We’re making lists and checking them twice, trying to figure out where to splurge and where to save. Thankfully, with a bit of clever planning, you can ease the financial stress of Christmas shopping. Here’s how.
Shop the sales
Gone are the days where we have to wait until Boxing Day to score discounts on the big-ticket items – making use of the marathon of sales leading up to Christmas can help you save serious coin. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Click Frenzy are all conveniently timed in November, helping you tick off your Christmas shopping list before the Silly Season officially begins – and all from the comfort of your own home. Pencil each date into your calendar, nail your present list and consider your Christmas shopping sorted.
Get appy
Have you ever paused before paying for something online, wondering whether you’re getting the very best deal? Wonder no more – there’s an app for that. At the click of a button, the free Google Chrome extension Honey will scour the internet looking for active coupon codes and will even apply them to your order. You’ll check out with the lowest price, each and every time. When it comes to shopping in real life, scan barcodes with the Shping app and you’ll score coins that you can turn into cold, hard cash. Finally, ShopBack can help you save – and even earn money in return – when you shop online.
Follow the news
We know – no one likes spam mail. But, signing up to receive emails from your favourite retailers can work to your advantage come Silly Season. Not only will you likely score a discount or special gift just for signing up, but you’ll be the first to know when they offer exclusive deals or have a sale. What’s more, giving online stores your email address helps them convince you to complete your order – but if you play your cards right, you can come out on top. Have you ever added an item to your shopping cart on an online store, only to close the tab and forget about it? Chances are, that store will email you with an incentive to complete your order – it may not be much, but playing the waiting came can definitely save you money.
And, when you’re doing so much spending in such a short amount of time, every dollar counts.
