3 Tips for Smart Online Shopping this Holiday Season

Aaannnd I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who likes to put those things off until last minute, amiright? In the past, it wasn’t highly unusual for me to WRAP my gifts while all dressed up and ready to leave for our family Christmas Eve dinner (it’s our tradition to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve). Planning ahead can save you a lot of stress. It also leaves you more time to spend with your family. Today’s post is all about online shopping (because it’s soooo much better than having to leave the house and go to the mall!!). I’ll tell you all about an awesome free service that can help you save money- Shoptagr and share a few tips on how to shop safe AND smart.

#1 KNOW WHEN THINGS GO ON SALE TO GET THE BEST DEAL

Do you guys ever window shop online? I do. A LOT. I see something I like but don’t want to buy right away and next thing you know I have about 20 tabs opened in my browser. This is where Shoptagr comes in handy. It’s a free service that lets you save and track your favorite items, including size and color and sends you alerts when those items go on sale, when they come back in stock or when they’re about to sell out. The cool thing about Shoptagr is that you can save items from different retailers, like Asos, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Shopbop, all in one place. You can either install it in your browser or download the mobile app. Here’s how it works:

Sign up for Shoptagr (it only takes a few seconds) and install the browser button (or download the mobile app on your iPhone or Android phone).

Start shopping! Visit one of your favorite online retailers; once you find an item you like, click on the Shoptagr button and select your color, size and notification preference.

Your selected item will now appear on your wish list. All of your items will appear in a Pinterest-style page where you can easily organize them.

Few more reasons to love Shoptagr (other than the fact that it’s free!):

• it takes a few seconds to install in your browser
• it’s super easy to use
• you will be the first to know when your saved items go on sale or are back in stock
• you can also create a holiday wish list for yourself and share it with your friends and family- I’m actually thinking of having a few of my friends create a holiday wish list on Shoptagr since it’ll make shopping for them SO much easier

#2 DON’T OVER-BUY

With so many fabulous sales coming up later this month, it’s easy to over-buy. Sometimes you buy a gift for someone else and love it so much that you end up… keeping it for yourself while buying another one to replace it. I like to keep a list of my close friends and family, not only so I don’t forget anyone, but also because it makes everything much easier. Lists can help you keep track of purchased gifts/items, so you don’t end up buying a ton of gifts for one person, while forgetting someone else. If you’re on a budget, this can also help stay within it.

#3 STAY SAFE

When shopping online, always remember to use a secure network, like your home. Avoid using public Wi-FI that can expose sensitive data like your login and password information and billing details. Another quick and easy tip I learned years ago for safe online shopping: only shop from encrypted sites. If you’re buying from a new online retailer that you aren’t familiar with, make sure that the site shows up with the “https” prefix which means that the connection is encrypted.

As you can tell, I’ll be doing most of my holiday shopping online, as I have been for the last couple of years. Going to the actual mall, especially during holiday season, always gives a headache. I actually get a little anxious just by thinking about it. If you love online shopping as much as I do, you need to give Shoptagr a try, and once you do, let me know how you like it!

Another quick tip: keep a few nice candles and chocolates stocked away during holiday season. Sometimes, especially if you work in an office environment like me, you get a gift from someone, unexpectedly. Maybe a new coworker or a client. I like to keep a few nice cards, candles and chocolates handy, so that I can return the favor, without having to go out and buy anything.

Do you guys have any tips for smart online shopping that you’d like to share?

This post was created in partnership with Shoptagr