Holiday Shopping Hacks That Will Save You Money (or Just Make the Process More Fun!)

Although there’s nothing quite like the Christmas magic of a mall — the thrill of discovery! plenty of shine! — something about shopping online can make the process of buying gifts for your loved ones more like work. Add in the budget crunch many are feeling this year and you might feel more like the Grinch than Mariah Carey in a Santa suit.

But there are ways to take some of the stress out of holiday shopping—many of them require little or no effort. With one click, you can get instant cashback after a big purchase; apply all online discount codes to your shopping cart without opening an additional card; or find great deals using resources you already have in your wallet, like credit card offers and hotel rewards points.

Read on for our favorite easy (and surprisingly fun) holiday shopping hacks to get that mall magic back on track.

Find discounts and cash back instantly

Boxes from online shopping.

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Before you add a single item to your cart, start with a site that offers you instant cash back if you go to your preferred retailers through their website (like Rakuten and RetailMeNot). Major stores you’d already shop at anyway, including Macy’s and Walmart, offer 10 to 15 percent cash back in your wallet, but almost every brand you can think of is on those sites, and even smaller cash back amounts, like 2 or 3 percent , add quickly.

Install a few useful browser extensions

Woman shopping online.

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Want to make it even easier? Download a browser extension, such as those from RetailMeNot, Honey, or Capital One Shopping, that will instantly apply all available store discount codes to your cart and opt in to cashback offers available to you. Or download apps to get a similar experience when shopping in person; Ibotta is a favorite among bargain hunters because it allows you to select available in-store offers, load your account, and get cash back into your account.

(Also, if you’re not so interested in cash back but looking for good karma, try a browser extension like Goodbuy, which will direct you to similar small business products to share the shopping love.)

Check your credit card rewards

Don’t delete that email you get every month from your card company with offers and rewards! This time of year might be a good time to opt for some of the benefits that come with the card. For example, American Express currently allows cardholders to opt-in to receive $25 back on a $125 purchase at Zappos or $25 back on $125 spent at Drunk Elephant — perfect places to stock up on gifts for more people on your list.

Check your hotel rewards too!

Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch.

Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

You’re already addicted to booking accommodation with your Bonvoy points, but did you know you can also score some amazing experiences using the points you’ve collected? Taylor Swift fans already knew this thanks to a ticket giveaway run through Marriott Bonvoy Moments (and some even booked travel packages using points!), but it’s a creative and unexpected way to treat someone you love to a great (and otherwise unattainable ) ) a gift.

Spend a fixed amount on packages that include food, art or entertainment (like using 40,000 Bonvoy points to get a suite at Disney on Ice at LA’s Crypto.com arena to brighten up your child’s whole year, or spend 10,000 to get up close to NFL Legends at the Marriott Bonvoy House during Super Bowl weekend), or bid all you’ve got to blow off an experience like a luxury ski weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch (bidding starts at 200,000 points and starts today) or dinners with Nigella Lawson while staying at St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London, for 70,000 to start.

There are beautiful, far-flung locales to experience, as well as fun things to do in your own backyard (like NCAA basketball tickets) — it’s worth checking to see if you can really spoil someone deserving this year with the points you’ve already earned.

Try auction sites for surprising gifts

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You already know how to scour eBay and Poshmark for great deals on often-new tag items, but have you considered scouring auctions for more super-special items? You’d be surprised at the bargains you can get, even at well-known sites like Sotheby’s and Christie’s, for art, decor, accessories and jewelry in excellent condition.

You can also check out sites like CharityBuzz, where you can jump into any charity auction and bid on a wide variety of items, often at great prices and for a good cause. (At the time of writing, you could get Josh Brolin’s autographed Infinity Gauntlet for $400, a VIP meet-and-greet with the Osborne brothers who are still awaiting an initial bid, and a signed script from Titanic.)

Avoid the stress of delivery

Are you shipping any of your purchases this year? The United States Postal Service has an entire “Vacation Center” on its site that allows you to order free boxes and supplies to be delivered right to your door, print labels, schedule pickups, and check ideal deadlines so you can arrive on time. UPS also offers free festive delivery boxes that arrive at your door, and FedEx will let you hold packages until you’re sure they won’t spoil the surprise. Skipping another long line is another way to increase your holiday happiness!

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education