How to Shop Online Without Overspending

Shopping online probably seems like a no brainer. You go online and search or go directly to a store and browse. But what happens when most of those ‘shopping trips’ result in impulse buys?? (Yes, kinda like running into Target for one thing and coming out with a shopping cart full of items) I’ve found that if I am in the mood to shop, I can be a big impulse buy and that leads to me either never wearing the clothes I buy or not really knowing how an accent piece fits in our home and then I realize I just wasted money for literally no reason. Sound familiar? I can’t be the only one right?!

I honestly really enjoy shopping but I’m picky. I like to find an item either that I saw say on Instagram or something that I just made up in my mind and I figure there has to be something like it out there. I go through phases and have a time where I want all new jeans and just keep looking at photos on Instagram and Pinterest of how people are styling their jeans, what jeans they have, etc. Since we bought our house last August, I have also been continually (will probably be never ending) accent pieces and decor that fit our home perfectly. It’s easy to get really wrapped up in both types of shopping and say ‘these jeans look great on everyoneee I should get them’ but come to realize they are all 5’8″ and I am 5’1″ so that doesn’t mean it will fit the same way. A similar scenario could happen with home styling in the fact that someone’s home decor fits their house and style and even though it looks great, it may not mesh with the vibe we already have going in the house or even match the type of decor we have. Shopping and the key word ‘deciding’ should really take time and not be a quick whim decision.

The Best Trick

For those reasons I have found that the way I avoid overspending on impulse buys AND avoid buying things that just don’t work, is to save them and sleep on it…sometimes for months. How? PINTEREST!!! Yes, I am still obsessed and save everything. I have a trick though! Create hidden boards with categories of things you buy. I have  ‘clothes to buy’ ‘luxury want list items’ ‘home decor to buy’ ‘Rive Ave house’ etc. all as hidden boards with specific items I saw but saved instead of purchasing right away. (If you really want to get super detailed and organized, you can even have a board for every room in the house or every season on clothes you want.)

I’ve found that 9 times out of 10 I wind up not buying what I like at the time because after going back to the boards a few times, I didn’t like it as much so I am glad I never purchased it. It’s also a good way to track an item that may be a bit expensive so you want to wait for it to go on sale! If you save items that are on the splurge side of cost to a board, you can have the vision or look of the item readily available as your inspiration when you are shopping in a store. If you see an item that is a dupe for that saved expensive item, it’s a thought out purchase and you saved money. Win-Win. 

Oh and did I mention that you need the Pinterest ‘Pin it button’ extension for  your computer in your life?? No, this isn’t sponsored, it’s just the easiest way ever to save items from websites that might not have the ‘pin’ option.  Simply Google ‘Pinterest button extension’ and whatever browser you are on (example, Chrome) and then just add it!

Now there are some sites that do not let you pin….which I think is absurd but whatevs. I have found a way around this though. One of the more popular sites that does not allow pinning is Wayfair. All you have to do there is simply create a free account and save those items with the heart and it will appear on your list. The only difference is that you can’t create different categories. Most sites that don’t allow you to pin have this ‘like’ or ‘add to my wishlist’ feature which can act the same way as Pinterest. Another downfall with that is that you have to remember every site you’ve saved something, where as with Pinterest it is all in one place.

Money Back

This isn’t necessarily a trick from over spending but more so about getting some money back just for shopping. Ebates (now known is Rakuten)is partnered with some sites for cashback when you buy something. There is also an extension button for it that tells you what percentage the cashback is. There are times when cashback in 10% so buying more expensive items during that time is like you’re getting it on sale. Not as many sites are part of Rakuten as there used to be (Nordstrom is one that isn’t part of it) but there are still a good amount of online stores. The best part is, if you will be buying household items like cleaning supplies say online at Target anyway, you mine as well get some cash back for that even if it’s just 1% or 2% back.

Don’t forget to pin this post to remember these easy online shopping tricks to save money!