The last leaves have fallen, the cold winds are blowing, and we’ve found ourselves firmly in the middle of the biggest shopping season of the year. It feels like I can’t blink without seeing another ad screaming, “Buy this!” or “Can’t-miss!”
Whether you’re planning to shop on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, or really any day of the year, you want to be sure you’re truly getting the best deal you can find so you can keep more cash in your checking account.
Follow this one step before completing any purchase so you can feel confident you’re getting the lowest price available.
Check for an online coupon code
Whenever I shop online, whether it’s for new clothes, home goods, or gifts, I always do a quick Google search to see if there are any coupons available for that vendor. Usually just typing in “[store name] promo code” or something similar is enough to bring up a ton of websites that list potential coupon codes and sales.
Not every code will be a winner; many can be inactive, expired, or not available to every customer. But I usually give a few codes a try and often get lucky. I’ve regularly found 10% or 20% discounts just by doing a quick online search.
No matter what you’re buying, you’ll earn even more rewards if you use a great credit card. Check out our list of the best cash back credit cards to earn rewards on your spending.
I also use the PayPal Honey extension on my web browser, which searches for coupon codes automatically, saving me a step. Any available coupon codes are automatically applied to my online shopping cart, and the biggest winner will be applied to my total.
The extension also lets me earn PayPal Rewards points on certain purchases from thousands of stores, which can be redeemed for cash back. I just checked, and I’ve cashed out almost $120 of rewards through this extension over the years, just for making the purchases I was already planning to make! And I’ve saved almost an equal amount from using coupons through the extension.
And Honey is just one of many coupon apps available for shoppers looking to get the best deals on their online purchases.
Ask about sales before buying in-store
Maybe you’re shopping in person instead of online. Well, we’re living in the future with tiny computers in our pockets, which means we have access to all the information we could need to make smart purchases.
Before you head to the cashier with your items, check whether there are any advertised sales on the store’s website for online purchases. If you ask politely at the register, there’s a good chance the cashier will honor an online sale in-store — it’s worked for me in the past. And as my grandma used to say, the worst they can say is no, so there’s no harm in trying.
If you don’t have a coupon code and can’t find an advertised sale, there’s one last move you can make: Ask a store employee if there are any upcoming sales you should know about. I’ve had stores offer me the discounted price on a purchase for an upcoming holiday sale that hadn’t started, simply because I asked.
Make the effort to avoid paying full price
Between travel expenses, holiday gifts, and all the delicious culinary treats, this is an especially expensive time of year. But no matter what you’re buying or when you’re shopping, following this one tip is a quick and easy way to save some money.
Every little bit of extra cash can go straight into your savings account to wait for a rainy day — or next year’s holiday season shopping spree.