Yahoo Finance How to do Christmas shopping for the lowest price possible
The cost-of-living crisis means we need to be more frugal this Christmas.
Is there anything more annoying than buying something and finding it cheaper somewhere else? Savvy Christmas shopping will be more important than ever this year as the rise in our cost of living means Australians face some of the biggest increases in holiday expenditure to date.
I have a system I go through before I buy pretty much anything and, not to flex, but I’m usually confident that I've found the best price available. Here’s my four-step process you can use to ensure you find the cheapest price on whatever you’re buying.
Step 1: Check Google shopping
Before you buy any gifts, type the name of the item into Google and hit the shopping tab. This will show you other retailers that stock the same item and the price they’re offering, and even pull up a comparison across stores that factors in shipping costs.
Step 2: Check resale sites
I always make sure to do a quick sweep of Facebook Marketplace, Depop and eBay, just in case someone is selling the item I want in brand new or ‘as new’ condition.
Just recently, I found a phone case I wanted that retailed for $89 being sold on Depop as an unwanted gift – I snagged it for $40.
Step 3: Check cashback offers and discount codes
If your preloved mission is a flop, we can go back to finding the best price online. Now you know which site has the cheapest price, you can double dip with a discount code or cashback offer.
Also by Emma Edwards:
Honey is a browser extension that automatically combs the web for valid discount codes on your cart, so run a check for the top three sites you’re considering buying from.
Cashback sites like ShopBack, Cash Rewards and TopCashback offer a percentage commission when you shop. Just browse their site and click through to your chosen retailer via their link. Check out as normal and your cashback will be paid into your account and made available to withdraw within a defined period.
The key is finding the best combination of discount codes and cashback – but check the terms and conditions because some discount codes cancel out your cashback.
Step 4: Consider buying with gift cards
If I’m not having any luck with cashback or discounts, I’ll look at finding a discounted gift card for the retailer I want to buy from. Sometimes you can buy gift cards at a discount, with a cashback incentive, or even big rewards points bonuses.
Recently, I found Ultimate Gift Cards - a multi-retailer gift card - discounted by 15 per cent. If you wanted to buy something for $100 from The Iconic, you could purchase a $100 gift card for $85, effectively saving you $15. This can require a bit more investigation because these offers aren’t quite as easy to find, but it can be worth it if you have a lot of shopping to do. A good place to start is bargain forum site OzBargain, which often shares the latest up-to-date gift-card hacks.
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