Holiday Shopping Hacks and Gift Ideas for an Easy Season

Holiday shopping hacks can help you cut through the frustrating aspects of getting your loved ones that perfect gift. Just a few tips pointing you in the right direction can mean the difference between frustration or freedom from worry.

The shopping tips below will equip you with the tools you need to pull off a successful holiday season. We’ll also give you some hacks on how to find out what they really want without giving the surprise away.

In-Store Holiday Shopping Tips

The thought of going into a physical store over the holidays can be enough to stress you out, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, you can find some of the best deals in-store, and you can make them even better with these hacks.

Store Apps

Many stores have smartphone apps that can offer some significant benefits that aren’t widely advertised. These perks include cashback programs, coupons, sale notifications, and more. The catch is, many times, you can only use these advantages in-store. It’s a way to draw customers in, and if you’re planning to do some of your shopping in person this holiday season, you should check around and see what perks the stores near you offer via their apps.

Also, look out for store loyalty programs and apps, like AT&T THANKS, which can offer you freebies, sales and benefits just for being a customer.

Check a store’s online prices before buying

This tip might seem a bit odd. After all, wouldn’t a store’s in-store and online selections be the same price? Nope. Often companies have online sales and price changes that are entirely separate from their in-store offerings.

When making a major gift purchase this holiday season, check both the retail and online stores to find the best price.

Online Holiday Shopping Tips

If you’re shopping online, getting the item to your door may take less energy. However, finding and purchasing it can be a nightmare. There are thousands of online retailers, and figuring out how to get what you want at the lowest price is a challenging prospect. Shopping with these hacks in mind will make things a lot easier and help knock some cash off those gifts.

Check Price History Sites

There are services available that track the prices of online items over time. By checking these price history sites, you can see when you’re actually getting a deal and when you’re not. Most of them also have the option for you to set up alerts for when an item hits an all-time low price, which is extremely helpful.

Make a Separate Email Account Just for Holiday Shopping

Many sites offer coupons, exclusive deals, and other perks to sign up to their websites or newsletters. The catch is that you then get thousands of emails you don’t necessarily want. If you make a separate email just for holiday shopping, you can get these special offers without having to spend an hour unsubscribing to everything they send.

Having a separate email also centralizes all your receipts and shipping info. This tactic makes it easier to keep organized, especially if you’re ordering from multiple retailers.

Spend a Bit More to Get Free Shipping

Many sites offer free shipping if your purchase is over a certain amount. Sometimes it’s worth it to hit that amount, and sometimes it’s not depending on the shipping costs.

Before you commit to buying, go to your cart and check out your shipping costs. Say you’re buying an item that’s $34, and you need $35 for free shipping. It’s almost always going to be more cost-effective to buy a cheap thing to get over $35.

Gift Guides

Online holiday gift guides are the tried and true method for finding great gifts for your loved ones. One of the best aspects of gift guides is that they can help set you down the right path. You may not find exactly which present you want on the guide, but it may jog your memory and help you think up the perfect gift.

Use Recommended Products Lists

Many online retailers have a helpful section on product pages that list things like:

• People who bought this product bought…
• If you like this item, you’ll like…

These lists can help you connect the dots to find a great gift, even if you’re not going to buy from that particular website. Just find the product page for something you know someone likes and check out what is recommended. These features are meant to hook people who love the item on the product page. As such, they should point you in the right direction.

Pay Attention to What People Say

When it gets close to the holiday season, people are going to start to drop hints on what they want. Sometimes finding the best gift is as simple as listening. If someone close to you says they’re interested in something or they need something, jot down a note on your phone.

Get your holiday shopping done early. Check out wireless deals at AT&T and AT&T’s holiday gift guide for gifts for everyone on your list.

This article is AT&T sponsored content written by Jason Faulkner, a TechBuzz contributor. The statements in this article are his own and don’t necessarily represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of AT&T.