If you’re a loyal Amazon shopper, you know just how difficult it can be to tell what kind of a deal you’re getting with the online retail giant. They have inflated “list prices” which make you think you’re getting a screaming deal, even when you’re not, and they often point you to items that maximize their profits, not your savings. It’s with this in mind, that I have an awesome Amazon hack that’ll help you find the lowest price every time you shop. You’ll never again have to guess how much savings you’re getting with Amazon.

Here’s How This Amazon Hack Works:

Have you ever noticed how long the URL is on Amazon when you do a product search?

If you’re like many, and don’t know what a URL is, it stands for “Uniform Resource Locator” and it’s essentially the web address of any particular web page.

See the image below, the big red arrow points to the Amazon URL of a product search for “Beats headphones”.

Anyways, the URL is really long and contains a bunch of info pertinent only to Amazon…well until now that is.

See Also: Highly Clever Ways to Find Amazon Warehouse Deals

By manually adding just a little bit of information to the end of the Amazon URL, we can easily find the best prices and deals.

Sticking with the Beats example, here are some examples:

– Add “&pct-off=50-” to the URL: By adding the text “&pct-off=50-” to the end of the URL, it will sort the Amazon search results by Beats headphones that are priced at least 50% off the original price. (See image below)

Not happy with the results you get, add whatever number you want in place of the 50 and Amazon will sort your search results accordingly and help you find some screaming deals. Don’t forget the dash at the end!

– Add “&pct-off=60-80” to the URL: This shows you all of the Beats headphones priced between 60%-80% off the original price.

Add whatever 2 numbers you want and Amazon will automatically filter your results and save you a bunch of time in the process.

Keys to Your Success:

As with any Amazon savings hack, there are some key points to be aware of.

1. Why Not Just Use the “Price: Low to High” search filter?

It’s a good question. But when you use this search filter you get inundated with all kinds of crap that’s only slightly related to the item you’re looking to buy.

Going back to the Beats headphones example, you’ll get a bunch of headphone accessories like earbuds and headphone cases that you’ll have to sift through.

2. Refurbished and Used Products

Be aware that often times Amazon will add used and refurbished items to your search results page when you use this hack.

This is especially true when you get to savings above 50% off the list price.

3. Do a Search, then Add your Qualifier

Always start by doing a search for whatever your looking to buy from the Amazon homepage, then manually add your search qualifiers.

Don’t try to add them from their homepage or category page, it won’t work.

Final Thoughts

The cool thing about this Amazon hack is that it quickly brings up the search results that’ll maximize your savings. No more guessing if Amazon is hiding a better deal somewhere and instead pointing you to an item that maximizes their profits.

Ask the Reader: So what say you, have you ever heard of, or tried, this Amazon URL hack? If so, what deals did you find?

Happy savings.

By Kyle James

If you’re not using technology to save money in 2021, you’re clearly overspending. Don’t believe me? Just ask any savvy smartphone user. Whether it’s via smartphone apps, browser extensions, or clever websites, there are many fantastic ways to save money when shopping this Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and beyond. Here are 11 of my favorite tools that you need to put on your “money-saving” radar screen today.

I recommend mixing and matching these and picking a couple that work best for you. Believe me, your wallet will thank you for years to come.

Fetch Rewards

The Fetch Rewards app is an easy-to-use app that pays you to scan your store receipts.

Here’s how it breaks down:

• Think of Fetch as Ibotta without the work. You just scan your receipt from any store and their app actually recognizes brands and products and gives you reward points depending on what you bought.
• No more scanning the barcode of individual products that you buy. Their internal technology does all the work for you.
• Hundreds of brands. But the cool thing is you can earn reward points by scanning receipts from ALL grocery stores, convenience stores, club stores, drugstores, and even liquor stores.
• Best Feature: Use our exclusive referral code RATHER and score 2,000 free reward points after you scan your first receipt.
• Use your reward points for a ton of free gift cards at a bunch of major stores…I usually swap my rewards for free Amazon gift cards.

~Download the Fetch app for iOS and Android

TopCashBack

In terms of a high cashback percentage, and very friendly customer service, TopCashBack is easily my favorite cashback site. Here’s what you need to know about these guys to start saving money with them.

• Once you sign-up for free, you simply start all of your shopping at the TopCashBack website, or via their mobile app.
• Make a purchase and your account will get credited with a cashback percentage. Your earnings will be credited to your account within 7 days and they’ll send you an email to confirm.
•  Why is TopCashBack awesome? They offers the highest cashback rates in the country, bar none. They do this by passing 100% of their affiliate commissions back to their members and even offer a guarantee to beat the rate of any other cashback website.
• Once your cashback hits the pending status, you’re free to withdraw any amount. No waiting to get paid.
• Top Merchants: Home Depot (12% back), Groupon (up to 10% back), JCPenney (8% back), Macy’s (8% back), Gap (8% back), Levi’s (15% back), American Eagle (4% back), and Overstock.com (5% back).
• Best Feature: I love the fact that you can request your pay-out via an Amazon gift card and they’ll actually give you a 2% bonus in cashback for doing so. Winning.

~Register with TopCashBack for free.

Ibotta App

Ibotta is one of my favorite smartphone apps because it makes it so darn easy to save money. Here’s the skinny…

• Download the Ibotta app for free and start redeeming rebates on your next trip to the grocery store.
• Basically the app works by unlocking rebates on dozens of grocery brands and even generic items. And it’s not products and brands you’ve never heard of. These are big national brands and the rebates are redeemable at any store.
• I like to take out grocery list and cross reference it with the rebates available on Ibotta. Without fail I find products to get a rebate on.
• Once you unlock the rebate and make the purchase, you simply scan your receipt into the app. Once it’s received and verified the free money shows up in your Ibotta account. Then get paid via PayPal or a gift card from stores like Walmart, Amazon, Target, or Starbucks.
• Best Feature: By far the best feature is the ability to redeem rebates on generic stuff like bananas, bread, milk, and eggs. While the rebate might only by $0.25 or $0.50, it adds up quickly if you’re feeding a hungry family.

~Download the Ibotta App for free and score a free $10 after you redeem your first rebate.

Honey

The Honey browser extension is another fantastic money saving tool worth checking out. Here’s the skinny.

• Once you install the browser extension, you simple shop online like you normally would.
• When you reach a retailer’s website who has a coupon code(s) available, the Honey browser extension will notify you by lighting up the Honey logo at the top of your browser.
• Simply click on the little H logo and it drops down all the pertinent coupon codes for that store.
• Last, click Try Codes! and Honey will automatically apply the best coupon, in terms of savings, to your purchase.
• Best Feature: I love how Honey will scroll through all of the coupon codes available to get you the most savings. Very cool feature that’ll save you both time and money.

~Download the Honey Browser Extension for free.

Paribus

Paribus is the website with the strange name and the very cool ability to automatically get you money back if the price of something you bought drops. Which happens how often? ALL THE TIME. Here’s what you need to know.

• Once registered, Paribus works by connecting to your email mailbox so they can find your e-receipts.
• They then track the prices of your past purchases at qualifying merchants (see full list below). They have what they call the “Paribus Receipt Fetcher” that automatically finds your e-receipts.
• When Paribus finds a price drop, they’ll file a price adjustment claim with the merchant on your behalf.
• The money due to you is typically refunded back to the original form of payment you used. For their efforts, Paribus will keep 25% of whatever they get back for you.
• Best Feature: While not really a feature, but if you’re concerned about your privacy, consider opening a “shopping” only email address to use in conjunction with Paribus.

~Download Paribus for free.

Flipp App

The Flipp app makes it simple to browse grocery store flyers and easily match coupons with the items on your grocery list. Here’s how it works.

• Just download the app and start creating your grocery list.
• Flipp will then find you local deals and coupons via their 800+ weekly grocery store circulars.
• Just tap an item in a circular to clip it for easy access while shopping.
• Maximize your savings using coupon match-ups with local circular deals.
• Best Feature: You can actually add your grocery store rewards cards right to the app. This will give you the ability to add coupons directly to your rewards card which it turn adds them to the Flipp app.

~Download the Flipp App for free.

Raise.com

If you’re ever buying gift cards for someone, you gotta check out Raise.com first. Here’s why.

• Raise.com works by selling gift cards at less than face value.
• They’re able to do this because they also buy gift cards at less than face value.
• For example, they might buy a $150 Home Depot gift card from someone for $120 and then resell it to you for only $135.
• Oh, they’ll also mail your gift cards for free as well. It’s free money and definitely worth a look if you’re planning a big purchase from stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy, or Sears.

~Register with Raise.com for free and get 10% off your first  purchase with coupon code FIRST.

Rakuten (Formerly Ebates)

Rakuten is probably the most publicized service on my list and still packs a lot of punch for those looking to save/earn some extra cash on their shopping.

Here’s how they operate

• Rakuten works by giving you a kick-back on almost all of your online shopping. For example, Macy’s might pay Rakuten 8% for all sales they generate through their links and Rakuten will then pass back 6% to their users and keep 2% as profit.
• The best part is that you can sign-up for free and Rakuten will give you a FREE $10 after you spend $25 at any retailer listed on their site or app.
• Many users don’t realize that you can shop through Rakuten, buy store gift cards and get money back. For example, you could buy a $100 Sears gift card and get an 3% back. Perfect workaround for those who’d rather shop in-store or might by buying a large item where shipping is costly.
• Best Feature: Look for double or triple cashback at specific retailers. We’re talking like up to 15% cashback at some stores, then add a coupon and you can easily save 30% to 40% off. These retailers change frequently which means you should check back often, especially around Cyber Monday and Black Friday when you might be doing a lot of online shopping.

~Sign-up for Rakuten for free.

ShopKick

Download the ShopKick app to your smartphone and start earning “Kicks” for doing things you’ll be doing anyways. Here’s what I mean.

• Earn “Kicks” for walking into stores.
• Earn “Kicks” for scanning products.
• Earn “Kicks” for making purchases.
• Earn “Kicks” for submitting your receipts.
• Cash in your “Kicks” for gift cards at stores like Target, Starbucks, Best Buy, Walmart, and dozens more.
• Best Feature: The app will actually tell you what kicks are available to you based on your location. It’s kinda fun and if you get your kids turned on to the app it gives them something fun (and profitable) to do while you do your shopping.

~Download the ShopKick App for free.

Checkout 51

The folks at Checkout 51 have a really cool thing going and make for a great companion app to Ibotta. Here’s what you need to know.

• The Checkout 51 app lets you buy groceries, scan your receipt, and easily get cashback.
• Let’s let them do the talking, “All you have to do is pick the ones (offers) you like, purchase them at any store, and upload a photo of your receipt through our mobile app or website. When your account reaches $20, we send you a check.”
• It’s also worth noting that they update the app with fresh offers every Thursday morning.
• Best Feature: I love the fact that is doesn’t matter what store you purchase the items from. This feature really helps those that live in rural areas with Ma & Pa grocery stores.

~Download the Checkout 51 App for free.

Cently

Similar to Honey, Cently scours the web looking for coupons for thousands of stores, then notifies you of potential savings when you reach the checkout page at your favorite online retailers. Here’s the full scoop.

• Stop wasting time by looking for coupons. Instead, just install this browser extension and let it do the work for you.
• The browser extension works in the background until you reach a site where coupons are available then the extension lights up in your browser’s header bar. I love the fact that it stays out of your way until you need it.
• Best Feature: The browser extension automatically tries the coupon code for you to see if it works. HUGE time saver.

~Download the Cently Extension for free.

Ask the Reader: What tools and apps do you use to save money when shopping?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Daniel Borman.

Disclaimer: I get paid a commission if you sign-up for some of these services. Money I use to keep the lights on around here and fuel my Krispy Kreme addiction.

As most of you know, Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving and it can be a killer day to save money when shopping online. But like any “shopping event” there are insider secrets that’ll maximize your savings. Here is what you need to know to make Cyber Monday a great day to save money on Christmas gifts this year.

Use Black Friday as Your Benchmark

Ever wonder how the deals on Cyber Monday compare to some of the deals you can bag on Black Friday? Yeah, me too.

So a few years ago I started hanging on to the Black Friday ads and comparing them to what I could find on Cyber Monday.

I discovered some very interesting things….

• Name Brand TV’s – Black Friday is a terrible day to score a deal on a quality, name-brand HDTV. All of the amazing door-buster deals are from 3rd tier manufacturers that you’ve never heard of. But this is not the case on Cyber Monday. The last couple Cyber Mondays in particular have seen some excellent deals on name brand TVs from Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic.  Last year we actually saw the lowest price of the year on a 46″ 1080p TV from Samsung for under $200 at Amazon.
• Laptop Computers – Budget laptops (ie, pieces of crap) are in full force on Black Friday. Systems that are OK for surfing the web, posting pictures of your cat on Facebook, and answering email, but that’s about it. If you need a laptop for running productivity software, video editing, or running multiple programs at once, you’ll want to shop for a higher quality laptop on Cyber Monday. Unlike Black Friday, they’ll be in full force. Check out this page from Staples.com that is already listing some really great Cyber Monday laptop deals.
• Tablets – Deals on tablets from brands like Apple, Samsung, and Lenovo are going to be good on Black Friday and that’s going to carry over to Cyber Monday. Be sure to look for deals.
• Gaming Systems – Cyber Monday is an excellent day to shop for both the popular XBox and PlayStation 5. Always look to bundle as that is where you’ll get the most savings. Bundles usually include the gaming system, an extra controller and a popular game.
• Christmas Toys – Christmas toys are typically never a good buy on Black Friday, and for the most part, the same can be said for Cyber Monday. Your best bet to find the lowest price is to shop the two weeks leading up to Christmas as that is when retailers start to feel the pinch and begin lowering prices.
• Home Goods – Target.com is a great stop on Cyber Monday for items for the house. Last year they had the lowest price of the year on a Dyson vacuum cleaner, Oster blender, and a KitchenAid mixer. I’m talking like close to 45% off the original price.

What products have you scored a great deal on during prior Cyber Monday shopping events?

Best Day to Shop for Apparel…EVER

Seriously. Best. Day. Ever. Over the past 6 Cyber Mondays I have been blown away with coupon codes we are given by apparel retailers.

If you are shopping for apparel or shoes you need to check out the savings available on Cyber Monday.

Last year we saw 30% or 40% off coupon codes from the following websites: American Eagle, Ann Taylor, Lands’ End, The Limited, Hot Topic, J.Jill, J.Crew, Macy’s, Nautica, Old Navy, GAP, Banana Republic, Wet Seal, and the list goes on and on.

Also, be sure you know your size at individual retailers.

What size jeans do you wear from Old Navy? What size sweater do you wear from Lands’ End?

By knowing your sizes ahead of time, you’re going to avoid return costs if those skinny jeans won’t button.

OK, so you shopped online on Cyber Monday last year and found some good deals and were pretty happy with yourself.

Hold onto your horses. I guarantee you can get an even bigger deal this year by doing the following things…

Hit Up Live Chat

About to buy online and can’t find a coupon code anywhere?

Don’t pay full price, instead use my frugal hack of starting a live chat session and politely ask the operator for a coupon code for free shipping or a percent off.

Operators are often given coupon codes to hand out if asked, especially on BIG shopping days like Cyber Monday.

Abandon Cart Before Cyber Monday

Making a large purchase on Cyber Monday? Perhaps a TV from BestBuy.com or a new crib from Babies R Us.com.

Consider my frugal hack of abandoning your virtual shopping cart a few days before Cyber Monday in an attempt to trigger a coupon sent via email.

Find the instructions here as well as 17 popular online retailers where this will work.

Black Friday Leftovers

Also try shopping on eBay on Cyber Monday.

Why? Because countless “wannabe entrepreneurs” snatch up the Black Friday leftovers and put them up on eBay for a quick cash profit.

But the good news for you is that with the saturated eBay market you’re going to score a deal and end up paying only slightly more than if you had stood in line at 11 pm on Thanksgiving night.

Look to Stack Coupon Codes

The idea of stacking coupons is one I have talked about before and it should not be overlooked on Cyber Monday.

For example, just because a retailer might be offering free shipping on holiday shopping doesn’t mean you should be content with only free shipping.

Be sure to look for a coupon code to stack on top of free shipping to maximize your savings.

Start with Free Shipping

Be sure to start your Cyber Monday shopping at a retailer offering free shipping on your entire purchase then look for a coupon code to throw on top of your purchase for even more savings.

To help you out, I created a list of 45+ retailers offering free shipping (with NO minimum) on your holiday shopping. It’s a great place to start.

Any great Cyber Monday tips that I may have missed?

Always Shop Safely Online

If you’re shopping on Cyber Monday and the deal looks too good to be true, trust your gut instinct and stay away.

This is especially true if the deal or coupon is from a website with which you are not familiar with.

See: 5 Online Holiday Shopping Scams You NEED To Be Aware Of

Other signs of a fraudulent website include the lack of a contact phone number or a physical address.

Also, don’t click unknown links in your email claiming to offer amazing Cyber Monday deals.

Your best bet is to stick to brands and sites you are familiar with and have a proven track record of customer service and trustworthiness.

Also, make sure your browser url changes from “http” to “https” on the website’s payment page, this ensures the site, and your credit card information, is secure. Bottom-line: Always trust your gut instinct.

Ask the Reader: Are you planning on shopping on Cyber Monday? Any tips I may have missed? Let me know in the comments section below.

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Intel Free Press.