Save Money When Shopping Online

With tens of thousands of people still out of work and the economy still limping toward a recovery, wise spending remains important. And with huge parts of life still happening on your screen, for many, this means saving on online shopping.

Here are some tips for saving money when shopping online:

Wait on every purchase

Online retailers purposely make it quick and easy to buy the stuff in your cart. Outsmart them by waiting between choosing your purchases and actually purchasing them. This trick serves a dual purpose: First, you may find you don’t really need or even want the item after a few days. Second, the retailer will almost always email a coupon for you to use for the “forgotten items” in your cart.

Outsmart dynamic pricing

Dynamic pricing is one of the most powerful tools merchants use to get online shoppers to spend more. It involves using sophisticated algorithms and tracking to show shoppers prices based on their location, browsing history and spending patterns. Retailers learn each shopper’s price point and show them products in that range.

Fortunately, you can outsmart dynamic pricing by following these tips, especially when shopping for items with a wide price range, like airline tickets.

Clear your browsing history and cookies or shop with your browser in incognito or private mode.
Log out of your email and social media accounts.
Choose localized websites of international brands instead of being redirected to the U.S. site.
Time your purchases right

Believe it or not, there’s a method to the madness of online pricing. Learning how to crack the code can help you unlock substantial savings.

Sunday’s your day to score cheap airfare, with Mondays being the most expensive day to book your tickets, according to Airlines Reporting Corporation.

Bookworms are best off shopping for new titles on Saturdays, as this is when Amazon and Barnes & Noble launch most book sales.

Shopping for a new laptop or desktop computer? Major retailers, like Dell and Hewlett-Packard, distribute coupons each Tuesday.

For most other purchases, it’s best to wait until the end of the week for the best deals. According to Rather Be Shopping, most stores roll out discounts and special deals on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Layer coupons

You may already be in the habit of never completing a purchase without doing a quick search for coupons, but even when you have those coupons on hand, there’s a technique that will guarantee the best savings.

Always use a promo code before a discount coupon. A promo code will take a specified percentage off your entire purchase while a discount code will take off a dollar amount. For example, say you have a 15% off promo code and a $5-off coupon to use on a $100 purchase. First use the promo code to shave $15 off your purchase. Next, apply the discount to bring your total down to just $80. If you’d do it the other way, you’d save less money.

Ask for price-drop refunds

Discovering that an item you purchased yesterday has just dropped in price can be incredibly frustrating; however, some companies take the edge off by offering to refund the price difference within a specific timeframe. Amazon, for example, gives a grace period of seven days from the delivery date to claim discount refunds. You can use camelcamelcamel.com to monitor price changes on the retail giant’s website.

Use multiple emails for discounts

Many online retailers offer one-time promo codes for new customers, but you can be a new customer more than once. All you need is a different email address.

Don’t shop alone

Take advantage of the many apps, websites and browser extensions that can help you save money every time you shop online. Here are just a few you may want to try:

PriceGrabber – Use this app to compare prices on millions of products to find the best deal.
Rakuten – Shop your favorite retailers through this site for instant kickback cash.
Ibotta – Shoot a photo of your receipt for rebates that will go right back into your pocket.
Retailmenot.com – Check this site for discounts and coupons you may have missed.

Online shopping just got cheap again!

Truth In Savings Disclosure

TRUTH IN SAVINGS DISCLOSURE

Except as specifically described, the following disclosures apply to all the accounts.

Rate Information. The dividend rate, or interest rate, and annual percentage yield on your accounts are set forth on the reverse side. The annual percentage yield is a percentage rate that reflects the total amount of dividends/interest to be paid on an account based on the dividend/interest rate and frequency of compounding for an annual period. For Certificates of Deposit and IRA Certificates of Deposit, the interest rate and annual percentage yield are fixed and will be in effect for the term of the account. The annual percentage yield is based on an assumption that interest will remain on deposit until maturity. A withdrawal will reduce earnings.
Nature of Dividends. Dividends are paid from current income and available earnings after providing for the required reserves. The dividend rates and annual percentage yields are the prospective rates and yields that the Credit Union anticipates paying for the applicable dividend period.
Compounding and Crediting. Interest and dividends will be compounded and credited as set forth on the reverse side. The dividend/interest period for each account is also set forth on our Rate and Fee Schedule. The dividend/interest period begins on the first calendar day of the period and ends on the last calendar day of the period.
Balance Information. The minimum balance required to open each account is set forth. Interest is calculated by the daily balance method which applies a daily periodic rate to the principal in the account each day.
Accrual of Dividends. Dividends will begin to accrue on cash deposits on the business day you make the deposit to your account. Dividends will begin to accrue on noncash deposits (checks) on the business day you make the deposit to your account. If you close your account before accrued dividends are credited, accrued dividends will not be paid.
Account Limitations. The account limitations for each account are set forth in our Membership and Account Agreement
Your account will mature on the maturity date set forth on your account receipt or renewal notice.
Early Withdrawal Penalties. A penalty may be imposed if you withdraw any of the certificate funds before the maturity date or the renewal date, if this is a renewal account.
Amount of Penalty. For Certificates of Deposit and IRA Certificates of Deposit the amount of the early withdrawal penalty for your account is 90 days’ interest for a term of 12 months or less, and 180 days’ interest for a term over 12 months.
How the Penalty Works. The penalty is calculated as a forfeiture of part or all of the interest that have been earned on the account. This penalty applies to earned interest and principal.
Renewal Policy. Certificate of Deposit accounts will automatically renew for another term upon maturity. You have a grace period of seven days in which to change or withdraw the funds without being charged an early withdrawal penalty.
Exception to Early Withdrawal Penalties. At our option, we may redeem the account before maturity without imposing an early withdrawal penalty under the following circumstances:
- When an account owner dies
- or is determined legally incompetent by a court
- or other body of competent jurisdiction.
Nontransferable / Nonnegotiable. Your account is nontransferable and nonnegotiable. The funds in your account may not be pledged to secure any obligation of an owner except obligations with the Credit Union.
FEES FOR OVERDRAWN ACCOUNTS. Fees may be imposed on each check, draft item, ATM card withdrawal, debit card withdrawal, debit card point of purchase, preauthorized automatic debit, telephone initiated withdrawal or any other electronic withdrawal or transfer transaction that is drawn on an insufficient available account balance. The entire balance in your account may not be available for withdrawal, transfer or payment of a check, draft or item. You may consult the Funds Availability Policy for information regarding the availability of funds in your account. Fees for overdrawing your account may be imposed for each overdraft, item or transaction. If we have approved an overdraft protection limit for your account, such fees may reduce your approval limit. Please refer to the Rate and Fee Schedule for current fee information.

Checking Comparison Chart

Compare Checking Accounts

Preferred Checking

Clear Card

Second Chance Checking

Minimum Opening Balance

Suggested opening amount- $25

ID Safe Choice Charge Possible

Yes

Direct Deposit

Accepted and encouraged

Dividends Paid

Privilege Pay

Available after 90 days

Overdraft LOC

Available immediately, with approved credit

ATM/Debit Card

Instant Issue

Shared Branching

Available

Free Bill Payer

Available

Mile High APY

Yes

N/A

Yes

5 Buck Club

Yes