Article: Shop Online After Christmas for Even Bigger Savings

Article size (body): 685 words

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Shop Online After Christmas for Even Bigger Savings

By Diana Ratliff

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Christmas may be over, but for some people, shopping is just
getting started.

Statistics show that there is a post holiday shopping peak that
occurs the week after December 25. People rush to stores to
spend money they received for Christmas, redeem gift cards or
gift certificates or take advantage of after Christmas sales.
In reality, the holiday shopping season doesn’t “officially” end
until the first week in January.

And you thought that the holiday hustle and bustle, the crush in
the malls, the long lines at the checkout counter, the endless
search for a parking spot and the frenzied search for the lowest
price on your favorite gadget, was finally over!

Take a deep breath. Relax. You can still take advantage of the
incredible post-holiday deals offered by your favorite
retailers, without battling the crowds. If you didn’t try
shopping online in the weeks before Christmas, now is an ideal
time to start!

Advantages of Online After-Christmas Sales
Odds are that your favorite retailers at the mall have websites
too, and the savings online rival anything you’re going to find
locally (especially when you consider that a greater variety of
merchandise is usually available through a website than in a
physical, “brick-and-mortar” store.)

In addition to the convenience and comfort of shopping from
home, it’s much easier to do your comparison shopping. It’s
easy to visit dozens of stores in an hour or so using the magic
of the Internet. It’s easier still to use an online comparison
shopping site such as PriceGrabber.com (a Forbes.com “Best of
the Web” winner) to compare prices at dozens of stores at the
same time. When you find the price you want to pay, simply
click on a button to be taken directly to the online store
offering it at that price to make your purchase.

But what about the special coupons, the incentives, the
“$10-off-a-$50-purchase” deals and “Early Bird Specials” that
local merchants offer? Don’t you miss out on those by shopping
online? And what about shipping costs?

Actually, a savvy online shopper can usually beat those deals –
and get free shipping, too - by using any of dozens of online
shopping strategies and bargain-hunting websites. Websites
usually match the prices offered at their physical outlets, and
by learning how to search for “promo codes” and online coupons
or rebates, an online shopper will usually save just as much as
they would have if they’d physically gone to the store. And
many online stores don’t charge sales tax; those savings can
often cover the cost of shipping.

You can often redeem those Gift Cards or Gift Certificates you
got for Christmas online, as well. Look at the fine print on
the back of the card – it will usually state the conditions
under which it can be redeemed, or give a web address to visit
for more information.

And while you’re reading the fine print, check for expiration
dates and usage fees. Some stores will automatically deduct a
percentage of the gift card’s value if it’s not used by a
specified date – you don’t want to discover several months from
now that your $50 Gift Card is now only worth $39.25! Shipping
is often not covered in the Gift Card amount.

When you use a Gift Card to make a purchase, it’s also important
to keep it (even if the balance is zero) until you’re certain
you won’t need to return the item. Many stores want to credit
the card when you return the purchase, and if you don’t have the
card you may be out of luck.

Did you get a Gift Card you don’t want or can’t use? There are
even Internet websites that help you buy, sell or trade unwanted
cards! You can sell unwanted gift cards (for 60-80% of their
face value) at GiftCardBuyBack.com, and buy cards you prefer at
GiftCardsAgain.com

Millions of people worldwide are already enjoying the time and
money savings of shopping online. If you haven’t done so
already, resolve to master this convenient, fast, and safe
method of shopping, and you’ll reap the rewards all year long,
not just after Christmas.

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Author and "Online Shopping Insider" Diana Ratliff has released
a new e-book that will show YOU how to save time, money, and
hassle while shopping SAFELY online. Free Savvy Shopper email
course. A MUST for anyone who buys online - or wants to!
Check out ==> http://www.InsidersGuideToShoppingOnline.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~