As a college student I think online shopping is easily one of the greatest things created in the twenty first century. It allows you to buy anything you want, from wherever you want, at any time convenient for you. We can shop while we're in class, laying in bed, or drunk at 3am after a night out (not recommended). Although online shopping is definitely the cause for the holes burning through our wallets, its ability to give us a variety of products at the click of a button is simply magical. Despite the fact that online shopping seems like the easiest shopping process ever, there are certainly some downfalls and risks to shopping online.

Have you ever ordered something online just to receive it in person and realize it looks NOTHING like it does online? It happens to me way too often. Have you ever spent hours creating a shopping cart online to look at the total and see it is over five hundred dollars? That has happened to me too. It seems so simple, but there are surely some tricks to successful online shopping. Sometimes it can be difficult to know how to know you are ordering the right size, how to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or how to make sure you don’t over shop. So here are six tips to keep in mind in order to make sure you have a successful online shopping experience.

1. Use the Reviews

Reviews are going to be your best friend when online shopping… especially when looking at new websites. There are so many scam sites on the web these days. They make their deals seem unbeatable and trick you into ordering from them online. Therefore its important to make sure you look up website reviews online before buying any clothes. If you don’t fully trust online reviews, ask your friends if they’ve ever shopped there. No matter how amazing and credible the site seems, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

2. Coupon Codes

Coupon codes seem like an obvious online shopping tip, but its crazy how many people actually forget about using them. Usually websites post their promo codes on their website, but often times they have other coupon codes floating around the internet unadvertised that can be applicable to your purchase. Before making a purchase online, type the store name and “promo code” into Google and see what you can find. Even if you only save a few dollars, using this trick every time can really add up your savings.

3. Hold Your Cart

The best way to get the best prices on clothes is to wait to buy. Anytime you are in a shopping mood, go online and fill up your shopping cart with things you like… but DO NOT buy them yet. Clothing sites are always having deals; they pop up every few weeks for holidays or seasonal product changes. So unless you need something urgently for a special occasion I suggest holding off on purchases until a promotion is available. So make a shopping cart and check the site every few days, I guarantee you’ll be able to get the clothes you want for a lower price, it just might be a few days later.

4. Study the Size Charts

Size charts are your friends. Use them, study them and never shop without looking at them. The most common problem with online shopping is ordering the wrong size, but most of the time the sizing info you need to make the right choice is right there on the website. Also, a great way to find the right size is looking at the models measurements and what size she’s wearing. Usually models wear size small, so if a model is wearing a size medium in the picture, that tends to mean the clothes from that sight run small. Check the sizing charts before purchasing in order to reduce your chances of getting the wrong size.

5. Delete, Delete, Delete!

I find that the best way to not overspend while online shopping is to add everything you would remotely consider buying into your shopping cart. That might seem counteractive but honestly it works. When looking through a site add anything you’re interested in to your cart and when you’re done shopping go take a look at your shopping cart. Most likely your total is going to be absurd and will force you to delete some items. When going through your cart deciding what to delete you are most likely going to realize many of the items look the same, or you have something at home that is similar. Getting a scare from a high cart total forces you to do some serious consideration about each item you want to buy and will help you stop yourself from purchasing unnecessary products. So when in doubt, delete, delete, delete… you most likely don’t need that many more clothes.

6. Read the Return Policies

And finally… read the return policies. Some online websites have the worst return policies and the idea of returning online clothing just sounds like it is going to be a pain in your a**. You need to get a package, find the return address, go to the post office, pay to ship it, it just seems like a huge headache. However, with online shopping being so popular these days most companies have made returns very easy. Most online stores that have freestanding stores as well allow you to order online and return in store. Online stores that don’t have stores have also changed their policies to make returns super easy.

Take Tobi for example. To return their products all you need to do is print out the return label, tape it on the package they sent you the clothes in, peel off the seal on the package and drop it off at the post office free of charge. If you are ordering clothes from a store with an easy return policy order the clothes in various sizes and colors. Doing this allows you to order a lot of items (usually get free shipping), try them on at home and return and get your money back for the items you don’t like (rather than reordering the proper sizes).