4 Tips To be a Online Shopping Pro From a Reformed Shopaholic

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I have long been a fan of online shopping. In fact, it’s my preferred way to shop. I love the ease of being able to sit in my pajamas and filter through results to find exactly what I need. All without having to deal with crowds, finding parking spots, or having to put on a bra.

Now that 2020 has completely transformed the way we live our lives (thanks to COVID) many more are jumping on the online shopping bandwagon and feeling more comfortable virtually window shopping.

As a self-proclaimed shopaholic – now reformed – I wanted to share a few of my secret tips that I’ve learned over the years to make shopping online less stressful and ensure you’re happy with the majority of what you purchase.

We all know the familiar feeling of seeing something you have fallen in love with online to only be shocked that it looked nothing like the photos when it arrives. Been there done that! Follow my tips below to be online shopping like a pro!

4 Tips to Be an Online Shopping Pro

 KNOW YOUR BODY WELL

I know this sounds like a given, but you’d be surprised at how many people truly haven’t taken the time to understand their bodies.

If you want to online shop and ensure you don’t return 90% of what you purchase you have to be frank with yourself. That doesn’t mean standing in front of a mirror and pointing all of the areas you don’t like. It simply means understanding what flatters your body shape and what colors look best on you.

Start:

By looking at photos where you loved what you were wearing and felt truly confident. See if there are any similarities in these outfits. Is it a certain color you were wearing? Were you wearing flared jeans or a sheath dress? You get the idea.

You can also take tests online to find out your particular body shape and read about what styles flatter you best.

For example, I’m an hourglass so anything that highlights my smaller waist will look best on me. That means those adorable babydoll dresses and sheath dresses generally don’t look too good on me.

Eventually, this will become fairly intuitive and you’ll be able to look at a photo and know that blouse or dress won’t be the best option for your shape.

READ THE REVIEWS + SIZING CHART

I feel like these are often areas that get ignored on sites, but can be incredibly helpful in saving you precious time when returning items. Of course, with reviews take it with a grain of salt because what works for you may not work for someone else.

But these give you a general idea of quality and sizing. I’ve had it happen when purchasing shoes where the site said True to Size, but the reviews all said to go up half a size. Guess what, the reviews were right!

If you’re purchasing from a new store or new brand I always like to check the sizing chart/guide as this can change slightly per brand. Especially, if you are someone who is often between sizes. Also, some brands cater better to different body shapes so the sizing chart will be your best friend.

READ THE SITE’S POLICIES

When I online shop I like to know that I have the freedom to buy more than I need and return or if something doesn’t fit right or I don’t like it in person. Aways read a store’s online shipping and return policies BEFORE purchasing.

For the most part, larger stores have caught on in the US and they generally offer free shipping and returns.

However:

For smaller boutiques or stores based outside the US, it’s so important to read the fine print. I’ve seen complicated returns processes, expensive shipping, restocking fees, and being charged for a return or only given store credit.

So I’m being charged money for not keeping anything? That’s a huge no-no for me and I’ll avoid any store that offers this policy.

DOWNLOAD HELPFUL PLUGINS

I have two favorite browser plugins that I love to use when it comes to online shopping. I mentioned these two in my previous blog post about 6 ways you can afford luxury handbags.

Honey + Rakuten (formally eBates) are my two favorites.

Honey is a plugin that searches for online coupons so when you arrive at the checkout page they’ll notify you should any coupons exist for this store. It saves you a lot of time having to check for promo codes yourself.

Rakuten offers cashback simply for shopping online. This can be anywhere from 3% to 14% which quickly adds up over time. They now have a coupon feature as well, but I find Honey to be best at that.

*If you sign through my Rakuten link above you’ll get $30 to spend

I hope you found this post helpful and that you refer back to it the next time you are online shopping. Are you a fan of online shopping or do you still prefer to go in person? Let me know in the comment section below!