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There’s no need to wait in long lines at crowded stores to snag the perfect gifts at the best prices. All kinds of great deals can be found online.
However, online shopping comes with its own perils when you’re trying to stick to a budget. Buying virtually makes it easy to buy a cartload of stuff in a few simple clicks — without really paying attention to the real-life dollars you’re spending.
Before you hit that “buy now” button, check out how to avoid making these 11 common online shopping fails.
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11 Online Shopping Mistakes to Avoid This Season
As you browse online, avoid these pitfalls to keep yourself from spending a whole lotta money. We’ve gathered some of the worst online shopping fails to help you avoid the most expensive blunders. They are:
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Getting fooled by terrible discounts.
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Spending more just to get “free shipping.”
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Not abandoning your cart.
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Falling for expensive promoted products.
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Not shopping in incognito mode.
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Shopping while intoxicated, tired or hungry.
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Not doing your research.
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Not checking the return policy.
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Not using a cash back program.
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Not trying it on for size.
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Not having a budget.
1. Getting Fooled by Terrible Discounts
When is a Black Friday sale not really a sale? When the discounts aren’t any better than the ones you normally receive.
For example, if you can typically find your favorite brand of shoes for $50 — even though the “suggested retail price” is $90 — consider $50 the benchmark. So if a retailer advertises the shoes for 50% off, but the discount is off the regular suggested retail price of $90, it won’t be much of a deal because you’re only saving $5 off of what you’d normally pay.
Let it be a lesson that just because an item is listed on the sale page of a website doesn’t mean something is worth your money.
2. Spending More to Get “Free” Shipping
We’ve all been there. You know you can get free shipping if your order totals more than $50, but your cart comes to $48.50.
