NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – According to a survey by Magnify Money, consumers who took on debt this holiday season will kick off the New Year with an average of $1,003 worth of new debt.
To avoid going into debt, Athena Nagel, from TheStuffOfSuccess.com, stopped by the studio with some tips on how to shop smart for the upcoming shopping holidays:
Make a gift list and a game plan. First and foremost, create a list for family and friends who you want to buy gifts for and how much you would like to spend per person. Deciding a comfortable spending budget on each person will help keep you remain focused and disciplined. Like going to the supermarket with a list, head into holiday shopping season with a shopping list. Research what items you would like to buy and once you’ve created a list, and checked it twice, compare prices at various retailers to score the best deal.
Research, research and research. To score the best deal, research ads of various retailers to see where you can catch the best deal. For example, Best Buy might be known for great deals and steals on electronics but Kohl’s may have the large TV you’ve had your eye on for less.
Bundle coupons and savings.
- The easiest and most efficient way to save money is to stack deals, coupons and shop via cashback sites such as TopCashback.com.
- TopCashback.com has a variety of popular retailers such as Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Toys R Us, Walmart, Target, and more.
- TopCashback.com is the most generous cashback/rebates site in the US.
- Most cashback sites will give a fraction of this commission back to you, but TopCashback is the ONLY site that returns 100% of the commission back to shoppers as a cashback rebate.
- The process is simple. Sign up and log into your TopCashback account, search for a retailer and hit ‘Get Cashback Now’. The site will automatically redirect you to make your purchase at the retailer’s website. Behind the scenes, TopCashback will be able to see how much you’ve spent and award your cashback account with the appropriate rebate.
Utilize credit card reward points. Check your forgotten credit card reward points and cash in for a gift card as a present or to a retailer to purchase gifts or stocking stuffers. It may not be considered saving but it feels like free money!