Holiday Savings - You Can Do It!!!

The holiday season is in full swing! Thanksgiving is just a few days away and Christmas is right around the corner. Have you started your shopping yet? If not, you should seriously consider checking things out between now and Turkey Day! Over the past few years the economy has been in the dumps and I've been doing my very best to be more cost-conscious to help my family save wherever we can. Yes, it can be time consuming to research and look for the best deals. However, if you take your time you really can do an amazing job!

I started shopping over the past two weeks for the holidays and I’m almost done. What if I told you that my purchase would have retailed at about $500-$600…but I only paid around $300? Seriously, I’m not kidding! I didn’t pay full price for anything! If I did, it was only because I received another item for free!

Black Friday is a good time of year to find some good deals on electronics, but for kids toys or clothing you may find that the deals are really not deals. One example. I was at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets this weekend and was in the Justice store (anyone has a little girl knows this store well). The entire store is currently 40% off! I asked the sales rep if there would be better deals on or after Black Friday because I live less than 3 minutes from the store and would come back. She hesitated a moment and then told me that the sale ends on Wednesdays and the sale will be adjusted to a LOWER percentage on Thursday when the shopping rush starts Thanksgiving night.

My suggestions:

• Start your research early. When the Toys R Us Big Book comes out (Target, K-Mart and Wal-Mart have books or online catalogues too).
• Compare prices. Make a list and keep tabs on deals. Document prices because a lot of stores do price comparisons.
• Keep receipts and continue to research after purchases. If you pay full price and notice that it goes on sale, go back and get a price adjustment. Most stores will do this for you!
• Ask a sales rep about sales. Sometimes they won’t tell you if prices will change, but sometimes you get lucky and they will tell you. I spoke to someone at Toys R Us and was informed that the items that had free gifts attached will NOT be offered after Black Friday and could quite possibly be marked UP!
• Check on-line for coupons! Yes, it is time consuming but if you are willing to take the time you may be surprised at what coupons or online codes you can find!
• Check on-line sites to guarantee finding the gifts you want. Many stores this time of year offer free shipping on certain dollar amounts. Have things delivered to your door and don’t worry about whether or not it will be on the shelves! It saves you time, effort and gas!

If you have any questions about finding a certain gift or more tips on savings, let me know! I’m no crazy coupon lady or will be on a TLC show anytime in the near future. But if you are smart and take your time, you can save too!