Shop Talk: Buying into Grand Strand retail

Holiday shopping tip: Think food and drinks

Consider “splurges” that your loved ones might not get for themselves, and that also won’t require you to step foot into a crowded mall. Some ideas include nice bottles of booze and liqueur, a case of wine, caviar, prosciutto, gourmet cheeses, fine chocolate, premium olive oils or hard-to-find hot sauces.

 

Source: Laura T. Coffey, MSNBC columnist

Holiday shopping tip: Donate to charity in someone else’s name

Through the nonprofit Charity Checks, you can order a check in any dollar amount, then let your recipient select a charity from among 800,000 in the United States. Visit the Web site for Charity Checks or call toll-free 1-800-854-5601. If you want your gift to show up by Christmas Day, it’s best to place your order by Dec. 20. You might be able to get away with waiting until Dec. 22 to order, as long as you’re willing to pony up for overnight delivery.

 

Source: New American Dream, a national non-profit organization

Holiday shopping tip: Give the gift of magazine subscriptions

Know someone who loves cooking? Get him or her the Cook’s Illustrated magazine. How about travel? National Geographic Traveler. Outdoor and adventure sports? Outside. You can buy a current issue of the magazine in question, wrap it up so it looks fancy, and let your loved one know there are 12 more where that came from.

 

Source: Laura T. Coffey, MSNBC columnist

Holiday shopping tip: Use free gift wrapping

If the store offers this, remember to take advantage of it!

 

Source: MoneyNing, a personal finance blog

Holiday shopping tip: Send electronic gift certificates

Another option is an online gift certificate that gets sent out via e-mail. Many retailers offer them, and their convenience to you is unparalleled – so long as you feel reasonably comfortable that your recipient won’t mistake your electronic gift for spam. Some retailers allow the certificates to be used only on their Web sites, not in their stores, so make sure the person on the receiving end is comfortable shopping online. You’ll often have until around noon on Dec. 24 to order the e-gift cards and guarantee their timely arrival.

 

Source: Laura T. Coffey, MSNBC columnist

Holiday shopping tip: Look for online promo codes

Most online merchants have coupons and promotion codes all the time.  Before buying anything online, always surf the Web to see if that particular merchant has a coupon code available.

 

Source: MoneyNing, a personal finance blog

Holiday shopping tip: Look for price-matching policies

Look for price-matching policies: Some merchants will match, or even beat, a competitor’s prices.

 

Source: Federal Trade Commission

Holiday shopping tip: Do your research before you buy

Research the Right Product: A low price on a lousy product is no bargain. Check websites where professionals evaluate products, such as Consumer Reports, Steves-Digicams.com (for cameras), Ecoustics.com (TV/hi-fi equipment), PCMagazine.com (computers), best/worst toy lists, etc. Also, nothing beats reading customer reviews by real owners of the products you are thinking of buying. Check Epinions.com, and read the user comments posted after most product descriptions at Amazon.com.

Source: ConsumerWorld.org, a guide to consumer resources.

Holiday shopping tip: Keep good records

Keep good records. Whether you’re ordering by mail, phone, or online, it’s important to keep detailed information about the transaction, including your order number, shipping costs and dates, warranties, and refund and return policies.

Source: Federal Trade Commission

Holiday shopping tip: Ask for a discount

Ask for a Discount – Cashiers often times have the coupons right in front of them to save time.  Always be friendly and ask if there are current coupons that apply to your purchase at checkout.  It won’t always work but it’s so easy that it’s worth a try!

Source: MoneyNing.com, a personal finance blog.