Tips to guide you through the world of online shopping
Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other end of year holiday, it’s likely that gift shopping for loved ones is on your mind.
Assuming that you haven’t finished your shopping early, you may just be starting your search for that special gift that will bring a smile to your loved one’s face.
Where to start?
During the pandemic it can be difficult to shop in stores for a number of reasons —you might face store closures, limits on the number of patrons allowed in open stores, the stress of being around others, etc. To avoid these issues, your safest bet might be to shop online.
Every major store, and even smaller retailers, have an online option to purchase their goods. They can usually be found through their website, or other portal sites like Amazon or eBay. While Amazon makes it easy to shop for what you need, you should be aware that Amazon often pulls products from other companies, which is why it is common for Amazon to list several prices for any particular item.
It should also be noted that Amazon will typically prioritize the least expensive price for the item, but that doesn’t account for shipping. So while you may be getting that special item for $10 less than you would find it anywhere else, the fact that the item may be coming as far away as Texas may see you pay more due to shipping, especially if you’re on a time crunch and need speedy delivery.
Look for those deals!
After you’ve selected your item and your means of purchasing, the next thing you should be asking yourself is “can I get any coupons?” As holiday season approaches, it’s quite possible that your item may have coupons related to it. Amazon (to continue the example) typically has coupon codes that can shave a few dollars off prices. Whether it was through a previous online purchase, or a deal they’re running with the particular company, it can be beneficial to track those down.
Luckily, there are free extensions for your online browser that can do that work for you.
Honey is a simple add-on for Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge that automatically scours the depths of the internet for any coupon or discount codes that can be applied to your purchase. When there are no deals, it will tell you. Honey, however, does not work with all online retailers, and when the little icon in the corner of your browser isn’t orange, then you’re on your own.
Honey isn’t the only one, Coupert is another promo-code style extension to your browser that operates in very much the same way. Apply the codes to your shopping cart before checkout and see if they work.
It’s important to note that using these browser extensions doesn’t guarantee any money off of your purchase, but in these times it’s worth a try.
Weighing shipping options
You’ve applied your code and now have your final total cost — without shipping. Most sites offer a wide variety of ways to pay for your shipping. Some, like Amazon, offer free shipping, but you could be waiting a long time for your particular item to arrive. Amazon Prime offers same day shipping options and faster shipping at lower prices than if you were a non-subscribed member. Prime costs CDN$7.99 per month, before taxes.
While it may be appealing to cut down the cost of shipping by becoming a Prime member, consider how often you’ll be ordering online before committing to the monthly fee. You can try a free trial for one month, and then cancel the subscription, but it’s a one time trial per account. So once your trial is up, even if you used it years ago, you’ll likely have to pay for the month.
Hopefully these suggestions can help you navigate the massive online shopping community during the holidays. Online shopping is the safest way to complete your shopping needs during this trying time.
Stay safe, and happy holidays.
A version of this article appeared in print in The Ontarion issue 189.4 on Nov. 26, 2020.
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