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.
In terms of spending, there’s a puzzling and frustrating question: When will I get the best bargain?
It applies to timing the market for good mortgage rates, scouring travel sites for dates with the best airfare or trying to figure out when the best sales will be for shopping.
Buying holiday gifts may seem trivial in comparison to choosing when to buy a home or when you can afford to go back to school, but gifts can be expensive. Consumers frequently overspend in the final months of the year, often leading to unpleasant debt, so knowing when deals are available can help you save money.
You may be thinking the holidays are stressful enough without deal hunting, but a recent survey shows the tie between anxiety and overspending. The extra planning may be worth it to your wallet.
Holiday deals aren’t limited to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and this year, Hanukkah gift givers will have to start well before those days. Thanksgiving and the first of the eight days of Hanukkah fall on Nov. 28 (Hanukkah begins at sundown Nov. 27), which is exceedingly rare. (In fact, it won’t happen again for 70,000 years.)
To help consumers, the coupon site Savings.com put together a shopping calendar for different categories of gifts: electronics, apparel, toys, books, home decor and food.
Based on the number of holiday deal days outlined on the calendar, it seems that books and toys will be the toughest to get for a good price, while scoring well-priced home decor shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.
Spending more than you can afford, even if it’s all on sale items, isn’t going to translate into a season of joy. Before shopping, it’s important to set a budget so you don’t overspend and ding your credit by maxing out your credit cards. (You can see how your debt compares to that of other consumers using the free Credit Report Card.)
November is the time to buy the latest gadgets for tech lovers, but remember not to blow the budget on high-priced merchandise so early on.
Steep discounts on clothing can make stores a crowded mess, but there can be some great last-minute deals.
Parents probably know popular toys go fast, which is why deals are concentrated in the early days of December.
For media lovers, there’s a small window of time to get the best deals, and it’s after Hanukkah and Christmas. The post-holiday gift-returning mayhem is the time to browse discounted novels.
Buying someone a nice bookshelf for the holidays? Take your time.
As you can imagine, it’s best to buy some of these things a bit later, so they’re fresh. You’ll save the most right before Christmas.
Image: iStock
March 11, 2021
Personal Finance
March 1, 2021
Personal Finance
February 18, 2021
Personal Finance