This weekend I sat in traffic for an hour trying to get into the big shopping area in our town. I don’t even want to know how much gas it cost to sit there, but more important my sanity was shot in the end. After that, I am determined to only shop online! Their isn’t much on our list this year that is a big ticket item… the only thing I really want is a Striiv Pedometer. Because it’s a very random product, we were already heading online to find deals for it anyway.

With shopping online there are some key things you can do to make sure you are saving the most possible.

1. You have to start with cash back. When you want to shop online, cash back sites like Ebates (my go to cash back site) track what you spend online and give you a percentage back in your account with them. This is a free service for you, so you might as well be earning that extra bit back!

An example:
You want to grab somethings from OldNavy.com.

1. Head to Ebates, login/register
2. Search for Old Navy
3. Click on the link to Old Navy and start shopping!

You’ll get 10% from your entire purchase back in your Ebates account! When you have $5 saved up you’ll get a check from Ebates. Just think about how much you’ll have saved up after all the awesome Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals this weekend!!

2. Always use a coupon code! Even when you are getting cash back through Ebates you can still use a coupon code. Over the holidays EVERYONE has a coupon code. It’s their way of making you feel like you have to purchase today. I always google the store name and “coupon code” and you’ll find a ton of options come up.

3. Go for deals with FREE Shipping. This is a no brainer for most of us, but always look for a code to knock off the shipping costs or a sale that is already offering free shipping. If you can pair this with a coupon code for a percentage off, then that’s even better! If in the end you can’t find anything to make shipping free, then consider waiting on the purchase until December 17th. That is national free shipping day, and we’ll see thousands of online retailers offering free shipping.

4. Sign up for store emails and alerts. If you have a store that you love to shop at, or you are hoping for a great deal at, then sign up for alerts from them. You want to know if they offer daily deals, or limited quantity sales. Before you sign up for emails, open a free email account just for online shopping/couponing so your business or personal email doesn’t go crazy. You will end up catching deals though by getting these notices from your favorite stores.

5. Always price check and do research. We forget this step sometime, we dive into a deal because it says “Today Only” and you panic that you’ll miss out. It only takes a second though to hop on a search engine and see if the item is cheaper anywhere else. You will kick your self if you find the same item cheaper the next day, so spend a few extra minutes now to make sure you have the best deal!

Lastly, don’t forget to keep receipts. Make a folder in your email for online purchases, and put all the order confirmation emails you get in that folder. If you can print the receipt at the end of a transaction or save a copy to your computer do that too. You will want these if you need to make returns!

Discover how online shopping saves you time and money this holiday season. Sign up for Ebates today!

Leave a comment below with a top item you are wanting this Christmas or a online shopping tip and be entered to win $100 cash from Ebates.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ebates. The opinions and text are all mine.