Are you a regular online shopper yet? Are you getting the best deals on your online shopping? I feel like I could make a long list of Do’s & Don’ts but mostly want to say that if you don’t shop online- you should! You can find some amazing deals. The biggest reason I hear from friends why they don’t shop online is “I am afraid. It doesn’t sound safe.” I used to think that shopping at well known stores would keep away any issues. But that is not true. Things can happen. But you are NOT responsible so you just need to keep an eye on your statements and make sure all purchases made are by you. See anything wrong, you call your bank/card right away. I recommend using the same credit card on all online shopping & for nothing else. That way it is easy to keep track of.

I have many online shopping tips but for my first FrugElegance TIP I will start with shopping through online cash back sites. Do you know what these are? These are sites that have links to thousands of stores. If you go through their links you get a percent back on all your purchases made. My 2 favorites, actually the ONLY 2 I use are- Ebates.com & Fatwallet.com

When shopping online I first do my comparing prices & browsing before I go through their links. When I know what I want & have the top deals narrowed down to a few sites, I go to Ebates & Fatwallet & compare what rebates they are offering. This is easiest if you can leave open multiple screens so you can look at them & compare. Note that the rebate % amounts change regularly depending on specials, holidays & promotions. At times rebate amounts can double. I receive regular emails from both so I can keep an eye out for them. Best rebates can be during Black Friday, Cyber Monday & holidays.

How does the rebates work? You sign up for your free membership. Any time you go through their link, let’s say Macy’s for example & make a purchase, it will be tracked into your account (usually takes a few days). After a “holding period” of 3 months to make sure the items are not returned, you are paid whatever you have accumulated in your account. You can choose to receive your payment via mail/check, direct deposit into account or Paypal.

Some % can be as low as 1% but some can be a lot more. I have made large & small purchases & feel like it really adds up. Is it worth your time? I feel like its worth mine. I have been a member of ebates since 2009 and this is my total so far:

Cash Paid: $842.41, Cash Pending: $78.90, Total Cash Back: $921.31

Fatwallet for me is newer & less. I am at about $50 since 2011. You might be thinking that isn’t a lot for all those years. But it adds up. I always say “Better in our pockets”!