Get the most out of couponing
You don’t need to clip coupons from the Sunday paper anymore. Now they will come to you. “Coupons are even better when they’re automatically applied at checkout,” says Nathan Burrow, deals editor for Wirecutter. He suggests signing up for retailer loyalty programs, which will often get you these automatic deals on purchases. Also, download retailer and restaurant chain mobile apps. Those often contain special discounts, because the companies want you to order from your phone.

There are more ways to find coupons, including via apps like PayPal Honey, Rakuten, the Coupons App or KCL. And Joanie Demer, co-CEO and cofounder of Krazy Coupon Lady, suggests signing up for mailing lists from trusted retailers. “For example, just for signing up for text messages with some retailers, you may get a special text offer,” she says. But consider using a separate email account if you want to avoid the flood of emails to your main inbox.

Get free shipping—no membership needed
Amazon Prime has been a huge success in online shopping, with more than 167 million U.S. subscribers. Although a Prime membership offers a number of benefits, a key one is free shipping on most purchases—if something that costs you $139 a year can be considered “free.” “It depends on how often you shop and how often you shop at Amazon,” Demer says. There are other ways to get free shipping on online purchases. A simple approach is spending enough in one purchase to qualify for free shipping. For Amazon orders without a Prime membership, that’s at least $35. And retailers including Walmart, Target and Best Buy will give you free shipping on most orders exceeding $35. Burrow also suggests looking for free rewards programs from other retailers that offer shipping deals when you sign up. These programs do require that you submit your personal information, so first make sure you’re dealing with a trusted company.