It is that time of the year again, Christmas! This is the biggest holiday in the United States and some other countries as well. It is season where retailers hope to a lot of money. This article talks about how to shop smartly for Christmas online.
Traditionally in the United States, Christmas shopping unofficially starts on black Friday, which is the Friday after Thanksgiving. And online shopping starts on Cyber Monday, which is the Monday following black Friday.
Most retailers have the same sale online as in their actual stores. You need to get in on the deal by either visiting their online stores frequently or check out dealnews.com for hot deals and online specials. Dealnews.com lists the lowest price and the time period that you can get the lowest price for an item. They have a category called black Friday sales, which has all the great information about the best deals on black Friday.
Sign up for retailers' email; most retailers use emails as medium to distribute their special online discount codes and promotions.
Plan your online shopping and buy everything you need on that website to save on shipping costs. More importantly, some retailers offer free shipping when your buys exceed a certain amount. Shipping costs can be quite expensive if you don't plan everything out.
If you choose to shop at an online only store (they have no physical stores) such as overstock.com, amazon.com, and buy.com, they sometimes have the same item but at a cheaper price. So, it's certainly important to check them out for comparison shopping. If the online store is small and you have never heard of it, it is important to check it out on bbb.org, they rate business from the amount of customer complaints. It will give you an idea whether or not to shop there.
Electronics and toys are the hottest items on the holiday shopping list. For electronics, it's better to check out fatwallet.com for really good deals. It was suspected that this year, retailers will dramatically slash price for flat screen TVs.
Taxes - online retailers don't collect taxes from customer in a state where they have no physical presence. It means you will save significant money on expensive items, which is a good reason why you should shop online for some items.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Gift Ideas For Christmas On A Budget
Christmas can be stressful on everyone, but there are some simple tips to staying on budget without becoming a scrooge.
Start saving for the holidays early. Try using envelopes, an index card holder with files, or a bank gift card to deposit a set amount of money, like $50, every month. By the end of the year you'll have plenty of money to do your shopping.
Start shopping early. Sales and clearance events happen throughout the year. Shop these events for huge savings all year long. By the time the holidays come around you'll have most of your shopping, if not all of it, completed.
Homemade gifts are not only fun to make and something the whole family can help with, but it also shows that you put more time and consideration into the gift process than picking up a gift card while you were in the checkout lane buying groceries. Here's some ideas: Hand made cookbook Photo album Gift jars Holiday candy or homemade pie
Draw names by putting everyone's name in a hat and everyone draws one name. That's the person you buy for. Everyone gets a gift and no one goes broke. Another alternative to this is that everyone shows up with a gift that is appropriate for a male or female and valued at $50 or any predetermined amount. The gifts are put into the center of the floor.
Everyone gathers around in a circle. A pie pan with one die is passed around. When you roll a 6 you get to choose a gift from the pile or trade gifts with someone. No one is allowed to have two gifts, so after you have one you can only trade or keep your gift. After everyone has a gift then everyone can open their present!
Also consider items they need that you have to buy anyway for stocking stuffers, such as: funny vitamins, barrettes, nail clippers, toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste, comb, hair brush, samples of cosmetics or toiletries, pens, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, small pad of paper, cute socks, gloves, or a cap.
Start saving for the holidays early. Try using envelopes, an index card holder with files, or a bank gift card to deposit a set amount of money, like $50, every month. By the end of the year you'll have plenty of money to do your shopping.
Start shopping early. Sales and clearance events happen throughout the year. Shop these events for huge savings all year long. By the time the holidays come around you'll have most of your shopping, if not all of it, completed.
Homemade gifts are not only fun to make and something the whole family can help with, but it also shows that you put more time and consideration into the gift process than picking up a gift card while you were in the checkout lane buying groceries. Here's some ideas: Hand made cookbook Photo album Gift jars Holiday candy or homemade pie
Draw names by putting everyone's name in a hat and everyone draws one name. That's the person you buy for. Everyone gets a gift and no one goes broke. Another alternative to this is that everyone shows up with a gift that is appropriate for a male or female and valued at $50 or any predetermined amount. The gifts are put into the center of the floor.
Everyone gathers around in a circle. A pie pan with one die is passed around. When you roll a 6 you get to choose a gift from the pile or trade gifts with someone. No one is allowed to have two gifts, so after you have one you can only trade or keep your gift. After everyone has a gift then everyone can open their present!
Also consider items they need that you have to buy anyway for stocking stuffers, such as: funny vitamins, barrettes, nail clippers, toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste, comb, hair brush, samples of cosmetics or toiletries, pens, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, small pad of paper, cute socks, gloves, or a cap.
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