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The holiday season promises to be more expensive, longer and more chaotic than previous years. This makes it easier to spend too much. There are still significant savings to be had if you know how and where to look. Jill Cataldo is a Chicago-based consumer coupon expert. She says that there are many factors to […]


The holiday season promises to be more expensive, longer and more chaotic than previous years. This makes it easier to spend too much. There are still significant savings to be had if you know how and where to look.


Jill Cataldo is a Chicago-based consumer coupon expert. She says that there are many factors to consider: inflation, supply chain problems, and major retailers cutting inventory. Her solution? “I started shopping now. It’s time to grab it span>


This is because, even though prices are higher overall than usual, retailers have already started the holiday deal season, offering discounts and sales in the last three months of the year. These are the top ways to save money on Black Friday, given this complicated background.


1. Buy early and often

Although it may sound counterintuitive, starting early can help you save money and score the best deals. Cataldo states, “I monitor prices to see which retailer has the lowest price. I also look for coupons before buying — any price is better than full price.” She keeps the receipt in her wallet so she can check the price if it drops. You can either buy the best deal or return the more expensive purchase.


2. Compare prices with a relentless effort

There are many apps, browser extensions and tools that can help you compare and track prices. You just need to choose the one you love using the most. There are many options that will automatically search the internet in the background as you shop, alerting you to discounts, coupon codes, and cash-back offers.


ShopSavvy, for example, will track price changes on certain items. John Boyd, who is also the CEO and co-founder of Monolith Technologies, owns ShopSavvy. He says that he uses this feature to keep track of items he’s interested in, such as a digital single lens reflex camera. He says, “I want an alert when those items go on sale because it might be only for a few moments and then the quantity runs dry.”


Amazon prices are also available in the Camelizer app


Greg Lisiewski is vice president of PayPal Shopping. He says that when he needs to purchase something, he checks the PayPal app for the retailer to see if there are any discounts (under the “Deals”) section.


These discounts are particularly valuable because PayPal Honey reports this year that toys and games are 11% less expensive than last year, coffee machines are up 7%, and bicycle gear and equipment is up 9 percent. According to the company, the largest discounts for holiday season were found in cosmetics and musical instruments as well as general department stores.


3. Add coupon codes and cashback to your shopping cart


A good deal doesn’t just have to be about the price. You can also get additional savings by using coupon codes or cash-back deals.

Cataldo uses cash-back deals through apps such as CouponCabin, Rakuten and Ibotta. She says, “It’s only one step if you are planning to buy online, then you receive a cheque.” I like simple things .”


Scott Kluth, the founder and CEO at CouponCabin, said that stores with excessive inventory will often offer discounts of 10% to 15% and cash-back offers ranging from 3% up to 20%. He says that you can stack all these savings together, and sometimes online retailers will accept multiple coupon codes as well as offer free shipping.


4. Get to know your local shops


Coresight Research’s CEO and founder, Deborah Weinswig, believes that the best way to get the best deals is to get to know your local stores. She says that store managers have the power to bargain and price match or beat other retailers, especially if they have excess stock.


To be first to hear about sales or discounts, she suggests signing up for loyalty programs and joining livestreams. She says that some codes only last 24 hours, while others are valid for only four hours. If you want to get the best deals, it is important to act quickly.


5. Talk to your family and friends about scaling back


It’s a great year to have conversations with friends and family about setting limits, as so many are feeling the pressure of rising prices. Sarah Schweisthal is the social media manager for budgeting app You Need a Budget. This means that each family member can create a gift exchange so they purchase one gift, within a set spending limit. We used to buy gifts for each others, but now there are many adults in our family. She says that it took just one of us to realize that this wasn’t sustainable.

Schweisthal believes that her gift exchange strategy has saved her family hundreds upon hundreds of dollars.



This article was originally published by The Associated Press and was written by NerdWallet.