How do you shop online?

As a blogger and an affiliate manager, I learned to maximize the two worlds and improve my online shopping habits. I'm a member of several affiliate programs, Linkshare, Commission Junction and Performics. So when I have a shopping need, I search for the right offers or join new programs to check out what they have.

Take Mother's Day for example, I checked the flower offers of several leading retailers about a week before. It was nice to receive an affiliate newsletter reminding me it was time to check the offers as well. I found what I wanted to buy, copied the html and pasted onto one of the side columns of my blog. Then I cleared my cookies, clicked on the link and purchased the flowers for my wife and mother. Wala...instant cash back and I took advantage of discounted rates, free shipping and free vases. Proflowers won by the way. I have no complaints about their products.

When it comes to pizza, I've also changed my habits. I don't scrounge through the coupon drawer looking for fresh pizza offers. I do it online now. Papa John's and Pizza Hut post coupons for your zip code online now. They are easy to find. And, for Papa John's, I can usually Google Papa John's coupons and find coupon codes from affiliates that I normally wouldn't be able to find. Then I plug in the code and order online. It's much easier than talking to a 17-year-old trying to take my complicated pizza order.

So do some research before you buy online. Use catalogs as reference material and try not to click on the sponsored ads if you already know what company you want to buy from. Use the natural search results and help them save some money....