“Holiday spirit” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, at least for the person charged with making sure the tree is full of the perfect gifts. Instead of being filled with the joy of the season, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush of decorating and shopping for the entire extended family, often on a shoestring budget.
Skip the hassles of this year and give yourself a break by planning ahead. In fact, now is the perfect time to start. By picking up a few items here and there while they’re on sale, you’ll not only save yourself the madness of last-minute shopping, you’ll finally be able to enjoy a nice glass of eggnog or cider, warmed with the knowledge that everything search, buy, and your wrapping is done for the year.
Deal-of-the-Day website
Even though Groupon has fallen from grace in the eyes of the stock market, there are still plenty of deals to be found on this site. Sign up for a deal-of-the-day website like Groupon for limited-time offers of 50 percent or more off daily items and services. Woot.com is another great one day sale site. Others include:
- Social Life.com
- BuyWithMe.com
- Tippr.com
- HomeRun.com
- DealOn.com
- Kgbdeals. com
Most of these group coupon sites offer discounts on goods and services in your area as well as national deals. Other deal sites, such as Tipper, HomeRun and DealOn, offer more discounts as more people buy the product. Others, like Kgbdeals, are offering multiple deals at once for a very limited time. No matter what site, or sites you follow, group buying is a great way to get great discounts on gift items all year round.
End of Season Classic
Waiting until the end of the season to buy gifts isn’t the best idea for trendy fashion items like shoes and clothing, but it’s a great time to buy classic gifts that never go out of style. As the weather warms, stores tend to discount mostly cold weather items like comfy pajamas, thick blankets, warm socks and fluffy slippers, all of which make perfect and timely holiday gifts. If you have some friends or relatives who like to wrap small items for the winter, then spring is the best time to pick up their gifts at a discount. Look for these types of deals at department stores and places like Marshalls, Ross, Stein Mart and TJ Maxx.
Spring Cleaning
Speaking of spring, the sunny days and warm breezes after a long winter are likely to inspire a burst of deep cleaning in most home and department store owners. Bargain hunters can take advantage of this custom by following yard sale pages in the newspaper or on yard sale websites such as YardSaleSearch.com and YardSaleTreasureMap.com. Also, keep an eye on your Craigslist.com area for upcoming sales and free items.
Manufacturer Coupons
Last but not least, if you find something you like but isn’t selling, it never hurts to check the manufacturer’s website for coupons. Nine times out of ten the product’s official website has some sort of discount that you can print out and use. Don’t forget coupons.com, where you can download printable manufacturer coupons.
What are some ways you’ve found to save on holiday shopping? Where do you find the best discounts on gifts?
