Another disadvantage of purchasing online is that you cannot see or touch the goods before purchasing. For example, a sweater that appears to be beautiful on the computer may turn out to be fragile and poorly built, so it’s essential to read the reviews and understand the store’s return policy before you buy.
Finally, remember to factor in shipping charges. A $30 game discounted down to $15 appears to be a fantastic deal — but not if shipping costs an additional $10.
Purchasing Sales Wisely
You must be strategic when shopping, regardless of where you go. Fortunately, there are numerous strategies available to help you get the most bang for your buck:
Shop early — or late — in the day. Although there are many bargains between Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to U.S. News & World Report, you can often find even lower rates on specific items at other times of the year. Linens, for example, are heavily discounted in January, jewelry in February, and appliances in May. As a result, you can typically find more excellent prices by spreading your holiday shopping throughout the year than in December. Another perfect time to shop for bargains is when retailers discount down their unsold inventory after the holidays. Consider buying these after-Christmas bargains and sending a late present to someone you won’t be seeing in person over the holidays.
Price comparison. Not every Christmas “bargain” is a money-saving opportunity. A product’s sale price at one store may be greater than the usual price of the identical thing at another. Use a Black Friday shopping app, such as ShopSavvy to ensure you receive the best deal. When you scan the item’s bar code, the app displays the price in other stores online. When shopping online, you can use an app or browser extension like Capital One Shopping to compare prices and search for promo codes automatically. You can also save money on Amazon by using a price tracker. camelcamelcamel, for example, monitors pricing on the retail giant’s website over time, so you may buy when the price is at its lowest.
Deals should be stacked. Stacking is a common tactic employed by extreme couponers: Wait until a product goes on sale before “stacking” a coupon on top of the sale price for the best savings. When shopping online, PriceBlink or rewards applications like Rakuten might help you uncover stackable offers. Other rewards programs, like Ibotta, might assist you in finding coupons to stack with shop sales.
Stick to your plan. Impulse purchases are a huge holiday shopping risk. The more time you spend looking at attractive discounts in the store, the more impulse purchases you’re likely to make. Make a shopping list and stick to it to avoid the temptation of impulse purchases.
Use the Correct Card. In general, using a credit card rather than a debit card protects you from fraud. For example, according to CNBC, if a hacker acquires your credit card number, your responsibility is limited to $50, whereas a debit card has no such restriction. In addition, when you use a cash-back credit card for online purchases, it’s like earning an extra 1% to 6% off everything you buy.
Save the Receipt. You can’t always locate the right gift, no matter how hard you try. Sometimes you purchase the incorrect size, end up buying a duplicate of something they already own, or a product just fails to perform as promised. If one of your gifts falls short of expectations, make it simple for the receiver to return or swap it by saving the receipt. While some businesses allow returns without evidence of purchase, they are not required to, thus having a pass increases the odds of a triumphant return. If you don’t want the price to be shown to the receiver, request a gift receipt that excludes that information.
Ship Gifts for a Lower Cost
Even if you stick to your budget, your savings are gone if you have to pay $10 each to send the gifts.
Fortunately, there are specific methods for keeping your delivery expenditures in check.
Take Care of Your (Gift) Weight. When shopping for gifts that will be shipped, consider the weight as well as the price. For example, instead of sending your uncle a new bowling ball, send him a lightweight bowling gear store gift card in the amount of the bowling ball you planned to buy.
