More than 25 percent of you are starting earlier than ever before. So, we have seven easy tips that are a good place to start.
Black Friday usually kicks off the holiday shopping season but this is not a normal year. Holiday deals are already online and the whole month is now cyber November.
Shop early.
- To get the good deals, avoid product shortages and shipping delays
Look for online deals.
- Black Friday sales are online *now* at sites like Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and Best Buy.
Take advantage of free shipping and coupon codes.
- Lots of stores offer free shipping right now and discounts if you sign up for their emails. Do a coupon search before you checkout
Try layaway.
- Some offer it year-round, others let you put items on hold just for the holidays. Try it at Burlington Coat Factory, Gamestop, TJ Maxx and Walmart.
Make a budget.
- Decide the total amount you can spend and divide it by the people on your list. Stick to it!
If you're using a credit card, make sure it pays you back.
- You can turn reward points into cash or gift cards – but financial experts suggests only spending what you can pay off at the end of your billing cycle.
Before you buy anything online, use a shopping portal.
- Those are websites that you "click-through" to get cash back on eligible purchases.
Bookmark this site: Cash Back Monitor. They track all of the portal rates so you can always pick the best one.