Holiday Shopping Tip #1...

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, many of us don't have time or don't think about being extra observant when we are out shopping. Here are a couple of my safety tips so that you can shop safely and enjoy this joyous season.

* Be aware of your surroundings. Look behind you when walking out to the car. Check around your car in a busy parking lot before you get in. Look inside your car before getting in.
* Always walk out to your car with another person if you can. If you are alone try to walk next to other shoppers in the area. More things happen the farther you get out in the parking lot, so try to park close and next to a light.
* Don't be embarrassed to ask a security guard to walk you out. That's what they are getting paid for!
* Carry your cash in your front pockets. If you do carry a purse, make sure it is carried in front of you. If you do carry a purse you might consider still carrying your license and credit card in your front pocket so that if it does get stolen you still have those items on you. You could also leave your purse at home and just carry your id and credit card on you.
* Always accompany your child to the bathroom and try to find one close to the food court. Don't use a bathroom that is in a corner of a store or mall.
* Don't let your kids play in the arcade while you shop...predators are just looking for people like you and will take advantage of a child left alone! If possible, leave them at home with a friend or relative.
* Have your keys ready when you leave the store. You don't want to be searching for them in your purse when you get to your car. This would be a perfect opportunity for something to happen since you are distracted.
* Make sure you get your debit or credit card back after making your purchases!
* Listen to your gut instincts. If something just doesn't feel right, listen to yourself! Better safe than sorry!
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Holiday Shopping Tip #2...

Extended warranties may not be necessary for that TV or computer purchase. Here is a great article from Yahoo Finance that I found and wanted to share with you about warranties!

Unnecessary warranties
This holiday season, shoppers are expected to spend more than a billion dollars on extended warranties. Appliance and electronics retailers push shoppers to buy extended warranties or service plans because the store keeps 50 percent or more of what they charge for them. That's much more than they can make just selling the products. But extended warranties are notoriously bad deals because some repairs are already covered by the standard manufacturer's warranty that comes with the product. And our data show that products seldom break within the period the extended warranty covers -- after the standard warranty has expired and within two to three years of purchase. When electronics and appliances do break, the repairs, on average, cost about the same as an extended warranty.

Dodge it! Our decades of brand research have shown that products are reliable enough that we don't think you need extended warranties. But if you'd like the peace of mind an extended warranty can provide, you might be able to get similar coverage by charging the item on a credit card. Check your card agreement; some cards, especially gold and platinum ones, lengthen the original manufacturer's warranty by as much as one year. If you can't rely on your card's additional coverage, channel your inner Scrooge. Get the cheapest deal you can on an extended warranty by including the cost of one in your price comparison. Always try to negotiate a better deal. And don't pay more than 20 percent of an item's purchase price for any warranty.


Thanks Yahoo Finanace for this article. Go read the entire article over the 5Worst Holiday Gotchas here!

Holiday Shopping Tip #3...

Go check out the Black Friday ads early on sites like black-friday.net for the stores that you are most interested in or the products you want the most this Friday. Then do some comparison shopping on sites like pricegrabber.com and see if you really are getting the best deal!! That way you know if it's really worth waking up at 3 am for that computer or not...but if you are like me, you'll already be up because you are just too excited to sleep!

Holiday Shopping Tip #6...

Plan Ahead! Planning ahead allows you to make lists, stay on budget, map out store routes and shop more efficiently. Planning ahead for me is making lists of who to buy for and possible gift ideas. On Thanksgiving Day I scour the ads and find possible gift matchups as well as coupon matchups and plan my store routes according to the best deals. What do you do to plan ahead for the Holiday Shopping Season?

Holiday Shopping Tip #7

All those gift receipts can be a hassle! But not if you are organized! Make sure you ask the cashier for a gift receipt so that it will be easier for everyone if the item needs returned. When you get home, immediately take the gift receipt and staple it to the tag of the item or tape it to the side of the box. For the original receipts, put them in an envelope marked Christmas 09. That way they are all in one place and you always know where they are at. How many of you have put them in your purse or wallet and then they have fallen out, gone missing or gotten thrown away...trust me, I know from experience! The key is to stay organized and this little tip will keep you doing just that!

Countdown to Black Friday...Holiday Shopping Tips

We are starting the Countdown to Black Friday with Holiday Shopping Tips! That way we can all have more information under our belts by the time we wake up at 2 am to snag the best (better) deals...

Tip #8- When shopping online, before you Check Out, Check Into savings.com or retailmenot.com for promotional codes that will give you Free Shipping or a percentage off your total purchase price. This will save you lots of money just by taking another few minutes to do your research! Coupon Codes is one of the reasons I will be doing most of my holiday shopping online this year. You can already score a great deal and then add a promotional code onto it!

Stop by tomorrow for Tip #7!!!