4 Perks Of Shopping Online for Students

By Ashley Paskill on January 17, 2020

As a college student, you are low on both money and time. However, this does not change the fact that you do have to shop for groceries, clothes, school supplies, and other essentials. Sometimes, it can be fun to do some retail therapy and shop for things you want but do not need. Finding the time to set aside an hour to go to the store and the funds to pay for your purchases can seem daunting. Luckily, online shopping can take some of the stress off of you. There are several benefits to shopping online as a student, but here are just a few.

Easily shop for and find deals

When you are doing your shopping in-person, it can be difficult to know whether or not you are getting the best deals. Also, in order to get the best deals, you may have to go to multiple stores. This can eat up a ton of time and money that goes towards gas, public transportation, or ride-sharing. Shopping online allows you to look at different stores to get what you want without having to leave your room. This ensures that you are getting the best prices for what you want.

Another perk of shopping online is being able to get cashback through sites such as Honey and Rakuten. These sites are free to sign up for and they give you varying levels of cashback based on the store and what you buy. Just be sure you are following what actually gets cashback as there are some stores that only have certain categories available for cashback offers. These sites also allow you to be sure that you are getting the best price by showing any available coupon codes. RetailMeNot also has coupon codes to help you make the most of your student budget. There are a number of apps, including Ibotta and Shopkicks, where you can earn money back on your purchases by shopping through the app. These work like the websites mentioned, but they are in app form.

Ordering groceries online is a thing

One of the most annoying things about living on your own is having to buy your own groceries. Luckily, there are some stores and websites that offer either grocery delivery or pickup service. That way, you do not have to spend your time going through the store and trying to find what you need. If you opt for delivery, keep in mind that you will have to be home when they are delivered. However, this gives you time to study and work on assignments while you wait. Keep in mind that there may be a delivery fee, but if time is short, it is worth it. Keep in mind that your local grocery store may not offer this service, so be sure to look online to see what options are available for you.

Image: Guus Baggermans via https://unsplash.com/photos/fbDPzqOXwuY

Keep your valuable time

As mentioned before, your time is a valuable commodity as a college student. Between classes and organizations, you would likely prefer spending your time focused on these instead of shopping. Shopping online allows you to search for the items you want without walking through a huge store and having to drive back and forth. However, unless you are doing same-day grocery delivery, you may have to wait for your items to ship. Make sure that you buy items in advance of when you will need them to ensure that you get them on time.

Another perk in terms of time is that online stores are never closed unless the site crashes. This allows you to shop on your own time, even if you have to do so after other stores have closed for the night. As a college student, this can be helpful since you can shop after you are done your assignments and organization meetings. If you commute through public transportation, you can even shop using your smartphone to make the most of your valuable time.

More options, fewer problems

No matter how big a store may seem, they are still limited as to what they may be able to offer. Shopping online gives you a higher chance of getting a specific item, size, or variety that you need. While there is a chance that the online store may be out of stock, you can look for the item at another online store. Even if you decide not to look further, you still saved time by not going to the actual store only to find out they do not have it. If you find something you like in the store, you can also look online to see if they offer it in other varieties.

Shopping can be daunting, both in terms of the time commitment and the money needed. Shopping online can help you save time and money by not having to drive to the store and by offering sales and coupons you may be able to take advantage of otherwise.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format