5 Frugal Shopping Habits To Start Now To Pad Your Holiday Budget
Written by
Brooke Barley
Edited by
Amen Oyiboke
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You’re ready to hit the stores to knock out your holiday shopping, but you need a game plan. You can’t just go into a store and buy whatever you see. Plenty of methods exist to make sure you spend wisely when you’re out at the mall or shopping online.
Read on to find tips for making everyone on your holiday wish list happy with your frugal budget.
Know What To Buy and When To Buy It
Picking one day to do all of your holiday shopping is probably not the best idea. Andrea Woroch, a money-saving expert, said that when it comes to shopping during the holidays, it’s important to be strategic.
“The best early holiday deals will be on personal gadgets, small kitchen appliances and popular toys that could sell out by December,” Woroch said. “For example, Amazon is offering 40% off the Ring Video Doorbell, Target is offering 30% off select LEGO sets and up to 50% off kitchen goods from Cuisine Art and Instant Pot and Walmart 57% off an Epson color printer. However, it’s best to wait to buy TVs and laptops on Black Friday, clothing and beauty items on Cyber Monday, and holiday decor and winter coats closer to Christmas.”
Woroch also recommended using the site CamelCamelCamel.com to track an item’s historical pricing so you know when you’re getting a good deal.
Sign Up for Retailer Loyalty Programs
Woroch said this is the time to take advantage of loyalty programs. “For example, it’s free to join Target Circle and earn 1% rewards on eligible purchases to help pay for future gifts. Meanwhile, shopping through cash-back portals like CouponCabin.com allows you to earn 25% cash back from thousands of online retailers.”
Save Your Receipts
Woroch talked about how some apps will give you rewards just for uploading a picture of your receipt. “Take photos of your early holiday shopping receipts using a free rewards app like Fetch to earn points towards gift cards to Amazon, Target and more.”
Get a Rewards Credit Card
“Depending on where you plan to do most of your holiday shopping, signing up for a new credit card now can get you free cash in the form of a welcome bonus along with extra rewards to help cover other seasonal purchases,” Woroch said.
For example, Woroch pointed out that Amazon offers an instant $150 gift card when you sign up for their Prime Visa credit card. Target RedCard offers a $50 bonus and 5% off all in-store and online purchases. She also recommended the Capital One Quicksilver Credit Card which offers a $200 welcome bonus. Compare cashback cards and pick one to fit your needs at sites like CardRates.com.
Know Return Policies
Woroch said you’ll want to make sure you’ve thoroughly researched a store’s return policy before purchasing from them, just in case you need to exchange a gift.
“Study up on the store return policy as most purchases made during these fall sales will not qualify towards extended holiday return windows,” Woroch said. “You don’t want to get stuck with extra gifts that can’t go back. Likewise, pay attention to any restocking fees for electronics and small kitchen gadgets as this can cost you up to 15% of the purchase price.”
Woroch added that you’ll also want to know what their price-matching policy is if you find a better deal. “Keep tracking prices even after you buy as most retailers will offer price adjustments for up to two weeks after purchase.”
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