We offered a lot of holiday shopping tips last month. Here are several post-holiday shopping tips to keep in mind:
- January is a great month to shop. Retailers offer discounts to clear out the overstocks remaining from the holiday season.
- Keep looking at retailer ads and online comparison shopping sites to see if prices have come down on any of the holiday gifts you bought/received. Remember, many retailers will price match for up to 30 days AFTER purchases.
- Use your gift cards wisely: (a) According to federal regulations, you have a minimum of a year to use the cards. (b) Be aware of all of your gift card rights. Here is a link to a Consumer Reports’ article on general gift card rules. And here is one on state-by-state gift card rules. (c) Be careful not to get sucked in to buying more than you want and overspending the value of the gift cards. This is quite profitable for retailers.
- Continue to be a smart shopper. Comparison check big ticket items before buying. Keep looking for sales — they will be there throughout the year.
Happy shopping. 🙂