Amanda Peterson
July 27, 2023
• 3 Minute Read
This week's Thrifty Thursday talks about shopping responsibly. And by responsibly, I mean don't rush the purchase. Let those items sit in the cart a while.
With the way the algorithms work today, by leaving an item of interest in your online shopping cart, this prompts the search engines to begin showing you similar or even the same items at a cheaper price. If it happens to be Amazon, if you leave it sit long enough, or even move it to a "save for later" list, they will notify you once that product goes down in price.
6 Reasons Why This Is A Good Idea
Letting purchases sit in your online cart for a while can be a strategic shopping technique that offers several potential benefits:
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Price Monitoring: Keeping items in your cart allows you to track their prices over time. Online retailers often offer discounts, promotions, or coupon codes periodically. By observing the price fluctuations, you may be able to catch a sale or take advantage of price drops, saving you money on your purchase.
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Abandoned Cart Discounts: Some online stores use abandoned cart emails as a marketing strategy. If you leave items in your cart without completing the purchase, the store may send you a reminder or offer a discount or incentive to encourage you to complete the transaction. This can be a way to get a better deal on the items you want.
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Avoiding Impulse Purchases: Leaving items in your cart for a while gives you time to consider whether you really need or want them. It's an opportunity to step back and think more objectively about the purchase, which can help you avoid making impulsive buying decisions.
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Budgeting and Prioritization: By holding off on an immediate purchase, you can prioritize your spending and ensure that the items in your cart align with your budget and financial goals. You might find that after a few days, the desire to buy a certain item diminishes, and you'd rather allocate your funds elsewhere.
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Comparing Options: Leaving items in your cart allows you to explore other websites or stores to compare prices, features, and reviews of similar products. This way, you can make a more informed decision about which option best suits your needs and budget.
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Testing for Additional Discounts: In some cases, if you let items sit in your cart for an extended period, the retailer might send you exclusive offers or additional discounts to motivate you to complete the purchase.
The Downfalls
While there are potential benefits to letting items sit in your online cart, there are also some downsides and risks to consider. For instance, leaving items in your cart for too long might result in the product going out of stock. Particularly for popular or limited-quantity items, delaying your purchase could mean missing out on the opportunity to buy them altogether.
Retailers may also remove items from your cart after a certain period, so be cautious about waiting too long. If the store is having a specific sale, such as when Victoria Secret does their "Semi Annual Sale," the quantities may be limited. They only allow you to reserve items in your cart for a short period of time. This opens up the sale to other, more urgent buyers.
If the purpose of holding items in your cart is to get a discount through abandoned cart emails, make sure you are signed up to get emails from that particular store.
Last, It's Your Decision
Ultimately, the decision to let purchases sit in your online cart should be based on your shopping preferences and financial situation. If you find the technique helpful for getting better deals and making more deliberate purchases, then it can be a valuable strategy to incorporate into your online shopping habits. For more weekly tips on saving money, be sure to follow CreditSoup on any of our social channels!
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