US consumers spent over $42 billion shopping online during the 2013
holiday season alone. This spend is expected to rise for 2014.
Jillian Pandav, Marketing Coordinator at Strongbark, a new private social shopping site launched in September
with over 2,500 retailers and 75,000+ offers available daily, can offer
tips for this year’s savvy holiday shopper on how to save the most on
gifts for family and
friends.
1.
Use
coupon codes when you shop. We really can’t express the importance of this
enough – companies put out deals every day offering everything from Free
Shipping to discounts on a specific product, to site-wide sales. Don’t miss out – always check for coupon
codes on sites like Strongbark.com before making your purchase.
2.
Participate
in Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. I can almost hear you silently
groaning to yourself, but a lot of companies save their biggest and best
promotions for these two days. And with the huge emergence of online shopping,
you no longer have to deal with the massive crowds at your local shopping malls
in order to benefit.
3.
Start
your shopping as early as possible. While there definitely are benefits to
some last minute shopping (more on that in a minute), the early bird really
does get the discounted worm in most cases. As soon as Halloween is over, the
sales begin (and sometimes even before).
4.
Look up
some ideas for DIY gifts. Websites such as Pinterest offer some great
inspiration from people all over the world who make their own gifts, which can
potentially be a lot cheaper and sometimes more meaningful than purchasing a
gift outright. We would suggest using Pinterest as a search engine to find what
you’re looking for, and then purchasing those basic items you need to make it
happen.
5.
Subscribe
to Deals newsletters and blogs. It’s
nearly impossible to keep up on all the deals yourself, especially if you’re a
busy person. The solution? Subscribe to blogs that curate and showcase deals
(such as the MyBark Blog)
and sign up for their newsletters, so you can get the deals delivered right to
your inbox.
6.
Use
store credit cards if you have them. Some companies will really ramp up their
Rewards programs around the holidays, so if you got it, use it.
7.
Dig
up old gift cards you may have laying around. This might sound a little
odd, but it’s easy to forget that you have a gift card sitting at home, just
waiting to be used. Maybe it’s from last Christmas, or maybe it was from your
birthday. Either way, check to see if you have any and if so, use those towards
your purchases.
8.
Buy
in bulk when purchasing ingredients for your Holiday recipes. Stores such
as Sam’s Club or Costco are great for buying ingredients in bulk for a great
price. Once you figure out your recipes, buy in bulk as opposed to doubling up
on single items at your local grocery store.
9.
Save
the stocking stuffers for those last-minute deals. While we definitely
wouldn’t advise saving ALL of your shopping until the last minute, certain
items, such as stocking stuffers, DO
tend to go on clearance the closer the holidays approach.
10.
If you’re hosting a holiday dinner, make it a
potluck or a BYOB (or both). Food and beverages can definitely be
expensive, so if you’re hosting a holiday party this year, we suggest telling
people to bring a dish or beverage to contribute.
Check out
Strongbark.com and instantly gain access to more than 75,000 offers from over
2,500 companies, including the big-name brands you know and love.
Want more advice on
how to save money? Check out our MyBark Blog for some great ideas on how to save.
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