What Is the Definition of Social Shopping

15 Tips to Help You Get the Best Online Shopping Deals

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Whether you're hunting for deals on vintage treasures, everyday groceries, or around-the-world airfare, online shopping is loaded with steals, if you know where to find them. Follow these smart tips for savvy shopping and score more deals that will save you big.

Alice.com

Alice.com replaces your big-box shopping needs at much lower prices than retail. This online superstore lets you shop room by room so you don't forget anything and scans for coupon codes to make sure you're getting the best deal possible.

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Amazon.com Grocery

Amazon carries dry and packaged goods in favorite brands for self, pet and home at lower prices than retail. Use the Subscribe and Save feature to tell Amazon how fast you go through pantry staples, and the company will send you those items on a regular schedule.

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Vintage Details

In-the-know interior designers scope sites like Etsy and eBay for one-of-a-kind vintage pieces that can cost a fraction of the retail price. These pieces add instant character to a space — and that kind of charm is invaluable.

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Search Terms

The trick to finding valuable pieces online is to search by descriptors such as material or color if you know what you're looking for. Sometimes sellers on Craigslist or eBay don't know the value of their items so you may have luck striking a bargain.

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How to Haggle

The prices on online marketplaces like eBay, Etsy and Craigslist are often marked up, so always offer a lower price to negotiate a better deal. Ask for free shipping if the seller won't budge on price.

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Gifts With Purchase

Sites like gwpaddict.wordpress.com and MyGiftWithPurchase.com announce when these freebies are being given out at department store's online websites. These are especially enticing for beauty junkies looking to boost their cosmetics stash.

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Flash Sales

Flash sale sites like Gilt and Groupon offer deeply discounted products in limited quantities. These sites often buy in bulk and sell at reduced prices sometimes as much as 90 percent off.

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Aggregators

Yipit.com is an aggregator that tracks daily deals from flash sale sites in more than 100 cities. You'll receive one email from the aggregator with hot buys from sites like Groupon and Lifebooker.

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TV Sales

The clearance sections of websites like QVC and HSN offer even deeper discounts on the merchandise that didn't sell while hawked on the air. Forums like TVShoppingQueens.com lets you live-stream programs from all the major shopping channels so you can comparison shop for the best deals.

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Free Shipping, Both Ways

Retailers are increasingly adding free shipping and free returns policies to their online sites. DSW, Target, Zappos, Sephora and Urban Outfitters are just a handful of brands that give free shipping and returns with a minimum purchase threshold.

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Soap.com

This online shop sells an amazing variety of drugstore and grocery items, sometimes with more selection than what's available at brick-and-mortar pharmacies. The My 5 Faves feature lets you choose five top items to get a 10 percent discount every time they are ordered.

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HauteLook.com

Owned by Nordstrom since 2011, HauteLook.com offers to-die-for pieces from designers like Diane von Furstenberg and Alice & Olivia at up to 75 percent off retail prices. Daily events begin at 8 a.m. PST and are shoppable for a limited time.

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Google Flights

This search engine collects fare information from other online travel sites, and outranks the competition thanks to its super-sonic speed. Flexible travelers can leave the destination field empty then scroll to see which cities have the cheapest flights coming up.

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Cheapoair.com

This discounted flight site has a Last Minute Flights tab to find the absolute rock-bottom fares available. You can also call the company's toll-free number to hear about unpublished fares.

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Vayama.com

Good last-minute deals on international flights abound right on the homepage of this site. The Trending Deals feature shares the most recent offerings.

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