The Ultimate Shopping Guide: 8 Proven Ways to Get the Best Deals Online

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Online shopping has become a routine part of life. With a few clicks or taps, you can buy virtually anything. But before you restock on toilet paper or purchase those trendy sneakers from the ad in your Instagram feed, make sure you’re not spending more than you have to.

Here’s how to shop smart and find the best prices online.

1. Set a budget and make a shopping list

You likely already plan for big expenses, such as vacations, weddings or college tuition. Planning out everyday purchases is just as important. Making a budget that accounts for clothing, gifts, groceries and other expenses will help you figure out how much you can afford to spend — and avoid debt. The 50/30/20 budget is one template you can use to split your monthly income between the things you need and nonessentials.

With a budget in mind, be more intentional about what you buy. Write a list of the items you aim to purchase before you start shopping to avoid impulse buying. Sticking to the items on the list will prevent impulse buying and make it easier to follow your budget.

2. Shop at the right time

Did you know you can usually pay less for a TV in February than in March? There’s a best time of the year to buy almost anything, including pencils, bedding, appliances, furniture and more. Look for steep discounts during end-of-season sales and major shopping holidays. Here’s the rundown on a few big events:

Back-to-school sales

Late summer brings savings on classroom and office supplies, outfits, computers and more. Several states also participate in sales-tax holidays in or around August, waiving the sales taxes on certain back-to-school items.

Labor Day sales

Labor Day events in September are best known for mattress discounts. But shoppers can also find some of the year’s lowest prices on home furnishings, appliances and summer inventory.

Black Friday deals

You don’t have to sacrifice Thanksgiving dinner to get a stellar deal. Retailers release Black Friday ads (and even discounts) as early as October. Plus, many offer the same deals in stores and online. Sales roll into Cyber Monday events the week following Black Friday and beyond. You’ll typically find the top deals in product categories such as personal electronics and small kitchen appliances.

Superstores like Target and Walmart hog the Black Friday spotlight, but drugstores, wholesale clubs and other businesses get in on the action, too. Check your mailbox, inbox and retailer websites for announcements, so you can plan when and where to shop.

3. Apply coupons

Knowing the basics of how to coupon can help you save on purchases from grocery stores and other retailers. Try a free coupon app, or build the habit of searching for coupon codes every time you shop. Spending a minute or two on aggregator sites could get you $1 off that shampoo on your list or free shipping on an order.

4. Compare (and match) prices

Different retailers sometimes sell identical products at nonidentical prices, so it pays to do a little research. Before buying an item, scope out a few sites. But sticker prices can be deceiving; be sure to include details like shipping costs and coupons in your comparisons.

Look into price-matching policies, too. Companies like Best Buy and Target may match a lower price found on a competitor’s site. Some will even give you a partial refund if you spot a price drop soon after purchasing an item. You can call a retailer’s customer service number or use its online chat feature to request an adjustment.

» MORE: NerdWallet’s guide to personal finance

5. Use shopping tools and apps

If keeping up with money-saving strategies makes shopping feel like a homework assignment, try automating the work. Popular browser extensions and apps, such as Honey and Rakuten, can locate coupons, track prices and more — so you don’t have to.

6. Buy online, pick up in store

You can shop online and get your order the same day (possibly at a discount) without paying shipping costs. The catch: You have to make a trip to the store to fetch it. But curbside and in-store pickup options can be worth the minor inconvenience, especially when you consider the money you’ll save by spending less time near tempting displays.

7. Get rewards

You can earn money, points or other benefits — often on top of regular discounts — through rewards credit cards, retailer loyalty programs and cash-back apps. But don’t let the promise of a reward encourage you to buy things you don’t need.

8. Score free stuff

Discounts are great and all, but you can get freebies online too, such as gift cards. Before you buy a new coffee table, why not browse Craigslist for a free one? Learn how to get free stuff from community marketplaces, libraries and more.

How To Make Millions By Playing Games On Twitch

Twitch is the go-to platform for gamers, with more than 4 million broadcasters each month and 17.5 million average daily users, all playing or watching other people play video games. It’s also the destination for gamers hoping to turn their hobby into a little extra cash and make money without a traditional job.

Some broadcasters earn seven figures per year, thanks to subscriptions, sponsorships and a share of ad revenue, among other things. Granted, they typically have tens of thousands of followers and spend hours each day broadcasting, gaming and hosting other games on their channel.

But you don’t need to be an elite user to cash in on the site. Here’s how to build your audience and start making money on Twitch.

Building a Twitch audience

You can’t attract an audience on any online platform overnight. It’s the same with Twitch.

“Successful channels — like companies — are built up over years, not over days or weeks,” says Jordan Slavik, an avid gamer who has advised Twitch broadcasters on building a following. “The most important thing is to keep producing materials.”

You might make a little money here and there at first, but don’t expect a steady income until you’ve put in a lot of work. Find your niche, whether it’s a game, genre or shtick — if you’re not the most skilled player, for example, be the funniest. Set a regular streaming schedule so fans know when to tune in. Use your existing social media accounts — Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc. — to promote your Twitch broadcasts. And support other Twitch users by watching and engaging with their streams.

Your marketing and networking skills are almost as important as your gaming skills, Slavik says.

Once you attract viewers, interact with them. Ask questions. Crack jokes. Respond to chats. An entertaining broadcaster gets fans to tune in stream after stream.

Track all the money you make

See the ins and outs of your cash, cards and bank accounts at a glance.

How to make money as a novice

When your audience grows, so does your potential to earn money. But there are a few ways you can cash in as you’re still growing your following:

Donations

Twitch users like to support their own. One of the main ways they do this is by donating money to their favorite streamers. Add a “donate” button to your channel — via PayPal or a third-party app, such as Streamlabs — and let viewers show you the money.

Brand partnerships

Companies use Twitch streamers to get their products in front of people, and the streamers get a kickback in return. This is typically referred to as a partner or affiliate relationship (not to be confused with Twitch’s partner and affiliate programs, more on that later).

Affiliate opportunities for Twitch streamers can come from companies that sell hardware and software, energy drinks and accessories, such as headsets and chairs. Commissions vary, but for example, Razer — the hardware and software company — offers affiliates up to 20% commission on the sale of its products.

Brands don’t typically come to you unless you’re a big-time gamer. Talk with other streamers to suss out affiliate opportunities.

Merchandise

If you have a dedicated audience, consider selling your own merchandise — think t-shirts, stickers, coffee mugs and laptop cases — via a third-party site such as TeePublic or Spreadshop. Just create a storefront, stock it with items — bearing your own design or curated from other sources — and promote it on your Twitch channel.

How to make money as a Twitch Affiliate

Streamers who meet a specific set of criteria can become a Twitch Affiliate. The program is invitation-only, and you must have met the following milestones within the past 30 days to be eligible, according to Twitch:

A minimum of 500 total minutes broadcasted.

A minimum of seven different broadcast days.

An average of three concurrent viewers or more.

At least 50 followers.

Joining the program comes with additional ways to earn money on Twitch:

Subscriptions

Viewers can subscribe to your channel to unlock perks, such as exclusive chat rooms, emoticons and merchandise discounts. Monthly subscriptions start at $4.99, with $9.99 and $24.99 options available. Affiliates receive a cut of each subscription.

Virtual cheers

Another way viewers lend monetary support is via virtual cheers, called “bits.” Viewers buy bits — which come in different colors and sizes — from the chat window, according to Chase, Twitch’s former director of public relations, who goes by only his first name. The price starts at $1.40 for 100 bits. Viewers then dole them out to their favorite broadcasters, who receive a cut — 1 cent for every bit used in their chat.

Game sales

Say you’re streaming yourself playing Warframe. Viewers can purchase the game and in-game add-ons directly from your channel using a “buy now” button. This button automatically appears whenever you play games sold in the Twitch store. Affiliates receive a 5% share of purchases that originate from their channel.

How to make money as a Twitch Partner

Partner status is the top tier for Twitch earners. Unlike Twitch Affiliates, who are automatically invited to join the program, users must apply to become partners.

Twitch Partners earn money the same way as affiliates and general users, but they also receive a share of ad revenue generated from their page. Partners are also likely to get endorsement deals and brand sponsorships.

How To Make Millions From Tik Tok in 2022

TikTok can get you wondering: Where did the last hour go as you scrolled through micro-videos of choreographed dance challenges, baffling illusions, makeup tutorials, giggling babies,  practical jokes and who knows what else?

Also, how do TikTokers make money? And is this a venture you’d want to pursue — going from viewer to creator? Here’s what you need to know:

3 ways people make money on TikTok

1. They market their business and attract new clients

2. They score sponsorships

3. They tap TikTok’s ‘Creator Fund’ 

1. They market their business and attract new clients

Say you already have hobbies that make money. Perhaps you sell stuff online, or consult with clients for a fee, or make money on YouTube. Your TikTok content may attract more buyers, clients or viewers.

“It’s an incredible way to drive traffic to other channels — to your website, to your email list or to your YouTube channel,” says Keira Jones (@thekeirajones), a Phoenix-based TikToker who also manages and advises brands on the platform.

This is exactly how Orlando-based TikToker Connie Rietdyk (@connie.rietdyk) makes most of her cash.

She worked as a consultant on website design and search engine optimization as a side hustle for several years, but the income was “nothing to write home about,” she says, “just enough to cover an extra bill.”

She earned most of her money working at a call center until that contract ended in May 2021. With no other job lined up and unemployment benefits delayed, Rietdyk started leveraging TikTok, which she'd previously used only to view and post personal content.

In Rietdyk’s TikTok posts, she started giving small-business tips on website design and SEO. Starting with about 200 followers last May, she now has more than 11,000 — and several followers have become paying clients.

In September 2021, Rietdyk estimated that 80% of her income was coming from TikTok referrals; she'd earned nearly $11,000 since May and more than $4,600 in July alone. She found it to be enough to cover all her bills and stash away some savings on top.

“My goal is full-time, independent entrepreneurship,” she says. “I feel like I’m on the cusp of it.”

2. They score sponsorships

Let’s say most of your TikTok posts are about one particular subject, like caring for dogs. There may be dog food brands and leash manufacturers who want to tap into your pup-loving audience. Those companies may request your help.

The process could work in a few ways. Maybe the company sends you a free product, like a dog toy, and asks you to mention it in one of your TikTok videos. Or maybe you agree to plug the toy, but only if the company also throws in some cash.

Or maybe you really get down to business. You formalize a contract with the company for a certain number of posts about the toy in exchange for an agreed-upon amount of money. You could also reach out to companies yourself and pitch an agreement like this, particularly if you’re already using and mentioning their products.

Sponsorships like this are how Jones makes most of her money on her personal TikTok account, where she shares marketing tips. “Brands that are marketing tools are reaching out to me,” she says, “because I’m either already organically talking about their product, or they know that my audience would be interested.”

Brands started reaching out to Jones when she hit around 15,000 followers. When it comes to sponsorship opportunities, the number of followers you have may be as important as having a specific angle, such as dog care or online marketing. (More on finding your niche later.)

As Jones puts it: “The more niched down you are, the more likely it is you’ll be reached out to.” By contrast, she says, a general lifestyle influencer is probably less likely to score sponsorships. Those influencers’ audiences may have broad, hard-to-define interests, making them less appealing to sponsors.

Note that branded content must be disclosed in some way, typically through a hashtag in the description, such as #ad or #sponsored.

3. They tap TikTok’s ‘Creator Fund’

This resource is “basically a pool of money that TikTok distributes between everyone in the Creator Fund,” Jones says.

You can apply for this fund if you have at least 10,000 followers, received at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days, and have met a few other qualifications such as being 18 or older.

How much money can you expect to make? The answer is a little hazy. TikTok’s Creator Fund page states the following: “A number of factors influence how funds are calculated for videos under the program. These elements include video views, video engagement, as well as ensuring the videos adhere to the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.”

Unless you’re really hustling and pumping out successful content, this fund probably won’t be your main source of income, Jones says. She earns just a few dollars or cents per day through the Creator Fund — coffee money, she says. But even though the earnings aren’t much, she says, it’s “fun to see that your effort is being rewarded in a way.”

Tips for making money on TikTok

If you think you could capitalize on TikTok’s growing popularity, now is the time to try. “TikTok is the future,” Jones says. “A lot of people, in two to three years, are going to be looking back like ‘man, I wish I would have gotten started sooner.’”

However, if you plan to make money on TikTok, consider the following advice.

Find your niche

Making money on TikTok will likely be easier if you stick to a niche, rather than posting a broad array of content. So start by “determining the niche you want to grow in,” Jones says.

If you plan to use TikTok to support another gig, let that industry guide you. Or if you’re aiming for sponsorships, consider the audience you want to attract.

Research that niche and engage with its community. Search on TikTok for videos and accounts about the subject, Rietdyk says, then “like” and comment on that content.

By engaging, “you’re training TikTok to show you the kind of content that interests you,” she says. The platform will start serving you similar content. Then, when you start posting, TikTok will likely show your content to a relevant audience.

For example, say you create jewelry, and you want to use TikTok to send viewers to your Etsy page. Maybe in the future, you’d also be open to posting sponsored content.

Search for and follow TikTokers who are interested in jewelry and engage with their posts. TikTok will likely feed you more of the same content from similar TikTokers. Then, when you start posting, your content likely will be seen by the exact audience you want: people who like jewelry.

Rietdyk stresses the importance of engaging with others, building a community and posting relevant content before trying to sell your stuff. (So maybe you post how-to videos or advice first.)

“You don’t want to promote to a cold audience,” she says. “Give a lot of value for free before you even start asking for anybody’s money.”

Be authentic

To that same point, try to be yourself. “Don’t be fake,” Rietdyk says, adding that “TikTokers can tell if you’re doing something just for a ‘like.’”

As for sponsored content, only promote products “you genuinely use and love,” Jones says. She says she turns down partnerships for products that don’t check those boxes.

Jones adds that if you promote too many products, “your audience will get annoyed and feel like they’re being used.”

Have fun

“If your only intent for starting TikTok is to make money, then you’re probably not going to succeed,” Jones says.

Like with any social media presence, she says, serving your audience should be your No. 1 priority. “That’s when people will be attracted and want to follow you,” she says.

Rietdyk adds that it’s important to “keep it positive.” She recommends setting small, achievable goals — a certain number of sales or amount of income, for example. Then, she adds, “celebrate the wins.”

Other ways to earn money

If making money on TikTok isn’t for you, consider these alternative routes:

Want to try another video platform? Try to make money on YouTube.

If you’re a gamer, look into how to get paid on Twitch.

Looking to clean house? Try to sell stuff online or make money on eBay.

If you’re writing anyway, consider how to make money blogging.