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Ask An OC Expert: Tips On Finding Deals Shopping Online

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Fashion professional and avid online shopper Brandi Bregman provides the skinny on how to find some of the lowest shopping prices online. Check out the five helpful tips below to enhance your online shopping experience. You just may be able to afford those designer shoes after all.

Brandi Bregman
Owner/Founder/Designer at MaryBii Fashion Dome
Southern California
www.facebook.com/MaryBii-Fashion-Dome

Brandi Bregman is a fashion professional residing in Southern California. She is the owner, founder and designer of MaryBii Fashion Dome, an eco-conscious clothing company that supports the environment with sustainable design and production practices. Her creative fashion line has graced the runway at the acclaimed Key Club on Sunset Strip in Hollywood and Elevate Lounge in downtown Los Angeles. Additionally, Bregman has been recognized as one of the top designers in the area at the RAWards. She is also a daily deal hunter and knows how to find some of the best online shopping discounts. Take a look at some of Bregman's money-saving strategies here.

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Do Your Research

Be sure to compare and contrast prices. For instance, if you are looking for a specific pair of shoes, find out the value/price from your local department stores. This will verify if you are getting a better deal shopping online. Also, don't forget to include shipping costs in your total. If you pay $20 at a store with no shipping costs, but $15 online with a $10 shipping fee, you will be better off purchasing at the store. Sometimes, buying multiple items in one shipment can help lower shipping costs.

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Utilize Shopping Comparison Applications

Apps such as RedLaser.com and Amazon.com price check and do the bulk of shopping research for you. Not only do the apps compare prices online, but they compare stores locally and keep your reward cards in one place for your convenience. A lot of these helpful apps can be downloaded straight to your phone, so you can do comparisons when you are away from the computer.

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Never Purchase Anything Online For The Full Price/Asking Value

There is always a coupon or discount somewhere online. Sites such as RetailMeNot.com and CurrentCodes.com offer discounts on almost anything imaginable. Sometimes simply doing a Google search for a coupon associated with the website you are shopping on will help you find some generous discounts, or at the very least free shipping. Signing up for the websites' newsletters may also get you a discount that you were not expecting.

Related: Best Shopping In OC's Laguna Beach

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Save Major Cash While Shopping Online By Keeping Up With Daily Deals

Sites such as LivingSocial.com and Groupon.com have special deals every day on select items, allowing the prices to be kept significantly low. These sites only have a certain number of items to sell and typically put a time limit on when you have to make the purchase. Therefore, discounts are readily available. These deals are worth taking advantage of because the price is usually a solid 70-percent off of retail value.

When all else fails, use Amazon.com

Discount sites will stock excess items that manufacturers can't unload in retail stores, allowing them to pass the deals on to the consumer. This means major savings for you. Most sites will also ship for free when you make a purchase over $25.

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Stacy Brecht is a professional writer, dancer, marketer and model in the Los Angeles area. Brecht also enjoys traveling, wine, fitness training, volunteering, movies and trying new restaurants. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.


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