Six Frugal Holiday Shopping Tips
1. Look for price-matching policies. Some merchants will match, or even beat, a competitor’s prices. Walmart, Best Buy and Target definitely offer price matching. Shop around to see if your favorite retailer does as well.
2. Go online. Retailers are offering exclusive deals and sales only online this year. With a few easy clicks you can check out websites like pricegrabber.com that will compare prices for you.
3. Clip coupons. Coupons are useful when they save you money on what you’re already planning to buy. Check out the coupon section here on MissMoneyBee.com for coupons for your local area. For large ticket item coupons make sure you know if there are restrictions, such as the expiration date or if you have to spend a certain amount before you can use the coupon. Some retailers will accept expired coupons and even coupons from their competitors that have expired. Check the policy with the retailer before you leave home.
4. Ask about sale adjustments. I ALWAYS do this. It doesn’t hurt to ask. The worst the retailer can say is “no” — at best you’ll save money. For example, if you buy an item at the regular price and it goes on sale the next week, can you get a credit or refund for the discounted amount.
5. Use credit and debit cards with care. Only spend what you can pay back within a month or two. Save your receipts in case any returns and exchanges need to be made. Don’t let the holidays become an excuse to accumulate a boat load of credit card debt that you can’t pay back!
6. Record everything. Keeping record of what you spend will allow you to know how much you’ve spent for the holidays and how much more you can spend. This is usually a part of a budget. Whether you’re ordering presents online or buying in the mall, it’s important to keep detailed information about the transaction, including your order number, shipping costs and dates, warranties, and refund and return policies.
About the Author
Samantha Savory is a 20-something-year-old recent communications graduate whose mission is to financially succeed and thrive in this economy. She writes about personal finance and anything related to shopping and saving money.