10 Ways To Shop Smarter This Holiday Season

With these tips, your shopping experience will be worry-free. When you shop with PayPal this holiday season, you have the chance to win $10,000 in cash prizes each week. Rules Apply*.

With the holidays right around the corner, it’ll soon be time to shop for the people on our gift list. Before you hop into your car and drive straight to the mall, consider the below tips.

1. Set a budget and stick to it!

After all, you don’t want an empty bank account by the end of the season. Create a budget that works for you and stick to it! Remaining within your budget will help you manage costs so you don't end up spending more than you have.

2. Shop the sales section and score some sweet deals.

Plenty of retailers are promoting deals for the holidays so when you’re off to the mall to do some shopping, don’t forget to make a beeline for the sales section. The hunt is part of the thrill.

3. Split payments for big purchases.

Let’s say you’re buying your parents a new TV because it’s time they replaced their old set. If you don’t want to bombard your credit card with a huge bill, consider splitting payments. Pay in 4 from PayPal allows you to break purchases between $30 and $1500 into 4 interest-free payments.

4. Shop ahead of time to avoid the holiday stress.

Shopping at the last minute means long lines at checkout, horrible leftover options because everyone else got the good stuff, and frantic hops from store to store trying to find the item you’re looking for. Avoid the stress altogether by shopping in advance or visiting small businesses where it's less chaotic. If you really want to get ahead of the game, keep an email thread to yourself throughout the year of things you think people in your list would like as holiday gifts. 

5. Look for deals online.

Plenty of retailers offer deals online. These could be coupons offered through their apps or offer codes sent through their newsletters. You can even find discounts through the PayPal app from hundreds of popular brands. Also, shopping tools like Honey are dedicated to helping you find deals by offering coupons, discounts, and opportunities to earn cash back. As you can see, you have plenty of options!

6. Stick to your gift list.

Do you really need to buy something for your fourth cousin whom you’ve only met twice in your life? Create a list of the most important people in your circle and stick to it. If you really want to make the pro move, you can also create a spreadsheet of all relevant information, broken down according to whom you're shopping for, what you got them, how much, the tracking numbers, and the expected delivery date.

7. Beware of scams!

Everyone’s busy this season and, yes, that includes the scammers. A general rule to go by: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So if you get an email from a retailer about a “grand prize” you can claim by providing your credit card number, just hit “delete.”

8. Keep all of your receipts just in case.

Because if a certain present didn’t work out (i.e., your teenage niece thought the pair of skinny jeans you bought her is too cheugy), at least your recipients can return them for an item they actually want.

9. Compare prices at different stores.

Before you purchase those $60 jeans, try looking for the same style online. Different stores sometimes carry the same items and usually the lesser brands will have lower prices.

10. Choose pickup when you shop online.

Delivery times tend to be delayed during this busy season. So if you want to expedite your online purchase, pick your items up from the store instead. Since many stores are pushing store pickup, they may even give you a discount.

Starting now until Dec. 19, 2021, PayPal is giving away $10,000 in cash prizes each week. Shop with PayPal to win.

*No purchase necessary. PayPal acc’t by 11/1/21. US residents, 18+, Official Rules Apply. Weekly sweeps through 12/19/21. Certain prizes expire 12/31/21

All images via Getty.