Online shopping is the ultimate convenience. Being able to shop from the comfort of your home instead of battling with the crowds on a Saturday afternoon can save you time and a significant amount of stress.

Instead of trawling around the shopping centre you can relax as you browse through online brochures, casually add products to your shopping basket and pay for everything at the end with ultimate ease.

Too easy?

Of course this is where the problem lies in when it comes to sticking to a budget and saving money. The ease and simplicity of the online proposition means that shopping doesn't feel as 'real' as it does when you do it in person. Whereas on the high street the physical act of carrying your chosen goods reminds you how much you're planning to buy, when shopping online it's all too easy to click 'add to basket' and build up your total spend. Online retailers are also very savvy when it comes to tempting visitors to buy more. Purchasing histories are often stored and used to present customers with special offers and products that they know they are more likely to buy.

Online returns?

Customers are far less likely to return unsuitable or unwanted goods when shopping online. With items that have been purchased in a physical store there is usually a clear return and refund policy in place. Customers know exactly what they need to do to get a refund or exchange as the procedure is generally the same from store to store. Taking unwanted goods back to a shop might be a pain, but it is an established and accepted part of high street shopping.

When buying over the internet however, the process for returning unwanted items becomes far less clear. Different websites have different policies, most of which will involve filling out forms and taking parcels to the post office. Working out what to do can be confusing and sheer inertia means that many online purchases are never returned whether they are actually suitable or not.

The solutions

Although it is easy to fall into a trap of over-spending on the internet, shopping online can offer massive savings if you follow a few easy tips. The first trick is to take advantage of the many discount and voucher codes that are available. Another good tip is to buy online via a cashback site - simply clicking through from your account will give you a percentage saving on your total spend. Try to stick to a budget and be ruthless about what you are spending your money on. Be clear too about refund policies and consider whether they are simple enough for you to use them should the item turn out to be unsuitable. Many larger stores offer a free collect at store option which allows you to return goods to a physical store - this can be a good way to save time and money if you happen to live nearby.

Have you heard about the fantastic Currys World Cup Promotion?

You can get £10 cash for every goal England scores when you buy any TV priced at £599 or over.

Anyone who buys any TV at £599 or more at Currys.co.uk between 29 April and 11 June 2010. You will then need to go to www.cashforgoals.co.uk within 3 days of purchase to register. After 12 July, the customer then posts their registration certificate and a copy of their receipt to a given address which must arrive no later than 7 August.

Visit Currys.co.uk and cheer England on in the World Cup - the goals could be more vauluable than you imagine!

That's right, Buy a Toshiba TV before 10 June 2010 and get your money back if England win the World Cup!

Buy ANY Toshiba TV from The Co-operative Electrical Shop between now and June 10th 2010 and not only will you get a great deal on a top brand Toshiba LCD TV, you’ll also get your money back if England go all the way and win the Cup this Summer!!

Staying up late watching the election results? Pizza Hut has released a printable discount voucher that will give you 2 pizzas for the price of one in May. Find it here: http://vouchers.pizzahutoffers.co.uk/2for1may

The British are not exactly renowned for being great hagglers. The very idea of asking for a discount in a crowded shop would cause many Brits to blush! Attitudes are slowly starting to change however as customers start to realise their buying power in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Too embarrassed?

Some retail situations have traditionally been more amenable to bargaining than others. Examples of transactions where haggling is considered standard practice include auctions, car boot sales and private sales between individuals. Buying a house is just one situation where the buyer and seller are expected to negotiate the final purchase price. Until very recently though, few people would have dreamed of haggling in a traditional shop. Whilst a few canny consumers have been brave enough to haggle when buying large ticket items like sofas or TVs, most of us are just too shy to ask for a reduction in price.

Ask for that discount!

According to consumer experts, people power is on the rise and asking for discounts is becoming more socially acceptable. If you'd like to give haggling a try, there are a number of examples where you stand a better chance of securing a deal. Damaged or shop spoiled goods are often sold at a discount, as are end-of-line items. If you do negotiate a better price on a deal like this however, make sure you understand how your rights will be affected if you want to return or exchange the item at a later date.

Where to start

Warehouses and bulk purchase stores are a good place to discuss discounts as staff are often more used to negotiating with trade buyers. Some supermarkets offer deals on bulk buys such as multiple cases of wine - ask to find out what is available. If you are buying a car, you should expect to haggle and get a discount. Be prepared to walk away if you don't! The customer is king in the current economic climate and many retailers are desperate to shift goods. Use this to your advantage to get the best deals.

Large ticket electrical items are also a good bet for beginners to bargaining. Both small independent retailers and large chains can usually offer flexibility on price. Ask for a discount if you complete the purchase there and then, or ask if extras such as an extended warranty or accessories can be thrown-in for free. It is also often possible to knock the price down further on ex-display and sale models as retailers are keen to shift stock and make way for new products.

Start easy

If even the thought of asking for a discount is enough to make you blush, ease yourself in gently. Start with online retailers such as eBay sellers - you can ask the question in the knowledge that they will have been asked many times before, plus they won't be able to see if your cheeks turn red! Once you have succeeded in negotiating a bargain you will never look back, so be brave and give it a go.

Discount voucher codes are now such a proven sales tool that any retailer worth their salt will include them in their marketing campaigns. Countless websites have been created to satisfy our insatiable thirst for voucher codes, many of them willing and able to deliver new codes into our inbox on a daily basis.

Voucher codes have quite simply revolutionised the way restaurants and shops do business and quite simply changed the way we shop for good. So we all agree - we like voucher codes, a lot! But do you know everything there is to know about them? Maybe not. Here are 10 things you didn't know about voucher codes.

1. The very first coupon was created in 1887 by the Coca Cola Company, who gave out free coupons to their employees to distribute to their families. Within ten years, one in nine Americans had received a free drink through a complimentary coupon, putting Coca Cola very firmly on the map.

2. In the USA, coupon collecting is a way of life and has been since before the second world war. Any retailer not offering coupons will struggle to build a loyal customer base.

3. Retailers in the USA often use discount coupons to promote new products. This is the exact opposite to the UK, where new products are generally sold at a higher price.

4. There are lots of great voucher code forums online where users share voucher codes and provide feedback on best buys.

5. 58% of British shoppers said they used e-vouchers when Christmas shopping in 2009, according to a survey commissioned by website Voucher Hub.

6. According to the same survey, nearly two thirds of UK shoppers would be happy to use e-vouchers if they knew more about them, while 40 percent said they weren't sure where to find e-vouchers in the first place.

7. Customers seem to feel more comfortable knowing exactly how much discount a voucher code will give them. For this reason, voucher codes offering a fixed discount like £10 off are more popular than percentage discounts.

8. Most voucher codes have a shelf life. To avoid disappointment, always check the expiry date before you try to use one.

9. The majority of online shoppers like to make their purchases at the start of the week. Statistics reveal that online shoppers are most active on Monday evenings. Despite this clear shopping trend, most retailers release their best voucher offers on Friday afternoons as a way to try and boost weekend sales figures!

10. Voucher codes are now available on smart phones, meaning there is no longer any need to print off a paper copy. Save time and paper by downloading a code to your phone, then just show it to your waiter or sales assistant to claim the discount.

With demand for discount vouchers on the increase, retailers are constantly coming up with new ways to use voucher codes and customers just keep on devouring them.

If you are anything like the thousands of other sons and daughters around the country, you will be heading for the supermarkets and florists later this Spring to pick up that annual bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day.

The celebration of Mothering Sunday has its roots in the 16th century, when it became traditional for people working away from their town or village to return home once a year to their 'Mother Church' on the fourth Sunday of Lent. As the tradition took hold, it evolved to be thought of as the day when child workers returned to visit their families, picking flowers along the way to give to their mothers. And so Mother's Day was born and grew into the occasion we dedicate to thanking mothers all over the world for their love and sacrifices.

There is no doubt that we do splash out on Mother's Day gifts. The flower industry certainly does well out of the occasion, selling almost 4 million bouquets, which adds up to 40% more than at any other time of the year. Mother's Day gifts have always echoed the freshness of Spring, the season with which the occasion coincides, so flowers have remained the obvious choice for centuries, the most popular blooms being roses, tulips and freesias. We need only see the sea of bouquets placed strategically at the entrance of our supermarkets in the days running up to Mother's Day to appreciate the demand. That doesn't mean, however, that we can't be more imaginative and search for alternative gift ideas that may be more lasting or appropriate to her personality.

As an alternative to real flowers, why not consider one of a range of gorgeous silk flower arrangements set in their own display pot or vase. Artistry with silk has reached outstanding levels of quality and allows for the most exotic of flowers to be represented, as well as the types of flowers that would normally wilt inside a centrally heated home such as hellebores and lilac. Some of these arrangements look so lifelike they fool even the most green-fingered experts and they make fabulous centrepieces that can be carried from room to room as the mood takes you. They may be pricier than standard bouquets but they ooze class and their timeless beauty will last forever.

If you've decided against flowers this year but you're lacking in imagination, there are plenty of Mother's Day gift ideas to choose from online. Specialist gift websites have taken the hard work out of that gift search and are now offering everything from pamper kits for stressed out ladies to inflatable zimmer frames for the mum with a sense of humour. You could even choose from a wide range of experience gifts and treat your mum to a once in a lifetime chance to do something she has only ever dreamed of. From abseiling to white water rafting, kayaking to microlighting, the world will be her oyster if she's blessed with an adventurous spirit. It's certainly worth opening your eyes to new ideas you are guaranteed never to have considered in the past. For inspiration, simply Google Mother's Day gifts and let the experts take the lead.