We live in an age of convenience. We like our communication to be convenient, our transportation to be convenient, and of course, we like the way we shop to be convenient. And what could be more convenient than being able to shop from the comfort of your own home? 

With the rise of smartphones, we can shop from the palm of our hand anywhere we have an internet connection.  This can be especially convenient for shoppers like seniors living in an assisted living facility who aren’t as mobile as they once were.  

Shopping online isn’t just convenient, either. Oftentimes, we can find much better deals on websites than we can in an actual brick-and-mortar store. However, finding the best deals isn’t as simple as doing a simple Google search. It requires a keen eye and savvy shopping know-how.  To help you, here are some of the best tips for finding great deals online.

Sign up for Alerts

One of the most practical ways to stay up to date with the latest online deals and sales is to subscribe to alerts from your favorite stores. Most online stores give you the option to sign up for newsletters and sales alerts so that you’ll receive regular updates about the latest offers. 

What’s more, many of these stores offer exclusive discounts for people who sign up as a member. In many cases, this perk is entirely free and is simply a token of appreciation from their favorite online store.

Harness Price Comparison Tools

While you can always manually compare prices amongst stores, it’s not exactly convenient. Luckily, there are websites and browser extensions that can help you find the best deals without the hassle of manually searching. It’s as simple as adding a plugin or visiting a website like Google Shopping or PriceGrabber, and you can compare different offers for the product or service you’re looking for, ultimately finding the best deal.

Use Social Media

Sometimes the latest deals it offers are posted first on social media before a retailer’s website. It can be helpful to follow your favorite stores on places like Facebook and Instagram so that you know about these deals before they even start. 

In many cases, you may even receive a special discount code simply for following your favorite store. Lastly, make sure that beyond following these accounts, you also watch their stories carefully. Often insider discounts and upcoming deals are posted in stories rather than traditional posts, and can give you an insider advantage on getting the best deal before the crowd.

Shop at The Right Time of The Year

Sometimes it all comes down to a little bit of strategy and timing.  You want to make sure you’re shopping at the right time of the year so that you can snag the best deals. In other words, instead of buying a brand new couch in the middle of December, consider holding out until a specific time of the year when you know you’ll find a great deal, like Black Friday. 

Beyond post-holiday sales, you also want to try out shopping during the offseason. For example, if you buy a coat in the middle of summer, you’ll probably find a much better deal than you would in the dead of winter.

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