4 Last Minute Holiday Shopping Tips to Save You Time and Money
With busy schedules and Thanksgiving that came later than usual, the holidays are sneaking up on many of us. If you still have some last-minute holiday shopping to do, don’t fret. We compiled a list of tips to help you stress less and save time and money.
Compare prices before making your purchase.
Before joining the crowds at malls and stores, write down the items you want to buy and use the web or mobile apps to help you find the merchants with the best prices. A few of the most commonly used price comparison websites include Google Shopping, BizRate, Yahoo Shopping, and Shopping.com. Popular price comparison mobile apps include ShopSavvy, PricePirates, and Shopular. Once you’ve determined the place with the best price, consider using a coupon app or sites such as SavingStar, RetailMeNot, or Ibotta to see if there are any promotional discounts available.
Take advantage of ‘pick up from store’ options
If you know exactly what you want and decide to pick up your order from the store versus having it delivered, it can still be wise to shop online before heading out. Several merchants’ websites allow you to check a store’s inventory. If the inventory is available, you’re often able to make your purchase online and select ‘same day pick up from store.’ This allows you to get your order quickly without paying for shipping. Plus, when you get to the store, you don’t have to worry about searching the aisles for your product. Your purchase is ready for you to pick up at a designated location at the store. Stores such as Target, Best Buy, and Macy’s all provide ‘same day pick up’ options if inventory is available.
Use your AHFCU Healthy Rewards Mastercard®.
Between December 12th and December 24th, you can get extra rewards every time you shop with your AHFCU Healthy Rewards Mastercard®:
- From December 12th -23rd, get double rewards every time you use your AHFCU Healthy Rewards Mastercard®.
- On December 24th, get triple rewards every time you use your AHFCU Healthy Rewards Mastercard®.
- We’ll be raffling twelve $25 Target Gift Cards. The more you use your AHFCU Healthy Rewards Mastercard® from December 12th -24th, the more chances you have to win!!
If you don’t have an AHFCU Healthy Rewards Mastercard, you can apply today to take advantage of our 12 Days of Christmas Rewards promotion and the year-round benefits that the card has to offer.
Protect yourself from scams.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages people to be aware of potential holiday scams, especially when shopping online. Taking a few extra steps to protect yourself from being scammed will help keep your identity stay safe, which will also save you time and money.
- Never send sensitive information in an email or text.
- Use a credit card instead of a debit card when shopping online.
- Look at the back of gift cards to ensure the area with the protective scratch-off has not been tampered with. Buy cards from behind the counter and don’t buy gift cards from third parties.
Holiday shopping, even if it’s last-minute, doesn’t have to be stressful. If you still have shopping to do, try these tips, turn on some holiday music and try to enjoy the giving part of the season.
