Orange County Register

It’s fun to scope out the shops every now and again, reveling in discounts and sales we’ve found using our own determination and willpower. But online shopping is often the best bet for finding deals.

Michelle Madhok, online shopping expert and contributing editor to Real Simple Magazine, is the founder of both She Finds and Mom Finds, two sites dedicated to finding the best discounts and deals for online shoppers. I gave her a call to see what sort of tips she had for the less savvy online shopper:

• Sign up for your favorite stores’ online distributions lists. While most shoppers forgo them in order to avoid unwanted spam, it’s often beneficial to sign up for alerts or sale notifications. Sometimes these distribution lists will send you coupons or codes to redeem discounts on those items you’ve been eyeing for awhile.
• Keep an eye out for online sample sales. While often only lasting for a limited time, these sales are good sources for great deals from name brands or even designer labels. Register with She Finds, which compiles these sales, in order to get notifications when your favorite stores or online shopping sites are having a sale.
• Even if you’re one of those shoppers who prefers to shop off-line, you can almost always find better deals on the Web. Michelle recommends browsing through the racks at the mall and then looking online for better deals. While some may be turned off by the shipping and return prices of online shopping, some sites like Zappos, the ever-popular online shoe retailer, offers free shipping and free return services (Outlet Buy and Shoe Buy also offer this same perk.)
• Use specialty search engines to narrow down your search and help find the exact piece of clothing you are looking for at the right price. Michelle recommends The Find and Pronto.
• Look for summer sales at your favorite department stores. Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and others offer great online sales on holidays, so keep an eye on any sales going on during the Fourth of July weekend. Yoox and Bluefly, two online specific retailers, also have great summer sales. And Yoox, the European version of Bluefly, offers free standard shipping.
• Ask for an after-the-fact markdown. If the item you bought goes on sale a week or sometimes even a month after you’ve made your purchase, many stores will  reimburse you for the difference, so keep your receipts.
• Make use of online shopping websites that let you earn cash back on purchases. Many companies are creating online shopping sites,  such as Bank of America’s Add It Up,  that can save consumers money on their purchases.
• Ensure that your coupons for online savings are still valid. Visit Retail Me Not, an online coupon codes finder that allows users to vote on coupons to verify whether or not they are still usable.
• Register at Shop It To Me, a free Web site dedicated to finding out when that coveted item of clothing, in your size, goes on sale. The Shop It To Me database scours different retailers, such as those of your favorite department stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, and finds out if that little black dress from BCBG, size 8, is on sale.

(By Molly Vorwerck/ Staff writer-intern)

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