It’s that time of year again. The time of year when you are probably expected to buy a bunch of stuff for people. If you are in the majority, then you have already begun. In fact, 39% of shoppers begin in October. If you are like me, you have no idea what to get anyone and haven’t the slightest idea how it already got to be the end of November. The average shopper plans to spend $776. This is conservative compared to other estimates on gifts this holiday season. This number may not fit into your budget and, if so, you are probably looking for ways to save a bit to do some holiday shopping for yourself. Of course, there’s always the option of gifting home baked treats and fruit cakes (actually, I have no idea how much a fruit cake costs), but that would require you have the desire and knowledge to do a lot of baking. I have neither. So, now it’s crunch time and we need to buy a bunch of stuff and want to save some money. It’s a tall order. Luckily, this is why they invented the internet.
Over 80% of people will do a majority of their holiday shopping on Amazon.com this year (according to polls), but omg there’s like, so much stuff on there, and the prices can change at the drop of a hat. If you have your heart set on something and are looking for a little help head over to camelcamelcamel.com. Search for an item and see price histories and receive alerts when an item becomes available at a price you’re willing to accept. Or bring your Grandma’s coupon-cutting strategy into the digital age with Honey. It is a browser extension that automatically searches the ‘net for coupons, and then applies them to your cart when you’re checking out. Pretty cool. If you really must go out among the unclean masses and do it the old-fashioned way, that’s cool, too. Take a deep breath of that Christmas cheer while you’re out there, but be careful, that stuff is like crack. Anyway, check out a pricing app for your mobile device like ShopSavvy. It can scan the barcode of any product and tell you if any nearby retailer can give you a better price.
As always, be careful out in the world. Whether you are shopping or just hitting up some social media, here are some tips to keep you safe. Happy hunting! I mean, Merry Christmas!