The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not be current. This website may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of any third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney, accountant or credit counselor to obtain advice with respect to their particular situation. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or not act on the basis of information on this site. Always seek personal legal, financial or credit advice for your relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney or advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective employers.
Credit.com receives compensation for the financial products and services advertised on this site if our users apply for and sign up for any of them. Compensation is not a factor in the substantive evaluation of any product.
Unless you’re Susie (or Steve) Shopper — that mystifying sprite breezing through holiday prep every year — shopping for the holidays can be downright overwhelming. Buying all that food and gifts (and trying to save a penny or two along the way), can feel like a full-time job. These five smart shopping strategies can help you give Susie & Steve a run for their money.
Feeding your family is expensive enough, but add a cavalcade of guests and you’re looking at a hefty price tag. There are ways to save outside of clipping traditional coupons. If you subscribe to a food delivery service like Fresh Direct, keep your eyes peeled for digital coupons as you shop the site. You may be required to click on them — rather than the deduction occurring automatically — but it’s worth the extra step.
A price club membership, like at a Sam’s Club or Costco, can save you a bundle, but there might be even more savings you can capitalize on. Look for special offers on their website or on your favorite coupon site before making your monthly pilgrimage to the store.
You may want to take a few minutes to sign up for the loyalty programs at stores where you usually shop. Stores like Best Buy, J.C. Penney, Macy’s and CVS Pharmacy will give you bonuses like exclusive coupons and cash back once you hit a spending threshold. And these programs are free!
Because dragging those cards around on your keychain can be a pain, you can scan your cards into a loyalty card app. These clever creatures hold all of the relevant data from your loyalty cards electronically. When you’re in-store, simply open the app and all your info is ready for scanning at the register.
You can sign up for emails from your favorite holiday stores and coupon sites, but don’t forget their social media feeds, which can often provide sneak peeks and access to exclusive deals. Speaking of coupon sites, in addition to following the big guys, don’t ignore savings gurus, like Josh Elledge of Savings Angel or Jackie Berlowski of JackieDeals. They have curated or exclusive coupons that could help you save on items you are planning to buy.
You have your smartphone with you 24/7 so you might as well put it to work. Before heading out to the stores, load up your phone with the following apps: a grocery coupons app, a general coupons app for gifts and decor, apps for your favorite stores, like Nordstrom, Walmart and Target as well as a parking app, which can help you find parking at the best price (unless you’re going to the mall, where parking is typically free).
Retailers like Walmart, Target and Amazon kicked off their holiday sales in early November, so keep an eye on them for discounts that appeal to you. If you’re braving the crowds on a big sale day like Black Friday, you may want to avoid doing all of your shopping on that day. Black Friday is a good deal day for electronics, apparel and beauty so focus on those categories — especially on deals of 40% off or more — and do the rest of your shopping another time. You can safely wait on winter apparel and toys, which will likely go on sale after the season is over.
Remember, it can help to look for savings wherever and however you can get around the holidays since big credit card balances can hurt your wallet and your credit. (You can check your credit scores for free each month on Credit.com to see if your credit card balances are an issue.)
Image: Jack F
April 11, 2023
Uncategorized
September 13, 2021
Uncategorized
August 4, 2021
Uncategorized