Make a Plan Before Shopping
Get out a piece of paper and write down every person you need to shop for right down to your children's teachers, your neighbors and even your mail carrier if you so choose. Next to each name jot down what ideas you already have in your head and do a little thinking. Online research is also a good way to come up with a distinct plan for who gets what. This way when you head out on a shopping trip you will eliminate buying things you don't need. It will also save you a lot of time if you're trying to do the bulk of your shopping all in one day. Based on what items you come up with, decide the best route for your shopping trip. If you need to buy a number of different items from stores in the mall, plan on spending one whole day at the mall going from store to store to get everything you can. I typically choose the Galleria Mall for this trip since I can cover the most stores in one trip. If I still need to do some shopping I'll visit another one of the smaller malls a different day.
Start Shopping Early
Starting your shopping as early as October will give you the best selection. You'll be able to find correct sizes and colors and this ensures you can find what you want among the sale items. This way you won't be forced to shop in the full priced section of the store. You won't have to worry about not being able to return items after Christmas if you start in October. Most stores in our area have a 90 day return policy which would take us into January. Just make sure you hold onto those receipts. Many normal sales that take place in October and November are much better than the Christmas sales you will find in December. For example, Kohl's had a "Lowest Prices of the Season" sale in October that was spectacular. Prices on clothes, housewares, and even toys were up to 60% off. Also during this sale you had the opportunity to earn $10 Kohl's Cash for every $50 you spent. That's extra money you can go back and spend on more gifts. I did a large portion of my Christmas shoppingduring this sale. I think in total my original total dropped down about $40 after sale deductions. I also earned Kohl's Cash. The best part about shopping early is the stores are much less crowded and you won't spend hours waiting in line to pay. This also applies to the time of day that you shop. I know that if you head to Target early in the morning when they first open, they have merchandise on the ends of aisles that has been marked down that day. Nothing is wrong with it, it simply needs to get cleared out to make room for new shipments.
Know What Part of the Store to Shop In
If you're at the mall and you enter a store, the first merchandise you encounter is likely to be full priced. This goes for merchandise directly on the aisle in department stores as well since this is usually where new items are often displayed. Seek out clearance racks which are usually in the back of stores or departments. Sale items are also usually further within a store or behind the newer more expensive items. If a store had its way you would pick out everything you need from the originally priced selections since that makes for more profit. Expect to do a little searching for the best prices.
Gather Coupons, Store Credit and Gift Certificates
Before you plan to go shopping get together all the coupons you can find. Even if you don't plan on shopping at Macy's, but see they have one of their common 20% off coupons in the Sunday paper, clip it out anyway. You might make a quick stop in there and find something to buy. You'll end up saving a few dollars which adds up after a full day of shopping.
Also, take a look around at home for any store credit you might have from previous returns or price adjustments. If you haven't spent the credit yet you probably won' t get around to it and some stores start deducting money from the balance after a year of non-use. I know at one point Starbucks did this- though I'm not sure if they still do. A good tip for a Starbucks balance is keeping in mind that they sell other things besides beverages. They have a wide selection of mugs, prepackaged cookies and candy, CD's, and packaged coffee and tea mixes. All these things can make great gifts especially if you won't be spending the money on yourself. Consider this free money to shop with. Your credit card statement won't look so shocking at the end of the month.
Also, grab any gift certificates you may have that are a few months old. If they are from stores you don't frequently shop at use it to purchase a gift for someone else. Also, if you spent a portion of a gift certificate but have a few dollars or cents left as a balance, consider using these up. It might not be much but it makes a difference. If you shop online, do a quick search to see if you can find a coupon code to lower your total. If you shop early enough take the slowest and lowest shipping option available. There should still be plenty of time for it to arrive.
Pick the Right Stores for the Best Bargains
Certain like items are priced lower at certain stores. I'm sure we're all aware that even shopping for food at different stores can add or save $10-$20 on our bill. If you're buying basic stocking stuffers, or items like underwear and socks it's foolish to shop at a department store or high-end fashion stores. Walmart or Target have the same items but at a much lower price. Instead of buying new-release fiction or non-fiction books at Borders or Barnes and Noble, Walmart and BJ's often have the same titles for a fraction of the cost. Banana Republic and Abercrombie and Fitch have beautiful bold colored sweaters but I've seen the same style and colors for much less at Macy's or Gap. The same cotton t-shirts that are being sold at this higher priced stores are available at most stores; instead of the front saying Abercrombie, it says Aeropostale or Old Navy. Don't bother buying gifts for their label. You're likely to run out of money very quickly since it's not often these expensive stores hold great sales or offer coupon savings.
Stores like Old Navy and Target are great for basic tshirts, sweat pants and fleece. Sears has Lands End merchandise in-store which saves you shipping costs and Bath and Body Works has very reasonably priced lotions, soaps, candles and cosmetics for much cheaper than the Body Shop or Sephora. Bath and Body Works constantly has huge sales as well.
Sign Yourself Up For Club / Rewards Cards
The majority of these are free so when an employee asks you if you'd like to sign up for their points cards (American Eagle has the All Access Pass, Borders has a rewards card, Barnes and Noble has a rewards card, New York and Company has a card, and so on) go ahead and do so if you know it's free. It probably won't save you right away (You might get an initial discount for signing up) but by next Christmas you should have accumulated enough points to receive discount coupons in the mail. They'll also send you email alerts and mail to your mailbox announcing upcoming sales, and give you additional discounts.
Consider a Money Back Credit Card
It's not smart to accumulate half a dozen different credit cards for all the stores you shop at. This shows up on your credit report, and it gets tough to keep track of all of them. If there's one store you very frequently shop at, it might make sense to sign up for one of their credit cards. Old Navy has a very rewarding program that awards points for every dollar spent. You don't need a huge number to receive a 'Bucks Back' certificate in the mail and you can save these up for your holiday shopping. Another great idea is to look for a general Mastercard or Visa that offers a rewards program for no cost. Don't be fooled- many of them have an annual fee. However, both Mastercard and Visa have a credit card that has no fee and allows you to receive cash back on all purchases. You get more money back for gas, drug store purchases and groceries, but a portion is saved from every purchase you make, no matter where it is. You can request a check each time you reach a certain amount (Usually around $50) and there's bonus cash to save for Christmas shopping! It's something you can utilize all year long and you'll have something to show for it.
When money is tight it's tough to cut back during the holidays. There's an expense everywhere you turn and nobody wants to cut corners when it comes to the ones we love, but there's definite ways you can better use your money and make it go further. A little thought and some planning goes a long way when it comes to shopping. If you rush out without thinking first you're going to spend a much greater amount of money than you would have if you just took a few minutes to prepare. Most stores offer great sales, discounted merchandise and coupons if you know where to look.
No comments:
Post a Comment