Sometimes, when you’ve got so many options in front of you, it helps to keep things itemised in a wishlist. Most online retailers have a wishlist function, allowing you to keep track of all the items you want to get. Wishlists also track if an item is sold out, and some e-tailers even send you an email to notify you when something you’ve saved is back in stock.

You can also keep a list of things you want on your phone, so that way, you’re not distracted by the goods on display.

Pro tip: If the item you want online is available in a physical store, head there first to try it on and see how it fits. This allows you to see it real-time and figure out whether you really want it after. Take note of the size that you like to help speed up your online shopping.

Most e-tailers hand out tempting discount and deals to their newsletter subscribers. Plus, you get sale notices in advance, so you have the upper hand at scoring better deals.

Various shoe brands use various makes and lasts to size their shoes, so just because you wear a size 39 doesn’t mean that every 39 will fit you perfectly. Most online stores now include a description that advises you on the fit, as well as whether to stick to your default size or go one size up or down.

Most of the time, express shipping means that you’re shelling out a lot more cash for a parcel that may be unnecessary. Speaking from personal experience, we’ve encountered problems with express shipping as well.

This is very important, because sometimes sale goods are final and non-refundable. Take a moment to familiarise yourself with what is the company policy on returns, refunds and damaged goods before you commit to a new purchase.

Plenty of sites list out promo codes for shoppers to use, so before you check out, do a little homework so you can save more money for more shopping.

Most retailers update their online stores on Tuesday with new items and new discounts, so camp out on their pages to score great pieces for a tidy saving.

So you’ve found a top you really love but you’re not sure how to style it. Do some research and visit various sites. This applies especially to luxury items, where one bag could be stocked across two or three other online stores. It may be the same bag, but every site styles it differently so you have more options and ideas on how to carry it.

This one applies selectively, so you have to try your luck. But let’s say you bought a new dress that you love, but the next day, the dress is suddenly put on 30% discount. You can try to email the retailer for a refund of the price difference. Sites like Amazon will give you a refund for the price difference, provided you get in touch with them within a week of delivery.

Since you’re already shopping online, let technology go one step further for you by downloading an app that lets you shop through you camera. Snappar allows you to snap a photo of an item and shows you results that are similar to what you’ve just snapped. Think of it as an image search engine, but one that allows you to actually buy what you see.

So let’s say your friend is carrying a bag that you just have to have, right? Well, all you need to do is open up Snappar, take a photo of said bag, and let the app show you a plethora of choices! Not only that, the app is also designed to show you options that are similar but not the same (in case you don’t want to be seen as a copycat). This means you can either choose to get the same bag, or a bag that’s visually similar to the one you just saw.

You can download the app here.