Holiday Spending: Door Buster Deals Without the Debt

Doorbuster Deals Without the Debt 0000000000000000000000000000000 CompareCards.com Compare. Pick. Save. * COUNTDOWN TO SAVINGS Whether you love the holidays or simply tolerate them, there's no stopping them! We all have shopping lists, parties to attend, family to see, cookies to make . a holiday to-do list can make us feel anything but the holiday spirit. One of the most stressful parts of the holiday season for many families is figuring out how to pay for gifts. Luckily, retailers offer plenty of sales and discounts. We've created the ultimate shopper's guide that will help you learn how to maximize your gift budget, take advantage of sales, and help eliminate some of that holiday stress! Holiday spending is projected to go up 4.1% from last year, for a total of $616.9 billion. 000000000o00o0 xxxoo0o000o000 *** Sales Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and now, shopping on Thanksgiving! The lines are nuts and the shoppers are crazy, but there's no denying that there are some amazing sales to be found on these super shopping days. Here's a list of tips and tricks to prepare you before you head out (or log in) bright and early! sales sales CHECK THE ADS EARLY BIRD STAY CALM Check ads and list all GETS THE GIFTS We've all heard Black If you know there's something on your list that is a popular item, get to the store before the doors open. Friday horror stories, but it can be fun! Enjoy the experience, but keep receipts for those impulse buys! the stores that have deals on items on your list. PLAN YOUR CHECK FOR ROUTE MAKE A LIST Know who you have to buy for and gift ideas Plan where you'll go first, starting with stores that have hot ticket items. COUPONS Check newspapers, online ads, and coupon and retailer apps. for them. Online sales are expected to grow between 8 - 11%. Over half of shoppers intend to make at least some purchases online. Avoid Debt The 2014 shopping season is shaping up to showcase fierce retail competition that will result in great bargains for shoppers. Wal-Mart will be It's tempting to splurge during the holiday season and worry about paying it off later. That's a dangerous decision you will regret later. The average consumer is MAKE A PAY WITH CASH. If you don't trust yourself to use credit cards responsibly (even if the rewards are tempting!) turn your budget into cash. Seeing exactly how much of your budget you've used is a powerful way to avoid unnecessary purchases. BUDGET. Before you make your list, expecting to spend about $804 on holiday purchases in 2014. price matching and Target is offering free shipping on everything through December 20. determine your budget. Then, make your list fit your budget, even if that means making sacrifices. Sites like mychristmasbudget. com can make planning easy! 000000000000o00000000 TIse Your If you have a stockpile of rewards, points or miles, see if you can turn those into gifts. Redeem cash back for statement credits to buy more gifts, for gift cards, or redeem for travel to visit a far-away relative. Cards Credit card companies also have great reward and cash back offers during the holidays. Here is a rundown of some great offers for purchases made between October 1- December 31, 2014? CHASE FREEDOM CITI DOUBLE CASH CARD DISCOVER BLUE CASH CAPITAL ONE BARCLAY IT CARD Bonus categories earn 5% cash back for online PREFERRED VENTURE ARRIVAL CREDIT CARD CARD FROM Earn 1% cash REWARDS CARD PLUS WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD Earn 2X miles on all purchases. Earn 40,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 on spend $3,000 on purchases in the first go days. Ean 5% cash back on purchases AMERICAN EXPRESS Earn 3% cash back at select Earn a standard 2X miles per dollar spent on Holiday shoppers might have more to back when you buy, plus 1% when they pay for those purchases. and department store purchases. at Amazon. spend year. The Jatest Labor Department wage-and-salary index reading showed a 2.3 percent rise from September 2013 to September 2014. this com, Zappos. com, and select department every purchase, every day. Earn Us departments stores. a one-time bonus of 40,00o miles once you stores. purchases within Prepaid gift cards are also a great gift option. Our three favorites are the American Express Business and Consumer gift cards, Visa gifts cards and the Mastercard Gift card. the first 3 months. *** Retailers are expected to hire between 730,000 790,000 seasonal workers in 2014. Think Outside whether you have a super tight budget or if there's the Stocking someone on your list who already has everything, there are plenty of creative ways to save money during the holidays and still spread some holiday cheer GIFT CARDS DIY GIFTS THE GIFT OF TIME Need something for the person who has everything? It's hard to go wrong with a gift card to their favorite Whether it's homemade cookies, unique art pieces, or homemade household goods, your loved ones will appreciate the thought and time you put into their one-of-a-kind gift. Check out our DIY Christmas gift board on Pinterest: http:// www.pinterest.com/ comparecards. If gifts aren't in the budget, give the gift of time. Get together with family and friends and volunteer. Serve food at a homeless shelter, go Christmas caroling at a nursing home, or collect gently used toys and clothing for donations. store. Discover offers a *** gift card program that DIY can earn you as much as 20% cash back by shopping in Discover's exclusive online shopping mall. *Please be sure to check the credit card terms and conditions. CompareCards.com Compare. Pick. Save. 000000000000o00000000000 Sources: National Retail Federation, Accenture, Gallup ----