10 Ways to Save on Holiday Shopping

‘Tis the season. No matter what we say, most of us will end up spending a significant amount on holiday gifts. After all, no one wants to be a Scrooge. But never fear. There are ways to save hundreds of dollars this year on your holiday shopping, both online and in person. Here are 10 suggestions:

Track the items you want.

Start with a gift list, then comparison shop with Invisible Hand, a browser extension that searches the web for the lowest price on the items on your list.

Set up price alerts.

Look for price tracking tools online and receive email alerts letting you know when a price drops.

Ask for a price match.

Don’t be shy. Many stores will price match their competitors’ prices to keep your business.

Subscribe to store emails.

Loyalty pays. Big retailers often give early sale notice and special prices to their email subscribers.

Use coupons.

Before you make any online purchases, go to sites like RetailMeNot.com and CouponCabin.com to get coupon codes.

Don’t pay for shipping.

Search for a coupon code. If you live nearby, see if the retailer will send the item to their stores.

Take the rebates.

More than 60% of store rebates go unredeemed because many people don’t want to deal with paperwork, or they just forget.

Shop on the right day.

Be strategic. There are better days to shop for certain items before the holidays.  For toys, it is December 16; clothes, December 18 and December 11-13 for TVs.

Leave the kids and your spouse at home.

Avoid distractions and additional buying.

Put down the free treat!

Research has shown that eating even one free chocolate increased a shopper’s desire for luxury goods like expensive watches and laptops. Just keep walking!