March 18, 2013
If you’re worried that you haven’t been getting enough exercise during the holidays, don’t worry, odds are you’re getting plenty by fighting the crowds while shopping. This can be quite time consuming, so if you want to get some time back, consider doing all of your holiday shopping online!
You’ll never have to worry about long lines, rain checks, or missing price tags! Added bonus? You can read reviews from other consumers who have bought the product.
If you do decide to shop online, there are some things you can do to save some money, just like when you’re shopping for real. Consider these tips when it comes to shopping online during the holidays:
- As always, stick with what you know. If you’ve never heard of a store before but want to purchase something from there, check their contact info to see if they have a direct number, and call it to see if someone is actually at the other end. You can also do a search to find user reviews on the store as well. You’re safest though to buy from big retailers or those that you know well, such as Pottery Barn, Ikea, Old Navy, and Banana Republic.
- Create your budget before you start shopping, and stick to it! Since buying online happens so quick, it’s easy to overspend, so keep track of what you need and then quit before you do damage.
- Always look at the return policies, shipping costs, and fees you’ll have to pay if you have to return an item.
- Look at the retailer’s shipping guide to see what their holiday timeline is so you can insure your gift will be delivered on time. USPS also list their deadlines online. Added bonus of buying online: you can ship a gift directly to someone if they’re not near you! Saves you a trip to the post office!
- Always be on the lookout for online sales. Look at sites like ShopStyle.com and Zingsale.com, where you can look for products based on price.
- Keep an eye open for online discounts by searching for the store along with a search term like ‘coupon,’ ‘promotion code,’ or ‘discount.’
- Don’t forget to check the sales rack! Most online stores have them also. Added Bonus of buying online: you’re more likely to find the size you’re looking for since they have more of an inventory!
- When you’re looking for electronic items, you can usually get a better deal if you buy refurbished items. Stores like BestBuy, Target, and Apple all have refurbished sections on their sites, and a refurbished electronic is basically brand new, and often you really are getting a new one that was returned solely because another buyer decided on something else and the store couldn’t sell it as open.
Shopping online may in fact be the only way you gain some sanity during the holidays, and will certainly be the most fun since you won’t have all those other disheveled customers around!
