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Friday is the best day to score an online deal, report finds


Online shopping AI chatbot helps customers find discounts

Coupons have come a long way from Sunday circulars. And for consumers stretching to make ends meet, they are as indispensable as ever.

Now, with online codes, browser extensions and money-saving apps, there are more ways to find significant discounts at any time — but how good the deals are still depends on the day.

Overall, Friday is the best day for consumers to save money while shopping online, according to a recent study by SimplyCodes. The site assessed coupon release patterns in marketing emails from 30,000 merchants between March and July.

As payday approaches, there is a notable uptick in coupon activity, especially for women’s clothing, skin care and alcohol, SimplyCodes found.

Roughly 52% of coupon codes are released between Wednesday and Friday, before the weekend lull, when fewer new coupons are sent out. On Friday alone, the number of coupons released jumps 19%.

Beware of ‘spaving’

Whether it’s a “limited-time deal” or “buy one, get one free” or simply free shipping, the couponing opportunities are almost overwhelming.

But the lure of a good deal can also lead to excessive buying habits and high-interest credit card debt if you aren’t careful, said consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch.

In fact, so-called “spaving,” or spending more to save more, is an all-too-common pitfall.

In that case, before you buy, consider whether a deal is really worth it, said Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com.

For example, “If you’re ordering a few items that are already on sale and you’re far from reaching a free shipping threshold, it might be worth using a coupon code to drop the shipping cost to something like $1.99 rather than filling your cart with more items to get ‘free’ shipping — this way you’re still spending less overall,” Ramhold said.

“At the same time, if you’re stocking up and have a coupon for 25% off your total purchase, it’s probably not worth becoming preoccupied with getting free shipping if the overall savings on your items make the shipping costs negligible,” she added.

How to make the most of a deal, without spaving



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