Online Shopping Tips for the Holidays — Part 1…

Sign Up for Newsletters
If you plan to purchase something at a particular retailer, or you happen to like their deep discounts in certain areas – whether it be electronics or bedding – make sure to sign up for their email newsletter right away. I regularly get emails from Overstock, Smartbargains, Amazon, eBay and several others. And while I don’t always even look at the emails, when I decide to buy something, the first thing I do is check out the last few email offers to see if there are any special deals. And there almost always are – from free shipping to saving 20% off everything.

Look for Sites that Offer Free Shipping
Most, but not all, stores offer free shipping on the week of Cyber Monday; so spend some time looking for those free shipping deals. Don’t see free shipping offered on the site that you’re on? Then, check a competitor’s site, but at the end of the day, it is the final price – which includes tax and shipping which counts.

Buy Electronics Now
Hold off on clothing. The hottest electronic items sell out and manufacturers just can’t make enough to get back on the shelves before the holidays. But if you’re looking to buy clothing, wait. It will continue to be marked down the closer we get to the holidays, and you don’t have to worry about it selling out. In general, industry experts say retailers are going to make markdowns earlier than last season because they hope to get shoppers buying before they get hit with their first big winter heating bill.

Use Comparison Shopping Engines
Before you place an order, use a price comparison website like bizrate.com, pricegrabber.com or shopping.com to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Please see Monday’s Beat The Recession for a detailed analysis of Comparison shopping engines.

Look for Coupon Codes
Look for coupons for the sites you use. Sites such as currentcodes.com, retailmenot.com or one of the many other sites dedicated to finding and posting coupon codes. You may just find a deal – free shipping, free merchandise, a percent off your order – to sweeten the pot. I once saved 15% off a computer by doing this.

Shop in your Pajamas
Just to say you did.
If you know of ways to save money – please email them to us at Tips@BeatTheRecession.com