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I've been shopping a lot online, but you do have to be careful and check prices. Some things really work out to be a great deal, and others really don't save you any money, so I really recommend employing ALL of your smart shopping techniques!
Sometimes, I have one large-ish item I want to get that is close to the free shipping threshold, so I look around for things to add in that are inexpensive and make sense to buy.
Here are some of my favorites:
6 pack of toothbrushes (name brand, even!) with caps, for about the same as ONE of these costs at local stores.
Bic ballpoint pens in large packs for unbelievably low prices.
Citronella candles that often drop in price so they are less expensive than what I find locally
Potholders
The possibilities are endless, but I really try to order things I need and will definitely use, and I recommend you do the same!
A word about international shipping:
Amazon usually offers free shipping on qualifying items with a minimum $49 order. They give themselves A LOT of time to deliver, but lately, my orders have generally been arriving well ahead of schedule - they seem to be building in a lot of extra delivery time to cover worst case scenarios, but most packages arrive much faster.
Amazon's prices change frequently but they're really great about letting you know if an item in your cart has changed price - so if you found one and deliberated about it, you'll know if something changed when you decide to complete your purchase.
Sometimes free shipping offers disappear, so please check carefully before you order. Just remember - you can avoid VAT and other import fees by ordering at least $49 of qualifying items but staying below the $75 tax threshold for any single order! If you do go over, as you will if you're buying a computer, you will see exactly what you'll pay in taxes at checkout. I only do this if I'm actually buying a product that costs more than $75. And I don't add any other small things to these orders, because once you're over, you're over and you'll pay fees on the entire order.
For smaller purchases, I place separate orders that each total under $75.
If you're in the USA and buying a gift for someone in Israel, please follow those guidelines, too - or be prepared to prepay all taxes and fees. You'll see them before you checkout, so don't worry about surprises (and sometimes it's still worth it to pay taxes! I've ordered my share of taxable items). You will need to enter the recipient's ID number at checkout too, so the package can clear customs, whether or not your order is taxable.
Hope you found this helpful! If yes, be sure to find me on Facebook and join my shopping groups (here and here)!
