Smartlife

The holidays are upon us and some of us STILL have a list of gifts to buy that seems a mile long. When you add in the fact that everyone’s trying to save a little money on gifts this year, the whole process may seem a little overwhelming. There are a few ways you can manage your gift-buying, though, and you might just be able to speed it up.

Online shopping is hailed for saving time and money, but does it always work out that way? Scouring dozens of different sites can become a time-consuming ordeal, as you complete exhausting research to buy that new computer or get the best deals on your holiday shopping. There has to be a better, more efficient way to use the Internet to find the best deals — and there is, of course. Deal websites do your bargain-hunting work for you by compiling information on store sales and deals, offering information on rebates and cash-back opportunities and free stuff, updating you on the latest deals on popular products, and providing you with coupons and helpful money-saving tips.

Bad economy or not, smart shoppers are always looking for an easy way to save a buck or two. If you’ve heard of this thing called the Internet (and you must have because you’re reading this blog), then you probably know one of the best ways to save money (and time) is to make your product purchases online. Online shopping makes it easy and simple to find exactly what you want, and to get it for a cheaper price.

Coupon clipping is a great way to save money on groceries and other purchases. If you combine the Sunday paper with the coupons you can find online, you can wind up saving thousands of dollars. But to really hunt down all those great deals, you have to commit a lot of time to the process. Rather than spending your time hunting through the newspaper looking for coupons, you can outsource your coupon clipping.

Whether you’re buying a new gadget or taking a trip, comparison shopping for a product will save you time (information on different brands and products is compiled for you in one convenient location) and money (price ranges and product reviews allow you to make smarter purchase decisions). Without using comparison shopping sites and reviews, you could find yourself trawling through hundreds of sites for scattered information and missing out on the best deals. As with any decision, it’s smart to consult many different sources for expert information and varied opinions before making a choice; in the end, you’ll have saved yourself hassle of an ill-informed decision.

Coupons can save you cash. According to the Promotion Marketing Association’s Coupon Council, consumers saved nearly $3 billion last year using coupons. Getting a chunk of those billions is worth the effort — but it can be a very time-intensive process. In order to save just $1,000 over the course of the year, you need to spend 20 minutes a week (or 17 hours for the year) clipping and organizing coupons. Rather than hunting down coupons in the newspaper, mailers, and other paper-based mediums they seem to pop up, you do have a couple of options to streamline your coupon-clipping operation: you can get them online or outsource the whole process all together to someone else (such as your virtual assistant or personal grocery shopper).