I used to abandon my cart the moment shipping added eight dollars to the total. It felt like a tax on doing nothing wrong. Then I learned the moves that get shipping dropped on almost every order, and now I rarely pay it.

Why shipping is so easy to avoid

Retailers use shipping as a way to push you to a minimum order size. They want the bigger cart, and they will often waive the fee to get it. The trick is knowing where to look.

How to get free shipping

1. Check for a free-shipping code on the site banner or in a welcome email.
2. Add a small filler item to hit the free-shipping minimum.
3. Choose the slowest shipping option, which is usually free.
4. Search the store name plus “free shipping code” before you check out.

Half the time the code is sitting in the promotional email they sent me and I never opened. The rest of the time, a two-dollar filler item saves me eight dollars in shipping.

What not to do

Do not add a filler item you do not need just to save shipping if the filler costs more than the shipping would have. I keep a running list of small things I actually use, like socks or soap, and grab one when I am close to the minimum.

It is a tiny habit that adds up to real money over a year.