BARGAIN SHOPPING
Content & Design
Bronwyn Mandile, Maddie Southa
Peña-Lopez, Mara Cheshire, Jove
Marketing & Growth
Rachel Lim, Grace Chen, Nicolas
Catherine Phung
Operations
Megan Burgess, Rachel Monahan
Product & Engineering
Dennis Leon, Varun Sehgal, Taylor Rudling, Navin Khadka, Jonathan Yan, Lauren
Mulholland, Den Tsou, Long Le, Brian Ong, Reynald Kean Ortiga, Adrean Palafox, Ralph Bibera
Legal & Compliance
Ralph Timpani
Managing Director
Ash Frenken
Citro acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present.
This guide is published by Citrus Innovations Pty Ltd, 50 Bridge Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 ABN 25 667 285 654
joincitro.com.au Phone 1300 869 596
THE SAVING STARTS HERE
We know the thrill of finding a great deal never gets old, especially when it’ s on something you were going to buy anyway. That little rush when the total drops at checkout? Pure joy.
This guide is full of clever ways to save money while shopping online, without giving up the brands you love or the quality you deserve. Some tips are simple, some are unexpected and a few are downright cheeky (in the best possible way).
If you ’ ve ever high-fived yourself after stacking a discount code with a sale price and then getting cashback on the lot, this one ’ s for you.
Now, let’ s start saving…
Cashback made easy (and rewarding)
Cashback rewards are one of the simplest, most satisfying ways to stretch your dollar further when shopping online. With Citro Rewards, the process is gloriously straightforward. You simply link your card once, shop as you normally would at participating retailers and watch your cashback build up in your account. No complicated codes, no receipts to upload and no points hoops to jump through.
It’ s the kind of frictionless saving that makes you feel clever without lifting a finger. Whether you ' re buying groceries, updating your wardrobe, booking a weekend away or buying gifts for others, Citro Rewards turns everyday purchases into mini windfalls. You shop where you always do, so you won ’t be compromising on quality, and you don’t need to wait for the sales to keep more in your pocket (although feel free to wait because then you ’ll get cashback on top of the store’ s discounted price).
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The magical ‘abandoned cart’ trick
This one feels a little cheeky, b than you ’d expect. If you ’ ve go try adding it to your cart and walking away. Literally. Close the tab, step away from the screen and give it a day or two. Retailers hate losing a sale, so many of them will automatically send you a follow-up email with a discount or incentive to lure you back.
These “abandoned cart” emails often include deals like 10% off, free shipping or a bundle discount. It’ s their way of nudging you towards the checkout and for you, it’ s a clever way to shave a little off the final price without doing anything extra. Just remember to be logged into your account when you add items to your cart, so the system knows it’ s you.
This trick works especially well for fashion retailers, homewares stores and beauty brands. Some even use dynamic pricing algorithms that adjust based on how interested you seem. Acting like you ’ re not too keen might just pay off.
It does take a bit of patience, and it’ s not guaranteed, but it’ s worth a try. If the discount lands in your inbox, well, it’ s clearly a purchase that was meant to be…
Get price drop alerts
Let technology do the bargain hunting for you. If there’s something you really want but you ’ re not loving the current price, set up a price drop alert and let the tools do their thing. Sites like camelcamelcamel (which tracks Amazon prices) make it easy to monitor a product's price history and notify you when it drops. Comparison sites like BuyWisely and Get Price help you compare prices between retailers.
This strategy is particularly perfect for bigger purchases like tech gadgets, appliances and branded fashion. Instead of buying impulsively, you ’ re buying strategically. You know the price you want to pay, and you ’ re prepared to stalk that product until a discount is offered. Even better, if you ’ re part of a cashback program like Citro Rewards, you can usually get cashback on top of your discount.
Add a cashback browser extension
If you love cashback (and who doesn’t?), a browser extension like Citro’s Chrome extension (which lets you know when a site you ’ re visiting has a Citro cashback offer) is your new best friend. Once installed, it quietly sits in the background of your web browser and springs into action whenever you visit a participating online store. A little pop-up will appear reminding you that cashback is available, and all you need to do is click to activate it before you check out.
The Citro Chrome extension works across hundreds of retailers, from groceries to fashion to travel. And Citro cashback usually stacks with discount codes and sales, which means you can double-dip your savings. We’re talking low-effort, high-reward shopping at its finest.
There’s a sweet spot in the week when prices quietly dip, and it’s often on a Wednesday or Thursday. Wednesday is often the day when new weekly sales start in retail outlets because they save their biggest discounts for midweek, when things are a bit quieter. That’s when the clever buyers can swoop in and get the good stuff before it sells out.
If you ’ re browsing on a weekend, no harm in adding to your wishlist or cart, but try waiting until Wednesday to complete your purchase. You may find a lower price or a surprise offer like free express shipping.
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Shop midweek
Thursday is the day when supermarkets start a new round of grocery markdowns and specials for the week, so you can swing by and snap up all the new half-price specials. Speaking of which, you can use an app like Half Price, Grocerize or Frugl to find the best price across the major supermarkets before you go.
Airlines also often release new flight sales midweek and it’s no secret that Wednesday and Thursday are the best days to fly. Demand from the business traveller market is much lower mid-week, so it’s often a cheaper time for both domestic and international flights.
Next time you ’ re about to click “buy now ” on a Sunday night, consider sleeping on it and checking again midweek.
Know the real RRP
Just because something is advertised as “ on sale” doesn’t mean it’s actually a good deal. Many retailers inflate the recommended retail price (RRP) to make discounts look more impressive. The trick is to find the true market price of an item before committing to the purchase.
Do a quick Google search of the exact item name to see what other stores are charging. Often, you’ll find that the “ was $299, now $199” item is actually $199 everywhere and has been for weeks.
Some sites, particularly overseas ones, use inflated RRPs to make you feel like you ’ re scoring a massive bargain. It’s worth crosschecking against local pricing or ch static discount sites like OzBargain if it’s a real deal or a pricing illusion
7 Subscribe-saveunsubscribe
This is one of the oldest tricks in the online shopping book, but it still works beautifully. Many retailers offer a juicy discount when you sign up to their email newsletter – often as much as 10 to 20% off your first purchase. You can take advantage of this introductory offer, use the discount on your order and then unsubscribe once your parcel arrives.
This tactic works particularly well when you ’ re shopping at a store for the first time, or if you ’ ve spotted something pricey that you ’d love to buy with a discount. After the transaction has gone through, there’ s no need to stay on the mailing list if your inbox is already bursting.
To make the subscribe-save-unsubscribe trick even slicker, you can create a dedicated email address just for shopping. That way, you get the perks without cluttering your personal inbox. You may even want to stay subscribed to your favourite retailers so you can keep an eye on clearance sales and member-only offers. (Just beware if you opt to stay subscribed: the less retailer emails you get, the less likely you ’ll impulse shop and, let’ s face it, not shopping is the ultimate way to save money.)
8 Clear your cookies for a clean deal
Retailers are smarter than ever when it comes to tracking your online behaviour. If you ’ ve looked at an item multiple times, some sites will quietly bump up the price to create urgency and push you towards purchasing. This is called dynamic pricing, and it’ s as sneaky as it sounds.
This is where a retailer uses an algorithm to automatically fine-tune prices depending on demand and competitor offers. Amazon and Temu have this down to a fine art – prices change frequently depending on what’ s happening in the market. So an item that cost $50.97 in the morning might be $42.11 by lunchtime and $35.32 by mid-afternoon (and what’ s with the random prices anyway?).
To fight back, clear your browser cookies before returning to a shopping site, or better yet, switch to incognito mode. This gives you a clean slate and shows you the default price, which is often lower than what you saw as a repeat visitor.
This trick is especially handy when booking flights, hotels or bigticket tech items. Travel sites are notorious for using cookies to track your interest and adjust prices accordingly. One day it’ s $499, the next it’ s $539 just because you checked back a few times. Going incognito levels the playing field.
Each browser has a slightly different process for going incognito. For instance, if you ’ re in Google Chrome, you tap the 3 vertical dots in the top right-hand corner and select ‘New incognito window’ . Just don’t forget to log back into your account if you need access to cashback, loyalty programs or saved carts.
9 Stack cashback and discounts like a pro
Why stop at one discount when you can combine a few and really make a dent in the total? Many online stores allow you to stack multiple types of discount codes or apply them on top of existing sales. Plus, if cashback is available, you might also be able to get that on top of the discounts.
Look for promo codes that apply to specific items, then add a general site-wide discount and free shipping. Sometimes, you can use a loyalty reward or a gift card on top of it all. The order you apply the codes can matter, so experiment at checkout and see what gives you the best result.
Coupon stacking is most effective during big sales events, like end-of-season clearances or Boxing Day deals. It also works well on beauty sites and fashion outlets that frequently offer layered promotions.
Pro tip: Cashback offers usually stack on top of sales and discount codes, so you can double (or even triple) your savings. Just click through the Citro Rewards app or site before you shop and watch the rewards add up.
Follow your favourite stores
Social media isn’t only for puppy videos and travel envy. Many retailers use platforms like Instagram and Facebook to post flash sales, exclusive codes and early access to collections. If you ’ re already scrolling anyway, why not follow the brands you love and turn your feed into a stream of potential bargains?
This tactic works particularly well for fashion, lifestyle, and small Aussie businesses. They ’ll often share discount codes in stories, host giveaways or promote ‘social-only ’ specials to reward loyal followers. It’ s their way of building community and it’ s your way to save without lifting more than a thumb.
If you ’ re worried about cluttering your feed, create a separate account just for shopping follows. That way, you can keep your social life and your shopping separate, while still catching every juicy offer that pops up.
Buy discounted gift cards
Here’ s a sneaky-smart move most people overlook: gift cards aren’t just for gifting. Buy discounted or cashback gift cards before you shop at places like Woolworths, Coles, Big W, JB Hi-Fi, Myer and more. Then, when you shop using the gift card, it’ s like you ’ ve already locked in a discount, even if the item’ s not on sale. Better yet, you can still layer on cashback, coupons and discounts to boost your savings. It’ s a perfect hack for planned purchases, big-ticket items or your regular grocery and essentials shops. Think of it as a backstage pass to instant savings. You’ re literally paying less to spend the same amount.
Pro tip: Buy the gift card through a cashback platform (like Citro Rewards), and you can sometimes double dip on the discount and get cashback on the card itself – and then again on the purchase. It’ s basically raining bargains and you’re happy to get drenched.
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Set a savings goal
It’ s easy to fall into the trap of spending money just because something is on sale. But what if you flipped the mindset? Instead of thinking about how much you can spend, start thinking about how much you can save. Setting a savings goal for each shopping mission helps keep your budget (and emotions) in check.
For example, you might decide that for every online purchase, you want to save at least 20% off the full price or maybe your goal will be to shave an extra $10 off your weekly grocery bill week on week. That goal shapes how you approach your cart: you look harder for deals, wait for codes, stack your cashback and question whether you actually need the item. It turns you into a more in
Snap up end-of-season deals
Here’ s a smart shopper’ s move and one us Aussies are well positioned to take advantage of: buy out-ofseason stock when the Northern hemisphere has moved on. That means you can snag serious deals on coats, boots and warm accessories from the UK or US in our winter – or vice versa with summer gear.
Most big international retailers ship to Australia and their clearance prices can be dramatically lower than what’ s on offer locally. Add in a promo code or cashback and even with shipping costs, you ’ re well ahead.
You can also apply this trick locally. Stock up on swimmers, beach towels and sandals in February when Australian retailers are thinking ahead to winter. Or grab heaters in October before the first cold snap.
Yes, it requires a little planning ahead, but the savings are worth it. Plus, it feels very satisfying to pull out something brand new next season and know you got it for a fraction of the usual price.
Google the product name plus ' promo code
Before you click “checkout,” take 30 seconds to type the product name and the words “ promo code” or “discount” into Google. You might be surprised how often this quick move uncovers a coupon code hiding in plain sight.
Retailers often distribute codes through influencers, forums or seasonal promotions but don’t always advertise them prominently on their own sites. You’ll find them on coupon platforms like OzBargain or Groupon or simply embedded in blog posts. Even if it’s just 5 or 10% off, that’s money back in your pocket for almost no effort.
It’s one of those small habits that becomes second nature over time. A tiny pause before purchase, a quick Google, and you ’ re potentially scoring a better deal. Why pay full price when a hidden code is just a click away?
Pre-loved, but online 15
Buying second-hand is no longer just about digging through racks at the local op shop. Online resale has gone mainstream, and it’s packed with premium finds. Sites like The Iconic’s pre-loved section, Poshmark, Good Sammy and even Facebook Marketplace now offer everything from high-end designer gear to everyday essentials.
The key is to search smart. Use specific keywords, filter for “ new with tags” or “like new ” if that’s your preference and set alerts for your favourite brands. Many sellers are decluttering wardrobes or offloading impulse buys that didn’t fit, so you’ll often find barely-worn bargains.
This is a brilliant option for fashion, furniture, tech accessories and even gifts. And the savings can be huge. Not to mention the environmental bonus of giving perfectly good items a second life.
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Get a refund after you buy
Yes really! It sounds too good to be true, but some credit cards and retailers offer price protection cover. That means if the price of something you bought drops shortly after your purchase, you can claim the difference back. It’s like retroactive bargain hunting.
Not all cards have this perk, but a few premium credit cards in Australia do. You’ll usually need to provide proof of the original transaction and the lower price within a set timeframe – usually between 21 and 60 days. Some retailers offer their own version of this, especially for tech and appliances.
To make it work for you, keep an eye on big sale events like EOFY or Black Friday that might occur soon after your purchase. If the item goes on sale, check the retailer’s policy or your card’s terms and lodge a claim. It’s a bit of admin, but worth it for a decent refund.
Use wishlists as a cooling-off period
We’ ve all had those moments: add to cart, click buy and then immediately feel unsure. One of the easiest ways to avoid impulse spending is by using your wishlist like a pause button. If you ’ re eyeing something online, add it to your wishlist or favourites instead of your cart, then walk away for at least 24 (preferably 48) hours.
That cooling-off period gives you time to consider if you really want or need the item. Do you still love it tomorrow? Or was it just a moment of retail buzz? More often than not, that little buffer helps you make better decisions that keep more money in your pocket.
Wishlists are also handy for tracking price drops. Some retailers will notify you if something on your wishlist goes on sale, which means you ’ re not only making a more considered purchase, you ’ re potentially getting a better deal too.
Split big purchases across smaller orders 18
Sometimes, breaking up your online shop can lead to better savings. It sounds counterintuitive, but placing multiple smaller orders can help you apply separate promo codes or trigger targeted offers that wouldn’t apply to one big purchase.
For example, a site might offer “$10 off when you spend $50” and you ’ ve got $100 worth of items. Two separate $50 orders mean double the discount. Likewise, some retailers limit how many coupons can be applied to a single order, so splitting it lets you stack them more effectively.
Some sites even offer extra discounts after you make a first purchase. That second order might come with a loyalty perk or new customer code.
This trick is especially useful during sale events or when buying gifts from marketplaces that combine products from multiple sellers. Just be mindful of additional shipping costs and only do it if the savings outweigh any extra fees.
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Haggle by chat
You might not think of online shopping as a place for negotiation, but many websites now have live chat features with real customer service reps (or very clever bots) behind them. And sometimes, those friendly little chat bubbles can unlock extra savings – if you know what to ask.
Start by politely asking if there are any current promotions or discount codes available. Mention that you ’ re considering a purchase and wanted to check for the best deal. Often, the rep will be authorised to offer a code or extra perk like free shipping or a bonus item to help close the sale.
This works best for bigger-ticket items or boutique retailers where service is more personal. It also works well if you ’ ve had an issue with the site or are a returning customer, so don’t be afraid to gently play the loyalty card.
If you ’ re buying multiple items, you can also ask for a bulk discount or combined shipping. Retailers want to keep you on the site, so they ’ re often open to sweetening the deal.
The worst that can happen is they say no. But often, a little charm and courtesy go a long way. It’ s like good old-fashioned haggling, just done in your pyjamas with a cup of tea in hand.
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Join loyalty programs
(then actually use them)
Retail loyalty programs are everywhere, but they only work if you actually remember to use them. Joining is easy and often free and once you ’ re signed up, you can start accumulating points, unlocking cashback and accessing member-only offers.
Many retailers will give you a sign-up bonus, birthday discount or early access to sales. Some even offer cashback or credit for future purchases. The trick is to consolidate your shopping with retailers whose programs actually deliver value and then make the most of them.
Some stores will link directly with your phone number or email, so you don’t have to carry extra cards. And of course, always log in before you shop online so your purchases count towards your rewards.
Loyalty programs are especially valuable for repeat buys like groceries, skincare or home essentials. It’ s not about chasing every point scheme. Just pick a few that suit your shopping habits and stick with them.
SO, LET’S GO SHOPPING!
If you ’ ve made it this far, you ’ re not just a bargain hunter, you ’ re a savings strategist. You know that getting the most out of your money isn’t about scrimping, it’s about shopping smart.
Even using just a few of these tips can make a real difference over time. A little here, a little there, it all adds up. And when you ’ re spending with intention you also feel more in control. That’s the real win.
And if you haven’t yet joined Citro Rewards, where are you? You could be earning hundreds of dollars cashback just by shopping how you always shop.
Sign up to the Citro app to get started.
joincitro.com.au