How to Increase Your Savings at Holiday Sales

The arrival of the holidays means it’s time to start shopping those super sales at the mall and saving money.  However, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be hard to actually find the very best deals in town.  With a few tips, though, you can start shopping like a pro and making the most of those sales.

Holiday sales at the department store can be very tempting, getting shoppers to rush into the store and begin their shopping.  However, savvy shoppers know how to make the most of their holiday budget, and that doesn’t mean dashing madly down each aisle in the store without a clue what you’re looking for.  Remember that you are not on “Supermarket Sweep.”

First, you need to know what it is that you are shopping for.  Peruse the sales papers put out by each retailer before you start shopping, and then compare those prices to others on the Internet.  Sometimes, you will find that those sale prices are actually above the Recommended Retail Price (RRP), which is bad.

Next, stick to your shopping list once you are in the store.  Go into the store, get the items that you have on your list and then leave.  The real problem for shoppers comes when you start wandering.  This is when you get sucked in to buying other items and spending money that you do not have.  This is part of the reason most stores have sales in the first place.

Finally, shop with the best retailer – online or offline.  The Internet is a powerful tool and you will often find lower prices on those items you are shopping for, even with the cost of shipping. 

Shop early, shop online and avoid stores that charge over the RRP.