Insider Tips for the Holiday Shopping Season

Economists around the country are saying that this holiday shopping season will be the worse since 2002. How can that be when Toys-R-Us is planning to hire 35,000 employees nationwide? I personally think that some economists are just way too negative. These economists make it sound like everyone is going to spend their Christmas without any gifts at all. This isn’t the case. Consumer spending is still projected to be high.

Holiday shopping can be a real pain. There are large crowded and even longer lines in every store. It seems like every store is a mess (thanks to careless consumers). Holiday shopping makes it even harder to locate merchandise. But, there are many things you can do to make this holiday shopping season a good one. Just follow each of these insider tips.

1. Pause before you click “Buy.” Obviously, this only applies if you will be doing your holiday shopping online. Before you click “Buy” pause a few seconds. Make sure you use a coupon code before finalizing your purchase. Coupon codes are widely available online, so there is no excuse not to use one and save some extra money!

2. Shop the day BEFORE the big sale…after 6 pm. If the ad says, “Sale starts Saturday,” don’t wait until Saturday. Go after 6:00 p.m. on Friday night. Typically, all the discounts enter the system after 6:00 p.m. the day before. Remember that not every retailer does this, but most do.

3. Get a gift just for you. Who says that the holidays is just about giving to other people? You’ve worked hard this year too. You deserve a gift as much as anyone else. There is nothing wrong with getting a gift that comes with a special bonus, giving the gift away and keeping the bonus for yourself. Fragrance sets are perfect for this. Often times when you buy perfume or cologne, it comes with an additional gift. Give away the fragrance and keep the gift just for you.

4. Make money. It is becoming the norm to get paid while you shop. Many websites offer a percentage cash back when you make a purchase. You can also use your cash back credit cards. Cash back credit cards make it extremely easy to get paid to shop. Some people don’t think that these programs are worth the time. But, trust me, these cash back programs are definitely worth it.

5. Get the “hidden” discounts. Richard Paul Evans shares a financial secret that will come in handy, especially this holiday season. Always ask, “Is that the best you can do?” Don’t be shy. Ask the employees if there are any unadvertised coupons going on. Many times, you can sign up for a store’s loyalty program and get exclusive deals.

There you have it…the insider scoop on holiday shopping. Don’t be afraid to make adjustments to the way you have always shopped. It could make a huge difference this year.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 at 11:51 am and is filed under Chase Credit Cards. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.