5 online shopping hacks to help you as you shop the Amazon, Flipkart sales

The Flipkart Big Billion Days sale has gone live today and Amazon’s Great Indian Festival is kicking off tomorrow for all users. So as you shop online, here are 5 important things you should keep in mind so you can make the best of the deals on offer without regrets.

Surely you have a lot of things on your shopping list that you were planning to buy over these sales and you can’t wait to get going. But, hold on, you need to keep some basic online shopping hacks in mind before you go spending that money. (Pixabay)

This weekend is going to be all about shopping online with the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale and the Amazon Great Indian Festival kicking off. The Flipkart Big Billion Days kicked off today for all users and Amazon's Great Indian Festival has gone live today for Prime users only. Amazon's sale opens up for all customers tomorrow.

Surely you have a lot of things on your shopping list that you were planning to buy over these sales and you can't wait to get going. But, hold on, you need to keep some basic online shopping hacks in mind before you go spending that money. Keep the basics in mind and you will have no regrets.

1. Big discounts are often too good to be true

Online shopping platforms claim to offer you massive discounts during these sales - sometimes even as high as 80% off. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Do not shop by looking at home much discount is being promised. If this is a product you want to buy or think you need, check on other non-sale platforms too and check if it fits your budget on the new price on offer. This way you will figure out if the discount on offer is actually true or if it is being offered on inflated prices. 

2. No-cost EMI promises

Experts are of the opinion that these no-cost EMIs, that are offered mainly on expensive products like smartphones, smart TVs and other high-end electronics etc are just marketing gimmicks. In most cases, the product price is inflated and even when you think you are paying no interest on your EMIs, you probably are. To avoid this, check the prices on other non-sale platforms first. 

3. Don't fall for cashbacks 

Besides no-cost EMIs, cashbacks are another lucrative offer that you will see on many products. A cashback promise helps most e-commerce platforms increase sales because customers believe that they are actually making a profit here even if the price is fixed. This makes customers buy things they cannot afford. Don't fall for this. You are not going to actually get that cash back and will end up spending more than you wanted to originally. 

4. Read the reviews

This one is actually a no-brainer. Before you buy anything, if you have not physically seen the product before, read the detailed instructions and read the user reviews. User reviews are the best insight into the quality of the product and these will also help you figure out if it is worth the money you are paying. Basically, do your reading before you “add to cart” and “proceed to check out”.

5. Once you have bought what you need, leave the webpage/app

You may or may not be going online with a clear shopping list in mind, but if you are done buying what you think you need, log off. Don't keep browsing through deals and more deals because you will definitely end up buying more things that you do not need. That's the charm of these sales. 

We are not taking away from the fact that these sales actually have some great offers, but you need to be careful about how much you spend and how you spend it. It's your hard-earned money after all. 

Happy shopping!