8 Ways to Save Money This Christmas
Most people are looking to save money this Christmas. More than 60% of all people polled by Burst Media in a recent survey plan to spend the same or less this holiday season than last year. In another poll, the National Retail Federation found that U.S. shoppers plan to spend an average of $682.74 this Christmas – again, a drop from last year. More than half the people polled in this survey intend to shop the sales, and close to 42% plan to use coupons.
Retailers, concerned about drops in profits and having leftover merchandise, are helping customers save money with great sales, especially on this weekend after Thanksgiving.
How To Save Money This Holiday Season
- Plan ahead – Make a list, check it twice – and then stick to it. With a clear battle plan, you won’t give in to impulse purchases, and you’ll know you’ve already shopped around for the best deals.
- Don’t be fooled by so-called sales – Think you missed a good Black Friday sale? Don’t despair. Sometimes the Black Friday – Cyber Monday deals aren’t the best prices you’ll see all season. You may get better prices between now and Christmas.
- Watch out for loss leaders – These are limited quantities of hot items that stores offer at substantial savings. Once quantities are gone, that’s it – no rainchecks. But stores have accomplished their purpose by getting you in the door with the intention of buying. It’s okay to have a back-up plan if you don’t get the item you wanted, but don’t settle for something you don’t really need.
- Look for two-for-one deals – You can choose to keep the second product for yourself, give it as a gift, or even sell it on eBay. However you look at it, two-for-one deals offer great savings, and are prevalent during the holidays. You’ll find a lot of cool “As Seen on TV” specials, from Snuggie blankets to the Smart Mop. One of my best Christmas gifts ever was my Magic Bullet. I use it to make everything from baby food to smoothies. I suspect the person who bought it for me got the two-for-one special, and that’s fine with me because now we trade recipes!
- Sign up for lists – I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the substantial savings offered by Babies Online’s promotional partners. Sign up for the Babies Online mailing list and you’ll get all sorts of goodies, including discounts on photo gifts from Clark Color Labs. These make great gifts for the grandparents.
- Go mobile – Keep your iPhone or Blackberry handy to save paper and take advantage of all the e-mail coupons at popular retailers like Borders and The Children’s Place. Simply show them the coupon on your phone and get the discount. You can also have coupons from MobiQpon sent straight to your phone or computer.
- Use these iPhone apps – Since you have your phone out, try these in-store savings highlighted by Mashable. I especially like Amazon Mobile, which permits you to compare in-store prices with how much you’d pay through Amazon.
- Amazon Prime – If you decide to shop Amazon, sign up for a one-month free trial of Amazon Prime. Amazon already offers some of the lowest prices around. By signing up for their loyalty program, you can get unlimited FREE two-day shipping, or overnight shipping for just $3.99, with no minimum order size. If you’re like me and wait until the last minute to shop, this program will could save you hundreds this Christmas.
Tshaka Armstrong says...
I’ve been an Amazon Prime member for a few years now and absolutely love it! Nothing like $3.99 shipping overnight and its great utilizing two-day shipping just because you feel like it since you don’t pay. With the cost being around $70 for the membership, it pays for itself in just a handful of purchases.
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