Some of us attack and engage in our holiday shopping with a plan that rivals the most well thought out strategies. We scour weekly fliers, online ads, and research who will have the best price and coupon code for us to use. In order to shop smart, yes, keeping track of prices is important, but being a genius means that you include cybersecurity and personal limits in your plans.
Here are a few tips that you should include on your shopping list.
- Shop secure. Look for websites that have the https in their address. While this isn’t a surefire bet that you’re on a secure and safe site, it’s a good first step in ensuring you’re at the right Especially if you’re providing your credit card.
- Deals, not steals. Rebates, coupons, and in-store specials are a great way to save money. Make sure that if you are offering up any information it’s to reputable stores, and don’t give out personal information in return for a ‘future offer’. Read the fine print on all deals. Especially if they sound too good to be true.
- Review and research. Don’t assume because a product is on a review website that it is legitimate. Many of these sites are called affiliate sites and merely put up content that redirects you to a page where they receive compensation for the sale, like a referral program. Look at more than one site, read multiple reviews, and if possible, go to the actual store to see the quality of a product.
- Stay on the NICE list. Make a budget and stick with it. You don’t need to overspend to impress. It’s only a good deal if you need it.
- Get started on next year’s list. After holiday sales are a great time to stock up for next year’s gift-giving, but again, only if it is something that you can actually gift and not just an item that you will store away because it is a great price.
