If you sit at a computer (or have access to a smartphone) for large chunks of time in your daily life, chances are you like to dabble in a little online shopping.
Many of us will have a cheeky tab or two open with a few items sitting in the cart waiting for a moment of weakness. While I've been known to pull the trigger on my pending carts for a quick dopamine hit, I also know that the cost of these impulse buys can really add up.
Online shopping definitely has its place and, if done correctly, can often be financially savvy. But here are some tips to make sure you're keeping your spending in check.
1. Always, always sleep on it
This is my golden rule when it comes to online shopping. It's easy to see an ad, or be influenced by something you've read or heard and head straight to an online store. But something I'll never do is make a purchase on the same day that the idea occurs to me. Even if it's something I've already identified a need for, I still add it to my cart and leave it there for at least a day or two before committing.
Why? It's not just because the novelty might wear off. The extra cooling-off time allows for alternative ideas to pop up – maybe I can borrow the item off a friend, maybe I can find it second-hand, or maybe I can actually do without it, after all.
Maybe I'll even find it cheaper somewhere else, or stumble across a discount code. In fact, an abandoned cart often triggers retailers to send you a discount code to help get you across the line. So, even if you're sure you're going to make the purchase, it's still worth letting the cart mellow for a day or two.
2. Shop second-hand first
If the item you're buying is fairly basic or generic and you're ordering from a massive retailer like Kmart, Temu or Amazon, consider if it's something you might be able to find at an op shop. Your local op shop likely has you covered for things like basic kitchenware, homewares, towels or sheets, dress-ups and plain clothing (my son's school loves having different-coloured-shirt days that seem to necessitate the constant purchasing of specifically coloured clothing).
If you're in the market for something more specific, do a quick search on Facebook Marketplace or your local buy, swap and sell groups. I've had great success buying specific children's books, toys and home furniture from Facebook Marketplace.
Depop is a great option for clothes and shoes. You can often find the exact item you were looking to buy new for a much lower price.
3. See if you can buy it instore
The convenience of online shopping is great, but those shipping minimums get me every time. It's all well and good to go into a purchase thinking you're only going to buy the one item, but what if you then have to pay $12 for shipping? It becomes pretty tempting to spend just $20 more for free shipping. But shipping minimums and postage costs don't need to be factored in if you buy something in person.
Plus, you get a chance to hold the item in your hands (or try it on if you're shopping for clothes) and make sure it's actually exactly what you want before you commit.
Shipping minimums and postage costs don't need to be factored in if you buy something in person
And if you do have the option to buy the item from a bricks and mortar store nearby but you really can't be bothered to do so, it's worth asking yourself how necessary the purchase really is.
4. Never check-out without a discount
If you've slept on it, ruled out shopping in person and haven't been able to find it second-hand, it's probably time to click "proceed to check-out". But, wait… pretty much every online store will have a discount code floating around on the internet somewhere. You can try googling the brand name + "discount code" and trying a few out (I always give WELCOME10 a go right off the bat and it's surprising how often it works).
Pretty much every online store will have a discount code floating around on the internet somewhere
If nothing comes up, I take the search one step further by entering the brand name into the Instagram search bar. A quick look through the posts will very often uncover an influencer spruiking the product with their own personalised discount code.
And, as mentioned above, try adding some items to your cart then closing the window and waiting a day or two for the slightly desperate "did you forget something?" email from the retailer along with a handy little discount code.
5. Think twice about Temu
I may be cheap, but personally I refuse to shop at Temu. It's not just that I have concerns about the sustainability and ethics of the business model, it's also the fact that I don't think the platform is compatible with mindful consumption. The app is set up with high-pressure tactics specifically designed to encourage impulse buying and overconsumption of cheap, low-quality products that are destined to see out the vast majority of their days in landfill.
Plus, with the number of times you hear about people buying something and then finding that what arrives is totally different to the product advertised, I'm not even convinced it's cheaper to shop there in the long run. I'll stick to shopping at Kmart, Big W or Target. At least I know I'll be able to invoke my consumer rights if the product is not as advertised, faulty or unsafe – CHOICE recently found a number of dangerous toys being sold at Temu.
When possible, I still prefer to visit a physical store and make sure the item is fit for purpose before I buy.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
