Don't blink.
If you blink, the holidays will be here and you'll be stuck wandering half empty store aisles looking for last minute gifts for your loved ones.
If you don't want to be THAT person who gives oil funnels and a six pack of candy bars because it was the only left in the gas station then now is the time to start your holiday shopping.
Although Black Friday looms ahead, you don't have to wait until that mega shopping day to find great deals on holiday gifts.
All you need to do is be smart about how and where you shop and to take advantage of the many tools available that will help you buy the gifts your family wants while letting you keep more money in your pocket.
Here are a few tips for getting the best price on your holiday gifts.
Buy Online- Do you really want to get up at three in the morning to save a few dollars on a toy your child will only play with for maybe a month? If standing in line for hours and getting trampled by the other early bird shoppers does not sound like a good morning to you, then shopping online is the best way to buy gifts this year.
In fact, many retailers are gearing up for the online version of Black Friday called Cyber Monday which is the very first Monday after Thanksgiving.
You can find the same, and sometimes better, deals on the products you want to buy when you shop over the internet.
The only difference is that you can do the shopping from your living room couch, sipping hot chocolate, and wearing your pajamas.
That sounds like a better shopping experience to me than standing out in the cold waiting for the store to open.
Use Coupons- There are several places where you can get coupons for discounts on merchandise.
My online shopping mall has a page full of codes for money off products and even free shipping.
Another benefit to shopping at my site is the fact that you can compare prices between retailers on the same products.
So if you want to buy a laptop, you can do a search and see who has the best price on computers.
Additionally, you can earn cash back on your purchases which can shave an additional 4 to 30% off their cost.
Other places where you can find coupons on the merchandise you want to buy for holiday gifts include RetailMeNot and the individual retailers themselves.
A good way to make the coupon search easier is to sign up with the individual retailers to have coupons sent to your email.
If you are worried about spam, you can create a new email account to use just for shopping online.
No Tax and Free Shipping- Shop at places that offer free shipping.
You may have to spend a certain amount of money in order to qualify for this perk.
For example, Amazon.
com will ship your items to you for free if you spend $25 or more on their site.
However, this can save you a ton of money on shipping and is well worth the effort to consolidate your purchases in order to qualify.
Additionally, try to shop at places that do not charge sales tax.
As a general rule, the companies which operate in your state will charge you the tax rate that is in effect in your area.
Shopping at companies that do not have facilities in your state will save you an additional 4 to 6% in sales taxes.
To ensure that your packages arrive in time for the holiday, make sure you shop early.
For added convenience, check to see if the company will ship gifts directly to recipients.
This is an especially good service to use if you have friends and family members who live in a different state because you will save money on postage.
The holidays don't have to wipe out your bank account this year.
Shop wisely and you will be able to get everything on your family's wish list.
If you really want to save money on your holiday shopping and earn money on everything you buy, visit my online mall.