6 Tips for Getting Exceptional Deals this Holiday Season
by www.Sixwise.com

Many people are looking to save money on holiday gifts this year … with the tips that follow you can grab great gifts at bargain prices (and your friends and family will never know the difference!).

1)  Use the Internet

The Internet will save you from wasting precious gas money driving from store-to-store comparing prices. You can compare prices by looking up the same item in a variety of different stores to find where it’s being sold for the lowest price.

• Ebay is a great way to find deals for less, usually offering auctions or “buy it now” prices that are significantly lower than retail prices. Make sure to read the fine print and find out ahead of time which forms of payment the seller accepts (you can’t always pay online -- sometimes only money orders are accepted) and if there’s a return policy you can live with.

• Pricegrabber.com and Ugenie.com are both search engines that will help you to find the lowest online prices for items you’re looking for.

• Coupons are available online. Type in the name of the store/restaurant you’re interested in and the word “coupon” and you can find out if any are available online.

2)  Look for liquidation sales

Due to the economic crisis, many businesses are going out of business. Look for liquidation sales being advertised in newspapers and on television.

3)  Take advantage of sales NOW

If you know you’ll be needing a gift for someone in the near future, or if one of your appliances is on its last legs, then take advantage of good prices and sales when you see them. Hold on to the gift and you’ll be glad you did -- instead of paying full price because you left gift-buying ‘til the last minute.

4)  Give cash …with instructions.

If you’re in the mood to give cash, try personalizing the gift by attaching a note suggesting what they use the money for, and recommend that they wait until after the holidays to get the most bang for their buck.

5)  Shop at discount stores and outlet malls.

Discount stores and outlet malls have many name-brand and designer items for much less than department stores.

6)  Think outside the box.

Meaningful gifts are always appreciated and they don’t have to be expensive. Here are some easy ideas:

• Try taking a picture of the site of your first date, put it in a nice frame, and present it as “The start of something great …” 

• Know a coffee lover? How about finding a nice mug or two, an interesting bag of coffee beans, put it all in a box with a cute ornament tied to the outside, and there you go -- you can find all of it for about $10-$15 at certain discount stores.

• Let someone know that you care about his/her health and well-being. Know someone with food allergies? How about buying them a helpful book such as The Food Allergy Survival Guide Book.

• Do you know someone who’s been stressed out lately? Why not give them a Pure Relaxation CD to unwind to.

Sky’s the limit -- just use your imagination!

Recommended Reading

The Top 10 Healthy Holiday Gifts Under $50…Something for Everyone On Your List!

How Much Should You Spend on Holiday Shopping?

Sources

Oprah.com. 6 Ways to Find Great Holiday Deals. December 2008

Yahoo! Tech. Hunt Down Great Holiday Deals on Ugenie. December 2008