It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for spending money. Americans are expected to spend close to $1T on holiday shopping this year, but there are ways to lighten the load on your wallet. Before jumping into Cyber Monday, consider these resources to get the most bang for your buck:
- Bring your best card: When shopping online, make sure you’re getting good cashback on your purchases. Retailers like Amazon and Target boast cashback cards of their own. For other online purchases, the Robinhood Gold Card and Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card both earn 3% cashback.
- Find the best cashback: You can often pair the cashback from your credit card with affiliate offers. One platform, Cashback Monitor, helps you find the extension or cashback portal that gives you the most cashback on your purchases — whether that’s Rakuten, Swagbucks, an airline’s mile portal, or a creditor.
- Creditor offers: Some creditors, like Amex and Chase, maintain offer portals of their own. If you’re shopping around, checking these offers first could help you save more — just remember to actually activate them on your eligible card.
- Buy a gift card: Platforms like Raise GCX offer cashback on secondhand gift cards, giving you hefty discounts on leading brands like Southwest, Uber, DoorDash, and Amazon. The deals here could help you take a big chunk off your big buys.
Wait and see: Many retailers will be discounting electronics and household goods, looking to win over consumers who have delayed spending amid higher inflation. But if you’re on the fence about buying something, you could always… wait. Just as Black Friday now bleeds into Cyber Monday, many deals will continue throughout December and into the New Year. To stay on top of prices, use apps like Honey to bookmark items or check historical prices for Amazon and third-party sellers on CamelCamelCamel. The deal you’re looking for may be just around the corner.
We want to hear from you: Do you use an app or extension to find deals, track prices, or get more cashback? Reply to this email and tell us about it.
