5 Holiday Shopping Don’ts

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Black Friday is still two weeks away but the holiday shopping season is already underway as retailers begin pushing early-bird doorbusters. Recently, I came across advertisements promoting ”Black Friday Prices Now” at Home Depot offering huge savings on appliances and “Black Friday Liquidation” deals at Overstock.com on jewelry, gadgets and more. Though the recent flurry of sales certainly helps you save money on gifts and other holiday needs, being bombarded by an overwhelming number of tempting discounts when you’re not prepared can lead to bad buying decisions..

Before you get seduced by all the pre-holiday sales, study up on these shopping don’ts to prep your shopping strategy and avoid blowing your budget.

Don’t assume the sale price is the best deal. 

Knowing the cost of a gift or any product you plan to purchase before you shop will empower you to make smarter buying decisions. Some stores inflate prices during sale time to make a discount or coupon look like a really good value. That’s why researching prices in advance will make you a smart shopper and help you sort the real deals from the duds. Use comparison search engines like PriceGrabber and TheFind to evaluate the best deals across multiple retailers quickly. 

Don’t miss out on price adjustments.

While most retailers offer price adjustments throughout the year, the holidays are an even more important time to track price drops. Stores will be releasing sales daily and may fluctuate prices throughout the day based on the competition as well as demand. What’s more, some retailers like Walmart will even honor price adjustments based on sales of items featured at one of their rivals. To monitor price drops effortlessly, use Poach It or the SnapUp app to set sale alerts. Then simply present your receipt with a print out of the discounted item to a store manager or at the customer service desk to request an adjustment. 

Don’t dig yourself into deeper debt. 

If you’re tight on cash and carrying a revolving balance on your credit card, charging holiday purchases will dig you deeper into debt. Instead of paying with plastic, consider layaway for those popular items that tend to sell out fast. You can even take advantage of layaway savings as some retailers are waiving start up and service fees this season. For instance, Kmart’s No-Money Down Layaway allows you spread out your payments throughout the holiday season and you can put virtually anything on layaway with no money down and no minimum purchase through November 15. This is a smarter, credit card free alternative. Plus, Shop Your Way members get an extra five percent off sporting goods, jewelry, toys and home goods.

Don’t get fooled by free shipping.

Free shipping isn’t always really free when you have to spend more to qualify for it. Get real free shipping deals by shopping on Free Shipping Day (Dec. 18) when hundreds of retailers offer free shipping with no minimum and guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. You can also take advantage of store’s free in-store pick up options for online orders to beat the checkout lines and shipping costs.

Don’t forget to check return policies.

During the holidays retailers typically give consumers more time to exchange gifts by extending the return period through mid January. However, there are often restrictions and may even be fees associated with returning certain goods. For instance, Target and Best Buy both charge a 15 percent restocking fee for returned gadgets. Other stores like Forever 21 only offer merchandise credit. Always ask a store associate about the return policy before buying anything or you could end up with a wasted purchase. When it comes to shopping online, it’s important to check for return shipping fees or flexibility with returning to a physical store location.

About Andrea Woroch:

Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized money-saving expert who helps consumers find simple ways to live on less without making major sacrifices. With a finger on the pulse of American consumerism, Andrea dissects savings and retail trends for the media, encompassing everything from travel to electronics and medical bills. She regularly contributes to consumer stories with leading news organizations and has worked with Today, Dr. OZ, Good Morning America, CNN, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, and many more. Andrea also partners with various consumer brands on shopping campaigns like Kmart. As an avid writer on personal finance and consumer topics, Andreas’ stories have been published among popular lifestyle and personal-finance websites including AOL’s Daily Finance and CNN.com. You can follow Andrea on Facebook or Twitter for daily savings tricks or visit www.AndreaWoroch.com for more information.