Online Shopping Deal Stack
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- —
Chris treats an online purchase as a sequence of potentially stackable savings rather than a single coupon search. He first activates an eligible cashback shopping portal, then looks for ordinary or resold coupons. He asks the retailer’s live-chat agent whether a discount is available and, when directed to a referral program, searches for an existing referral code. Finally, he considers purchasing the retailer’s gift card through a merchant category where his credit card earns a better reward rate. The combined method can layer cashback, a retailer discount, a referral benefit, and card rewards on the same planned purchase. Chris also acknowledges that chasing very small savings can become anti-productive, so the process needs a sensible time limit.
Origin
Extracted from Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal
How to run it
- 1
Activate cashback
Before visiting the retailer, check whether a shopping portal offers cashback for the purchase.
Pro tip Complete this step first so the shopping session is tracked correctly.
- 2
Search for coupons
Look for public promo codes and, for a sufficiently large purchase, coupons being legitimately resold.
Pro tip Compare the coupon’s purchase price with the expected discount.
Watch out A purchased coupon only makes sense when the net saving is positive.
- 3
Ask live chat
Contact the retailer through live chat and politely ask whether a discount is available.
Pro tip If the agent cannot discount directly, ask whether a referral or introductory offer exists.
Watch out The retailer may simply decline.
- 4
Find a referral
When the retailer has a referral program, locate a valid referral code from an existing customer.
Pro tip This can benefit both the buyer and the person providing the referral.
- 5
Optimize the payment layer
Consider buying a retailer gift card through a store where the chosen credit card earns a higher reward rate, then use it for the planned purchase.
Pro tip Apply this only after confirming the final retailer and purchase amount.
Watch out Do not buy more gift-card value than the intended purchase requires.
- 6
Stop when savings become trivial
Compare the likely additional saving with the time required to find it and stop when the trade-off is no longer worthwhile.
Pro tip Time-box the deal search for smaller purchases.
Watch out Chris notes that saving a few dollars can become anti-productivity.
In the wild
For a purchase at Home Depot, Chris describes buying a coupon, entering through a cashback portal, and then buying Home Depot gift cards from a grocery store or Amazon where his credit card earns a stronger category reward. He would use those gift cards to complete the original purchase.
→ The planned purchase can receive multiple savings or reward layers rather than relying on one promotion.
Common mistakes
Stopping after one discount
Cashback, coupons, referrals, and payment rewards may represent separate layers.
Spending too long to save too little
Chris admits that pursuing a tiny saving can waste enough time to become anti-productive.
Buying excess gift-card value
The payment layer should support an already planned purchase, not generate additional spending.
From the transcript
“I love asking live chat similar to similar to the style of Airbnb discounts I'll just be like hey I'm I'm on your website would…”
“I'll go buy the coupon I'll go through the cashback portal but I don't have a credit card that gives me four or five points…”
“if you're shopping online there's more than one way to get a deal”
From the episode
Simple Hacks To Optimise Your Life - Chris Hutchins (All The Hacks Podcast)