Comments on: 12 Smart Ways to Save Big on Christmas Shopping

By: The Financial Blogger » Blog Archive » Time to Give a Few Things Away!

The Financial Blogger » Blog Archive » Time to Give a Few Things Away! — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:04:28 +0000

[...] 12 smart ways to shop online by [...]

By: Link Love | Remodeling This Life

Link Love | Remodeling This Life — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:21:22 +0000

[...] 12 Smart Ways to Save Big on Christmas Shopping [...]

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:56:37 +0000

Love # 12 – always good to think outside our own selfish desires!

By: Bobby

Bobby — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:22:17 +0000

Instead of wrapping paper, we use the Sunday comics in our family. Great tradition, and it saves.

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:37:42 +0000

“Besides, you could save a few bucks by using cash and asking the store to cut your cost by the 2% to 3% interchange fee that banks charge retailers for credit card transactions.”

Speaking as a former cashier, please, please do not do this, especially not around the holidays. If you really, really feel you must do it, talk to the manager ahead of time and bring them to the cash with you. In general, a cashier (the person most people would ask to do this, since it would naturally come up when they ask how you will be paying for your purchases) does not have the power to do this, even if they wanted to. The computer and/or cash system will not let them. All asking a cashier to give you a cash discount will do is waste time, create a line of annoyed holiday shoppers behind you, and make the cashier feel bad (both for not being able to help you, and for making all the other people in line wait longer).

I know you probably meant “ask the store” as in “ask the manager”, but things like that need to be clarified to save the poor cashier’s sanity at this time of year.

By: Elizabeth Ball

Elizabeth Ball — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:27:48 +0000

A few more cost-saving ideas:
1. Wrap all presents within one large parcel, adding tags only to save confusion and sheets of paper.
2. Buy your giftwrap from a floral supplies wholesaler. Choose a sheet design that will do for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day (you get the picture) eg stars, stripes etc.
3. Send a food gift hamper to a family – that covers several presents for less per person than singular presents
4. Check if the online retailer has a 10% discount for your birthday or something like that and enter a fake birthday that is in a couple of days time so you can use the discount in time for Xmas shopping
5. Use retailers who provide free gift wrapping – voila!

By: Fox

Fox — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:07:02 +0000

@KJB LOL! Indeed, that doggy is staying put.

By: KJB

KJB — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:40:31 +0000

That puppy looks so cute all dressed up. She could be a gift, but I know that puppy is staying with you.