Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the best price comparison websites for online shopping. If you missed it, you can find it on the SavingsAngel blog at www.savingsangel.com/blog.
At the end of that article, I mentioned looking for coupon codes that can be used to save even more after you've found the lowest price online.
Some readers may be wondering where to find them, and I'd like to share where to look for coupon codes that will save you all sorts of cash when shopping online. Here are six places to start your search.
1. Store newsletters: Whether you are a Lands End devotee or a Macy's fanatic, you need to get on the e-news lists for your favorite brand. Special codes often are sent out with the newsletters, and you will typically be the first know about new sales too.
2. Facebook and Twitter: Similarly, you should be following your favorites on Twitter and Facebook. More and more companies are using social media to announce and publicize coupon codes.
3. Browser add-ons and plug-ins: Browsers allow you to add on extra features such as toolbars and buttons. There are several adds-on available that will automatically search and notify you of coupon codes or other savings. Try Honeyor CouponsHelper for Firefox and Chrome.
4. Deal websites and discussion boards: Want to be the first to know about a great deal? Make a deal website or discussion board one of your first stop when shopping online. FatWallet and SlickDeals are great places to start although the sheer volume of deals on these websites can be overwhelming. However, if you are looking for a code and one exists, you'll probably find it here.
5. Coupon code websites: For a slightly more streamlined way to find codes without wading through all the other deals, head to a website that specializes primarily in coupon codes. RetailMeNot, DealsPlus, CurrentCodes are all popular options.The mobile app version of RetailMeNot is one of my favorites – particularly for in-store offers.
6. Search engines: Finally, finding a coupon code may be as easy as typing a few words in your favorite search engine. Just type in the name of the store plus the word “˜code.' So if you were looking for a code to Overstock.com, you would search for “˜Overstock.com code' or simply “˜Overstock code.' This method generally gets results but be aware that you may have to week through some old expired codes before finding the ones that are still effective.
So there you have it ““ all the best ways to find coupon codes before making a purchase online. My personal preference is to use coupon code websites first since they are relatively straightforward and seem to offer the best results. However, they are certainly not the only way to find codes online.
As a final note, remember that some codes can be used repeatedly, but others are one time use only. So if you get a great coupon code in an email, before you share it with a friend, be sure to read the fine print and ensure you can both use it to get the savings.
