Assuming you still have some holiday shopping to do (What's that? You haven't even started?), Kiplinger recently listed its favorite places to find deals on the Internet. Its top online bargain site is DealsOfAmerica.com. This site lists new deals every hour, offers comparison-shopping in its "Compare Prices" tab, and lists products or services that are free after rebates. As for sites focused on comparison-shopping, Kiplinger recommends PriceGrabber.com, Shopping.com, and Shopzilla.
Matt's View
It's true that a few minutes spent on these sites will help you find the best deals. For example, I looked around for the best price on a Nikon Coolpix S9 digital camera. Best Buy offered it for $224.99 with free shipping, while Shopping.com found a retailer offering it for $197 with free shipping.
When shopping online, items are placed in a virtual shopping cart. At checkout time, sites often ask whether you have a promotional code. Just because you don't have one doesn't mean you can't find one. An article in the Morning Call on 11/12 suggested this strategy: When you're asked for a promotional code keep that page open while opening a new browser window or a new tab. Then use a search engine and type in the name of the retailer, the word "code," and other terms like "promotional," "discounts," or "coupon." Or try looking for codes on sites like CouponCabin, CouponMountain, CouponMom.com, and FlamingoWorld.com. There's a good chance you'll find a code you can use.
Matt's View
These sites have more than just promotional codes. They have printable coupons, links to retailers offering special deals, and more. However, as the article pointed out, keep in mind that a deal isn't a deal unless you were going to buy the item anyway. It's all too easy to spend more than we should by taking advantage of all those "money-saving" deals.
Electronic items are popular gifts and where there is an electronics seller there is a seller of extended warranties. Should we or shouldn't we opt for the extra protection? According to Consumer Reports, usually we'd be better off taking a pass. The organization says products rarely break during the extended warranty period and when they do it seldom costs more than the cost of the warranty to repair them. The only items where extended warranties are recommended are rear projection microdisplay TVs and Apple Computers. Such TVs are expensive to repair and Apple only provides 90 days of tech support for free.
Matt's View
It'll take some resolve to resist the pressure to buy an extended warranty. After the sales person assures you of the quality of the product you decide to buy, the person who talks to you about an extended warranty often points out all that can go wrong with the product. Apparently lots of people cave in to fear. Consumer Reports estimates shoppers will needlessly spend a collective $1.6 billion on extended warranties for electronics and appliances this holiday season.
Are you in the habit of making cash donations or giving used clothing or other items to charity? If so, starting January 1st you'll need to develop two new habits. As reported in the Wall Street Journal's 11/11-12 edition, new legislation will require that you get receipts for all cash donations that you itemize on your taxes and that any non-cash donations you make are in "good" condition.
Matt's View
While the new rules will make life a bit more complicated for those who give, it should help charities. If you've ever noticed the size of the dumpsters in back of many Salvation Army or Goodwill stores, it's clear that the condition of a lot of what gets donated is far from "good."
For help in valuing donated items, the Salvation Army offers an online guide.
