by Ben B - Monday, December 12, 2011
4 Buying tips to Make Your Green Go Farther
It’s “Green Monday”, a term from eBay circa 2007 and used to describe the Monday that falls around the second week of December and has typically been one of the heaviest spending days of the year online. It’s the time when the moderate procrastinators are really starting to feel the pressure of the quickly approaching holiday deadlines, but the professional procrastinators are still holding out and saying things like, “I really should get my shopping done.”
In a down economy online spending has gained even more favor among US consumers. For the week of December 9, consumer’s online spending was up 15 percent from the same period last year according to comScore an internet activity tracking firm. They added that the previous 30 days were also up 15 percent, reaching online sales of $24.6 billion. Every measurable metric and calendar milestone, “Black Friday”, “Cyber Monday”, have all seen record highs as well, with Black Friday e-commerce sales jumping 26 percent. So with no foreseeable slowdown in online sales, here are four helpful tips to stretch your ‘green’ this year.
- Take advantage of free shipping offers whenever possible. This year December 16th is the day when thousands of merchants offer free shipping because it is one of the last days that will allow for ground shipping to reach their customers before December 24. By taking advantage of these free shipping offers you can save 100′s of dollars and maybe even have enough to buy yourself that extra gift you’ve been wanting like a spa package to decompress after the holidays.
- Use low interest cards like the Citi Platinum Select that offers 0 percent interest on purchases and balance transfers for 21 months, or cards that offer cash back rewards like the Chase Freedom Visa. This Chase card offers a $200 cash back bonus plus 5 percent cash back on all gas purchases as well as purchases in many other spending categories. It just makes CreditSense to put as much money back in your pocket as you can.
- Use the “in store pickup” option whenever it is practical. You won’t have to fight the crowds, you just walk in and pick up your items and leave. You can save valuable time and money this way.
- Buy from direct distributors, not retailers, whenever possible. Buying from companies like ltdcommodities.com can save you 30% to 70% over retail markup because they are the wholesale distributor and you won’t have to buy in bulk.
I don’t personally know of a single American who doesn’t like the idea of getting a little cash back, but If cash back isn’t your hot button and you like to travel, then here’s a freebie tip for you this year. Get your mittens on a rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. This is a card that gets you 50 thousand (50,000) unlimited reward points. 50,000 points can go a long way toward the next getaway you’re planning.
There are 12 days to Christmas. Shop wisely and use your CreditSense so you can have peace of mind this Holiday season.
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I've traveled the world, hitchhiked across Europe, and biked faraway coasts for weeks at a time. I'm here as a blogger with CreditSense to share my adventures and show you how you can take advantage of credit card offers, hotel points and frequent flyer miles to travel for free.