I’d happily admit that I’m a frugal person.

And there’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I think it’s smart to be frugal… I mean, why waste money when we don’t have to, right?

One of my biggest secret in indulging while living frugally is online shopping.

Yup, online shopping. AKA what every financial blog tells you to stay away from!

But, online shopping is not the worst thing ever. In fact, I save more on online shopping than clipping coupons or waiting for sales at my local store. If you’re smart with online shopping, online shopping isn’t a debt sentence.

For example, my “make-up of the night” look for my birthday was about $5, my bikini trimmer was $5 less than in store, aaaand, by biggest investment this year, Lexington, my new mirrorless camera was $270 cheaper online than in store!

When it comes to cheap online shopping, I only stick to two sites: eBay and Aliexpress. Right now, Aliexpress is my favourite.

So, what should you consider purchasing online rather than in stores?

Beauty and beauty accessories.

Especially if you’re not a make-up guru and can’t be bothered with make-up, consider purchasing your stuff from budget lines such as E.L.F. or buy them online. I can get an eyeshadow palette for $2-3 (good quality) compared to spending $7+ in store! Especially if you’re looking for specific colours, online shopping is the way to go! Because I don’t know much about make up, my brushes are shipped overseas, costing me $1!

Accessories

It baffles me that people continue to buy jewelry from Forever 21 and H&M. Sure, they’re relatively affordable at $4-7 per piece but what if I told you, 95% of my jewelry cost me only $1? $2.25 at the most? And yes, after all that wearing, it still survives. I’ve also purchased cute scarves and hats as well.

Bags

If you’re not big on designer bags, purchase them online. They may be no name brand or a foreign brand but they’re top notch quality for only $20 or less! The best part is, most of these bags are fairly unique so it’s likely not many people in your city will be seen having one.

Clothes

Yup, it’s possible to do online shopping for affordable clothes! I’ve purchased a few pieces of clothing for $10 or less for school and work. I’ve yet to run into any problems with them. A few stitches may be poorly done but you can just cut off excess thread. Similarly to the bags, I love how nobody else has them! Consider coats, active wear and bras!

Electronics & accessories

This is a toughy. I’ve purchased a few electronics online and gotten lucky. I mean, I did save almost $300 on my camera just from buying online! I would consider other customers’ reviews before buying online mainly because electronics are bit more “iffy” than the other products. I’ve only had one minor issue with a portable speaker I got online for $15, but I didn’t really needed the bluetooth. My favourite one is getting a Class 10 32gb memory card for my camera for only $10.

Also, if you love switching up your phone cases – buy them online. $1-3 is better than $25 at the stores!

Household decor

I have yet to purchase any household decor because I’m still living with my parents but from what I’ve seen, cute, unique and adorable pillows for only $3-5?! I would totally save them for when I have my own place.

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