Holiday Shopping Money Saving Tips

Ok, so here we are in November. Yet another year is coming to a close, but before another year is ushered out to the old folks home in favor of a newer younger one in diapers we must first make it through, gasp, Christmas. Yes, it is that time of year yet again. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably still paying off last years credit cards. In this economic climate, Christmas is even more the scary monster under the bed than usual. But before you make that terrible leap from the light switch to the bed, there are things that you can do to help make Christmas more, well, Christmas-like.

First up, the chaos that is Black Friday. Every year the big stores will do something to outdo the competition in an attempt to make as much money as humanly possible, and I think to see just how many people are willing to get up at 3 am to stand in subzero temperatures in a crowd that rivals times square on New Year’s Eve to save some money on that season’s hottest gifts. As horrible as it sounds, in some cases it’s worth it. The week of Thanksgiving first, check out the circulars that usually show up in that Sunday’s paper or the paper during the week. After that, hit the internet. Go to all the sites to see if you’ve missed anything and to check out the stores that don’t print out their circulars to see if they’re advertising special savings. Next make a game plan. It’s darn near impossible to get to all of the stores you want to get to at the time they open. (Of course if you have figured out time travel, you don't really have to get up early do you?) Pick the one must have and be at that store as early as possible… you may even consider camping out there at Midnight to make sure you’re first in line. I personally am not that hardcore. After that part is done, have a list handy of all the other things you need. Hit up those circulars and do price comparisons and put which stores you are planning on buying the item from next to each item. Keep in mind, if it’s a popular item go after those first.

Next thing, for those of you who do not feature standing in ridiculous crowds for hours and hours only to be beaten and bruised in an attempts to obtain the holy grail of gifts, check out Cyber Monday. It’s the internet’s answer to Black Friday, and to me, definitely the preferable option. What better way to shop than to sit in your office in front of your very own computer in your jammies with a cup of hot cocoa. No crowds, no children screaming “mommy, I want that” in a pitch that would make a dog run in fear, and lastly no violence. It falls on the Monday after Black Friday. Hopefully by then you’ve recovered. If you want to get an idea of what kind of deals are yours to be had, go to the Cyber Monday official site. You can peruse a world of stores from the comfort and safety of your home.

If there are people on your list that you probably won’t see until after holidays, and there isn’t something specific that you had in mind for them, wait until after Christmas. A lot of stores will start liquidating their overstocked shelves. After all, it’s the thought, not the price tag that counts. And if you can get them, say a cashmere sweater for a third of the price, then well hey, nothing says “I like you” quite like cashmere. This is also handy for you if you are one of those people that tend to get gift cards.

For you Secret Santa sufferers and others that are forced to participate in the office grab bag, despite your best efforts at convincing everyone you’re a Satan Worshipper and your immortal soul will be tortured that much more for participating in Christmas gift giving, try stores like TJ Maxx and Home Goods. They usually have pretty decent stuff at a fraction of the cost of other stores. You do have to be a little patient though. It’s sort of like going to someone’s really overstocked garage sale. There’s a little bit of order amongst the chaos, but for the most part you’re going to have to spend a little bit of time finding what you’re looking for.

Lastly, and this actually applies for every day shopping. If you see something in a store or circular that you want to get, don’t assume that price is the lowest. Get the model number of the item and Google it. It should bring up a few sites, peruse through those. Once you’re done there, hit up Amazon.com. They usually have a good selection of vendors, just watch your shipping costs. You can also try Nextag.com, they will do a lot of the comparison shopping for you. Now, once you’ve found your lowest price, you have two options. The first option is to buy it then and there and wait as the nice delivery type people bring it to your door. Keep in mind a lot of sites will charge you shipping. The other option is to find a store that has a low price guarantee that extends to the internet. By this I mean a store that will match the price you found on the web for the same exact item. This is beneficial in that, 1 you don’t have to pay shipping and 2 you get your item right then and there.

So to all of my fellow Holiday shoppers, I wish you a very Happy and Healthy holiday and good luck in finding everything you’re looking for. And just remember, the Holidays are supposed to be a happy time, try not to let it get to you too much.