READER'S ROCK LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE VOL 2 ISSUE 4 NOVEMBER 2014 Vol. 1 Issue 5 November 2013 | Page 51
Three easy holiday shopping strategies:
Keep your wallet full and spirits bright with these savvy spending tips
(BPT) - Thanksgiving comes late
this year, which means a shorterthan-usual holiday shopping
season. If you're not the type to
buy gifts throughout the year,
getting an early start on holiday
shopping can help ensure you
have enough time to find gifts for
everyone on your list - and
perhaps, most importantly, save
money.
Here are three things to do now to
save money and time this holiday
season:
Create a list (and budget) for
everyone on your list
Greet the holiday season with
cheer by keeping an organized list
of names of everyone you need to
shop for and an estimated budget
for each. From family and friends
to hair stylists and teachers, more
names will likely appear on your
list than you originally planned.
Holiday shopping can be
overwhelming, but if you
approach it with an organized
plan, you're likely to avoid
overspending and can better stick
to your budget. Gift cards are a
great option this year, since they
are the top gift people want to
give and receive according to a
recent shopping survey from
Discover.
Savvy shopping tip: Look into
your credit card rewards
programs to see if you can cash in
your accumulated rewards for gift
cards, some of which are offered
at a discount. Redeeming rewards
for store gift cards is one of the
easiest and most valuable ways to
save cash, which means you
won't need to reach as deep into
your pockets this season.
Do your research on sales and
promotions
From gifts to groc eries, holiday
shopping includes a wide range
of items, so it's important to try to
find the best prices on everything.
According to the survey,
Americans are most influenced
by sales and promotions when it
comes to their holiday spending
plans. In fact, 70 percent of
consumers are planning to take
advantage of Black Friday and
Cyber Monday deals. Whether
you're brave enough to face the
crowds on Black Friday or prefer
the convenience of Cyber
Monday, shopping these big sales
is a great way to stick to your
budget and make a large dent in
your holiday shopping list.
Doing your homework before
making holiday purchases can
also help you save even more.
Price monitoring sites, like
PriceGrabber, can compare and
contrast prices for more than 1
million items, including
electronics, appliances and
clothing, and can be accessed
right from your mobile device. If
you're shopping online, your
credit card may offer extra
rewards on online purchases this
season that'll help you save
money on holiday gifts.
Savvy shopping tip: Mark your
calendars with the dates of big
sales and keep coupons in your
wallet so you can use them at a
moment's notice. If you're
shopping online, do a quick
search for coupon codes that
provide extra discounts, as well
as free shipping or gift wrap.
Use credit card benefits and
rewards to save extra cash
Whether you prefer to shop instore or online, credit cards can
enhance your savings and provide
added value to your shopping.
Many credit card companies
provide rebates, rewards and
discounts on holiday essentials at no added cost. Once the hustle
and bustle of the season is over,
you might find an item you want
to return, but what happens if
your purchase is no longer
eligible? You won't have to write
it off as a loss if the purchase was
made with a credit card that
offers a return guarantee.
Discover cardmembers can return
a qualifying item purchased with
a Discover card within 90 days
for a full refund up to $500 when
the store will not accept it. These
complimentary benefits can keep
you feeling merry this holiday
season. Plus, cardmembers can
spread more cheer to their wallets
by shopping online this season.
Now through December, they can
sign up to earn a 5 percent
Cashback Bonus - up to a cool
$75 - simply by shopping online
with a Discover card for things
like apparel, electronics, toys,
gifts and more.
Savvy shopping tip: Use a credit
card that provides added security
and purchase protection including
warranties and return guarantees
that will help you save in the long
run.
Taking a little extra time to shop
smart and plan ahead will help
you save and stay organized
while shopping for holiday gifts
and essentials. You may be
surprised by how many resources
are available to help stretch your
budget further this holiday
season.