Get the best out of shopping the sales online

Looking for a bargain but don't have the inclination to tramp up and down the high street and do battle with like-minded shoppers? Why not put the internet to the best use and shop the sales online?

The best bargains are for those who know exactly what they're looking for and it's definitely worth putting in some time to research potential purchases. Consider all your options, from shopbots to cashback and voucher code sites. Steer clear of discounts that seem too good to be true, only for your purchases to remain unused for the next year.

Follow our tips to ensure that you really are getting the keenest prices.

1. Sign up for newsletters from the retailers that interest you. You'll then be kept informed of sales and sale previews allowing you to shop the bargains before everyone else.

2. Use price comparison sites or a shopbot site to help you benchmark prices and find the cheapest available. Although shopbots perform a useful and time saving task, these sites aren't universal in the information they offer as they each cover a different range of retailers.

Suggested sites: kelkoo.co.uk, megashopbot.com, pricerunner.co.uk, twenga.co.uk.

3. Check voucher sites to see if there are any additional ways to knock down prices.

Suggested sites: vouchercodes.co.uk, shoppingvouchers.co.uk.

4. Consider using a cashback site once you've found the item you are looking for.

Suggested sites: quidco.com, kidstart.co.uk.

5. Check delivery charges as many retailers bump up these costs during the sales, when they might normally offer free p&p out of the sales. You might also find that if you order more than one item, a retailer might make an additional charge.

6. Check outlet shops, quite a few of the high street brands now have shops on eBay. It's important to remember that you probably won't be able to return items to the bricks and mortar shop and you might also have to pay via a PayPal account. LK Bennett, Kookai, Karen Millen, Jigsaw all have an eBay outlet. Don't forget to check out John Lewis, who have a great returns policy. For designer fashion, The Outnet is a great site to pick up seriously good bargains.

Suggested sites: ebay.co.uk, theoutnet.com, johnlewis.com, brandalley.co.uk, asos.com.

7. Consider multibuys, especially for beauty products, can look tempting but retailers may bundle in a lesser product that you might not necessarily want. Boots generally has a good selection of multibuys on offer, even for premier skincare brands, and not just during sale periods.

Suggested sites: boots.com, beautyexpert.co.uk, musthave.co.uk.

8. Check forums for up to the minute information on deals. Moneysavingexpert has a very active forum with its users also spreading the word of great deals. This is a newsletter well worth subscribing to.

Suggested sites: moneysavingexpert.com, lovemoney.com .

9. Buy overseas can often lead to better savings and is certainly applicable for some beauty brands. Before going down this route, check delivery charges and whether you'll have to pay import duty.

10. Check credibility. If you've found a great bargain but are worried about a site's credibility, check to see that the site lists a real postal address. You can also check its legitimacy by seeing who owns the site at Whois and then its web ranking on Alexa.

Suggested sites: whois.net, alexa.com.

11. Steer away from shop warranties. They are generally overpriced and you might well be buying insurance/protection for something that is already covered with a household insurance policy.