The 6 Best Shopping Tips for Holiday Bargain Hunting

Black Friday forever changed the way people shop for holiday gifts. This one day bargain hunting day issued in a new shopping era where popular holiday gift items could be purchased for a bargain price. Since that time, bargain shopping for holiday gifts has become almost an art. Finding the best bargains and deals both online and at brick and mortar stores can be done with a little holiday shopping education. The following tips are a cumulation of over twenty years of holiday bargain shopping.

1. Never Buy Online without Searching for a Coupon Code
The golden rule is to never shop online without first searching for an online coupon or discount code. Many online coupon sites list current codes for discounts at online stores. It only takes a quick Google search to see if there are any additional codes or online discounts for a particular online store. Many informational shopping sites such as www.mycoupons.com and www.gottadeal.com post real time coupon codes, as well as current hot shopping bargains. Use the benefits of the internet while searching for holiday bargains.

2. Take Advantage of Websites Which Offer Incentives for Shopping
In addition to the savings that adds up when you actively find holiday shopping deals, there are other ways to accumulate rewards. The rewards can include points at websites such as www.mypoints.com or www.ebates.com, which offer points for shopping online through their website. Points can then be converted to cash or gift cards, adding a reward to shopping you were already planning on doing.

Many credit card companies also offer points or incentives for shopping with their credit card. If you are organized you can avoid interest charges and add up rewards by using your credit card and then paying what you spent on holiday shopping.

Amazon sometimes offers a free trial for their Amazon Prime program which will give you a free month of shipping for holiday gifts. Be sure to cancel the trial offer at the end of the month and plan strategically to use the free shipping benefit during your most active holiday shopping weeks.

3. Have a Plan and a Team
The two key tips for strategizing a holiday shopping blitz is to develop a shopping plan and to create a shopping team. Together these two tips can keep you from impulse buying while staying in the know for current and upcoming holiday shopping bargains.

Before you begin your holiday shopping, create a gift list for everyone you plan to buy a gift for this holiday season. Write down gift ideas, sizes, interests, and a general budget amount for each person on the list. When you see something that fits the gift idea you had in mind for a particular person, shop for the lowest price and cross the gift off the list.

Fellow bargain hunting friends and family members can make great holiday shopping team members. Hold a meeting about holiday shopping early in the season and create a holiday shopping team. One system that worked well in previous years for me is to email bargain links back and forth with friends and family. Be sure to let other family members know if you plan to buy certain deals, however, so everyone doesn't scoop up the same bargain gift for the same gift recipient on your lists.

4. Never Pay Full Price
If you pay full price for anything during holiday shopping season, you probably forgot to read the sales ads or research online. Sometimes impulse buying is to blame, or heavy advertising snares, but ultimately it is up to the shopper to say no to anything that is not marked with a sale price. Black Friday prices may seem like a fleeting opportunity, but many stores offer more holiday bargains in the weeks post-Thanksgiving. In fact, many stores have begun to offer sales before Black Friday this year. If you see a holiday gift on sale, buy it while the price is low.

5. Strike While the Sale's Hot
A few years ago, Amazon offered a huge sale on toys and children's holiday gifts that went on over the course of at least six weeks during the holiday shopping season. A forum at www.gottadeal.com provided links and sale prices for the most current sale items, allowing bargain shoppers to grab the kind of bargains that fills an entire closet with gifts for the holidays and a years worth of children's birthday party gifts. Shoppers who take advantage of these type of sales can save a lot of money. Many popular stores often offer excellent sales during the holidays, sometimes offering bargains that will never see such a low price again. When you see this type of holiday shopping bargain, stock up and strike while the sale's hot.

6. Use Online Forums, Published Sales Ads, and Friends to Find Bargains
Communication is another key factor for finding holiday shopping bargains. There are a number of online shopping sites that have active member forums which can provide up-to-the-minute bargain shopping deals. Fellow holiday bargain shoppers are one of the best resources.

In the pre-internet age, shoppers had to rely on the printed Sunday sales flyers to find out weekly sales at local stores. Today, it only takes one employee leak of a sales ad to make its way online for all the world to view ahead of time. Some stores release copies of their upcoming sales ads online ahead of time to encourage shopping.

Friends and family members can be a great help during holiday shopping season. Set up a team approach to tackling holiday bargain shopping at local stores. If you need a Black Friday item at one store, have a friend pick it up for you while you return the favor by picking up desired bargain gifts at another store. This can save both time and frustration.