Fa la la la la, la la la la!
It is already November and this year I feel like Christmas is really coming quickly. I was just at the mall today and already saw stores filled with shoppers and long lines. There is also an excitement that always fills the air this time of year.
So I wanted to offer a few tips to maximize your time this holiday season and to save you the most money possible on your shopping.
I have been blogging for six years now- primarily money saving tips and lots and lots of online deals- including covering Black Friday sales and ads.
These tips are just from my experience over the years – the trends I have seen online and in stores. I can’t predict the future and every year tends to bring its own set of surprises- but in general these tips seem to apply year after year.
The time to start shopping is NOW. Often the best deals happen early in the season. I recommend starting to think about what you might want on your list and starting to watch for deals. You will not only get great prices but also avoid the crowds and headaches.
If you are really concerned about price differences, simply keep the receipt for your purchases and you can always return items later.
One example is on toys at Target. Target is offering a coupon each day for one toy for 50% off. They also have a 25% off toy coupon available this week only (11/1-11/7). In addition to that, many toys are on sale this week. The prices we are seeing on some of these toys are probably going to be the lowest we see. You do need to watch for the sales (I will post the majority of them) and be sure to shop early in the day as they aren’t guaranteed to have high levels of inventory.
Another example, is at the Gap. They are offering 40% off everything or 50% off (5) items in store with email coupon. I almost always hit Gap for Black Friday and 50% off is the lowest I see- might as well shop now and avoid the crowds!
The same is true for holiday cards. We typically see the best deals in November- once December rolls around the prices will go up and the shipping cost will go up.
Retailers want to lock your money in early so keep an eye out at the stores you love and you might get lucky!
The best deals are in stores.
False.
The best deals actually tend to be online. Often online shopping will allow you to stack coupon codes with your order so at some stores- like Kohl’s- you will actually pay more to shop in store. Target as well offers lots of online coupon codes that aren’t always available in store (I just bought a decor item for my daughter’s room today and there was a coupon code listed online next to the item) That coupon was not available in store.
I have to fight the crowds at 2am in store to get the best deals.
Nope!
Almost every deal in every Black Friday ad will be available online. Not every single one of them but the vast, vast majority of items. In the past there have been certain Crayola art kits that were designed for Black Friday sales that were only in store and a few other small things but overall almost everything you want will be online.
The ads tend to start going live before Thanksgiving Day, so believe it or not but you might actually be able to get everything you want before you sit down for Thanksgiving Dinner!
The beauty of this is that you don’t need to fight the crowds, freezing weather and on the off chance you miss what you want, you can always go out to shop on Friday.
Last year the ads were released a few days before Thanksgiving and then the really big stores- like Target- went live on Thanksgiving night around midnight EST. You typically have a small window of time to grab what you want- certain home goods and toys and clothes will be available for hours while electronics and such tend to sell out very fast.
Every year I stay glued to the computer the week of Thanksgiving and post tons and tons of deals, plus I watch for the exact moment the Black Friday ads go live for all the major stores. I will post on my blog and on Facebook the minute the ads go live so you can start your shopping.
You might want to keep an eye on the blog and check in regularly for the next few weeks to be sure you get the best deals. If you are a newsletter subscriber (thank you!) please note the newsletter goes out at 1pm PST daily. Anything posted after 1pm PST will go out the following day. Just for the holiday season you might consider checking into the blog at night to be sure you don’t miss out!
Those are my best tips for the holiday season.
Amazon tends to really step up to the plate and they offer all sorts of amazing deals right up to Christmas Eve. If you don’t have Prime membership for free shipping, you might consider signing up for the free trial offer of Prime for the holidays. Nearly everything I buy tends to be from Amazon.
If you have any questions, please let me know below and I am happy to answer. If you are an experienced online Black Friday shopper, please let us know what your top tips are.
NOTE I am already typing up some of the highlights and ad scans from the Black Friday ads already released. We should see pretty much all the ads in the next week or so, so you will have plenty of time to prepare!
Tami says
I stumbled across your blog six years ago, and have been a follower ever since. I’ve recommended your blog to many people. I check your blog several times a day during the holiday season, and it helps so much! Thanks for all your hard work. I think it’s wonderful.
Charlene says
Wow Tami you totally made my day! Thanks so much 🙂
Mrs S says
i rarely comment, but I check your blog multiple times each day. I truly appreciate the work that you put into sharing the best deals, as it has really helped my family! Thank you!!
Charlene says
Hey thanks so much Mrs S!
Rachel says
Ditto! Your blog is my favorite money saving blog. Thank you!