first buyers, don’t buy that new iPhone or laptop on release. Give it a few months and the price will either come down, or there will be multiple offers, deals, and discounts on that product.

If you can wait, the savings are often well worth it. Don’t wait too long though because, in a year or so, most electronic products become outdated anyway.

Do keep in mind that freebies, in particular, and lucrative discounts, in general, run out of stock pretty fast. So, if you see something that you actually like, do hurry up and jump on the offers without wasting too much time. Don’t waste money on stuff you don’t need, but when it comes to freebies, there is no money to waste!

For more online shopping tips, be sure to check out the Best Websites To Find Online Shopping Deals and Smart Tips for Online Shopping posts right here on Sweet Southern Savings.

Smart Tips for Online Shopping

March 18, 2019 By Paula 5 Comments

Image by Pexels

Having the accessibility to buy everything you need from the click of a button is one of the best and worst things to happen for shoppers. The added convenience is great, but it can also make it way too easy to break your budget and spend way more than you needed to.

When you shop in a store, you have to actually manage being able to carry all of the items and you watch your shopping cart fill to the brim, whereas when you shop online you have the freedom to fill your metaphorical shopping cart with an unlimited amount. That’s why you should never go into an online shopping spree without being informed and setting out a plan. Before you ever start shopping, make sure you follow these five tips.

Define Your Budget

Never start a shopping spree without a budget. Whether you’re shopping for one item in particular, looking to restock on necessary supplies, or treating yourself, you should have a budget in mind for your expenses.

This doesn’t need to be stiffly calculated, but it should be something you think about beforehand. Consider how much you can afford to spend based on your amount of disposable income, lifestyle, and what’s reasonable. If shopping for a week’s groceries is costing several hundred dollars, you may need to do some evaluation and restrict yourself to a smaller budget.

Prospect for Your Top Retailers

Depending on what you’re shopping for, you’ll want to find the best places to search for your items. Doing a broad Google search for an item like “red t-shirt” will pull up thousands of options from hundreds of retailers and be way too overwhelming. With time, you’ll find your trusty resources that you go back to again and again.

If you don’t know where to start, scour comprehensive guides that do all the hard prospecting work for you. Typing queries for “best of” items will give you a great place to start and typically will provide detailed information on the retailer and buyer experience.

Deep Dive for Coupons

Now that you’ve nailed your budget and found the retailers that provide the items you need, it’s time to figure out how you can save the most money. There are a few great coupon sites like Retail Me Not and Coupons.com that you can go to when you’re looking for savings on specific sites.

If you have time and you don’t have an urgent need to purchase the item, you can go explore the site, add the item to your shopping cart, and abandon the site. It’s likely the retailer’s marketing team monitors how often this happens and offers promotions and discounts in retargeting campaigns. You can also sign up for the retailer’s newsletter and likely receive a coupon code soon. Most sites also usually offer a small discount on your first visit to the site, so be sure to take advantage of that as well.

Seasonality can also play a large impact on pricing. During holidays and popular retail seasons, retailers typically offer discounts or bundle deals with free add-on items. Be smart about when you shop so you can always score the best deal.

Make Sure You’re Getting Good Bang for Your Buck

While discount sites can be a great way to pinch a penny, it can also be a way to increase your likelihood of receiving a low-quality item. Skimping where you can is useful for your shopping, but there are some key items that are worth splurging a little extra on.

When you’re looking into items you need to last a long time, be sure to do the extra leg work by digging into reviews and truly analyzing how much you need to spend. Generally, it’s best to avoid the lowest and highest ends of the cost spectrum as you can get decent quality products in the average price range. As a quick guide, here are some items worth splurging on and great resources for diving into reviews:

Mattress

You spend one-third of your life sleeping and you’ll want your mattress to be high-quality and durable to last the full 10+ years of its lifespan. Mattress Advisor is a great resource to check for reviews before investing in a mattress you buy online.

Washer/Dryer

Dealing with a broken washer or dryer is a large pain and you usually end up just replacing it when it breaks anyways. Be sure to pick good quality machines that will be durable and long-lasting. Good Housekeeping has a great guide with the top options for 2019 from cleaning experts.

Groceries

What you fuel your body with plays a large role in your overall health. Eating healthy typically tends to cost more, especially if you invest in meal delivery services. Before choosing a meal delivery service, do the research to find which will work best for you and your budget.

Stay Safe

The internet can be a dangerous place for phishing and scams. Any time you’re purchasing items online, be wary of where you enter your credit card and other personal information. Always be sure that you have established a safe connection, trust your merchant, and avoid deals that seem too good to be true as they are likely a scam. For more safe shopping tips, check out this guide from Webroot.

Online shopping can be a great added convenience in your life when done correctly. Be sure to follow these tips for smart online shopping and you’ll be able to save money, get the best deals, and protect your privacy.

Happy shopping!

Walk Your Dog Safely With Solo Fish’s Reflective Auto Retractable Leash With LEDs

July 4, 2017 By Paula 3 Comments

Retractable Dog Leash for Dogs up to 80lbs

Make you and your dog visible to traffic while avoiding nighttime dangers.

From the Amazon Product Description:

1. LED Lights Functions: There are 4 modes of LED lights— You could according to your demand to choose which mode you want, and you don’t worry about that walking or training your dog in the nights at all.

2. Retractable and Reflective Leash: Retractable ribbon leash extends up to 16ft, great for dogs up to 80lbs. Ensure that you could walk with full control of your dog with instant retraction of the leash when required and give your dogs more freedom to wander, sniff, and poke around. Reflective lines help enhance exposure in the dark. People can easily find it and it also makes owners and their pets safer during night walks.

3. Durable Material: The dog leash is made of Eco-friendly material nylon. ABS plastic casing is friendly to the environment, non-toxic and odorless. Comfortable & Safety: Ergonomic TPE Anti-slip Handle is easy and safe to grip, provides enjoyable walking experience with your pets and you don’t worry about the dog leash will hurt your hand when the dog run about madly.

4. One Button Brake & Lock Safety System: The reliable lock button gives you the capability to adjust the leash’s length when needed, allows the leash to stay at a constant length, to ensure you could absolute control the safety of your dogs and yourself.

We recently received this very innovative dog leash from Solofish, a pretty cool name I think. After unboxing I immediately noticed the integrated LED lights. Which we really like since our Aunt often walks her little dog at night. After installing two AA batteries (not included) I pushed the power button and Viola! a circle of six LEDs illuminated. Much to my surprise, both sides of the handle contains bright LEDs and there is a small flashlight built in for lighting the area in front of the walker. The rubber coated housing contains twelve feet of leash and is ergonomic. It has everything needed for illumination and retraction built into it. Upon expanding the leash I noticed it has a reflective stripe down the length of it, a great safety feature for at night and low-light walking. As with other retractable leashes, my only concern with this product is the longevity of inner retraction spring. However, we do really like the design and construction of this leash. Everything feels well thought out and made from quality materials.