It used to be that the best place to get gifts was to brave the crowds for Black Friday Shopping, but retailers are increasingly offering great online savings as well.
There are so many ways to get gifts for low prices and even get free shipping in some cases. Here are some tips for shopping online this holiday season to maximize your savings and most of all, make sure you get what you want.
Tips for Shopping Online this Holiday Season
Related: Using Technology to help you save on Black Friday
Make sure to calculate the shipping cost when deciding if it’s a good deal. Sometimes, the price will be great, but the cost of shipping can kill any savings in the end. Always check the cost of shipping before buying, as some retailers try to inflate shipping and handling costs around the holidays so they can “lower” their prices.
Look for free shipping options. You can often find free shipping codes online by typing the store’s name and free shipping into Google. Another way to get free shipping is to bundle some gifts together to take advantage of offers that allow free shipping when you order $X amount.
Sign up for your favorite store’s emails. During the holiday season, some stores have one-day-only sales that offer free shipping, super low one-day sale prices, or even free gifts with purchase for a limited time. If you sign up for these early, you can often be in the know when these sales happen before others.
Shop early. Online shopping is not something you can do last minute. While many stores promise to deliver by Christmas Eve, this is the time of year when the postal services are most busy, and sometimes things get lost, mistreated, and delayed for many reasons. Plan to do most of your holiday shopping online by the first or second week of December, so there is plenty of time for returns, replacements, and just plain time to get to your location.
Related: 9 Tips to have a Stress-Free Black Friday
Do a little research. Don’t buy from unknown retailers. Be very careful if buying from auction sites like eBay. Ensure that the company you buy from is in the US or Canada. This is not to be discriminatory but rather to avoid delays in shipping and a communication barrier should you need to speak with customer service. International laws also vary on refunds and business practices, and shipping from overseas can take a month or more.
What are some of your tips for shopping online this holiday season? Leave me a comment below… I want to hear what you have to say!!
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