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Posts Tagged ‘Christmas gifts’

7 Last Minute Christmas Shopping Tips

December 21st, 2009 by Matthew C. Keegan | 6 Comments | Filed in Consumer Tips

With Christmas at the door, maybe your presents aren’t. In other words, you still have a few gifts to buy and send which means you’re almost out of time.

Christmas CartLast minute shopping means last minute shipping, a costly, but possible endeavor. Indeed, even the United States Postal Service (USPS) can deliver a package on Christmas day, but for a price. A steep one at that.

Don’t let the lateness of the shopping season distract you – you can still finish up in time to make sure that your gifts are found under faraway trees on Christmas morn. (see The New York Times | Last-Minute Help for Those (Mostly Male) Holiday Shopping Slackers)

1. Shop Today – Yes, today is December 21st which means that most retailers use this date as the cut off for when items can be purchased, wrapped, packed, and shipped. Choose two-day delivery to assure enough time for your gifts to be processed and sent. Don’t bother choosing back order gifts at this point because they won’t ship until after Christmas if ever.

2. Christmas Cheer – If your gift recipient enjoys wine, you can stop by your local wine seller, pick up a few bottles and hand deliver them. If they live faraway, you may be able to ship these items from the store or you can ask them to package everything and take it to the USPS for delivery.

3. Holiday Home Baking – Your prized Christmas cookies are the delight of your family and friends. Why not whip up a batch of cookies, place them in a festive cookie tin, and send these off at once? These days, so many people don’t take the time to bake. Your gift beats out store bought any day.

4. Tickets or Passes – Tickets to a play, opera, or movies can be a nice gift to give. Also, consider passes to a ski resort, theme park, or museum. Some places allow you to order your tickets by phone or internet and can be picked up by the recipient on the day of the event. Find out if they’ll send a confirming e-message to your recipient too. (see Kiplinger | Give the Perfect Last-Minute Gift)

5. Magazine Subscription – Why not give the gift of reading this Christmas? Magazines are welcome especially for shut ins. Discount sites dominate the internet, making it possible to send a three year subscription for the price of one year. Most will send out a subscription card announcing your gift too.

6. Gift Cards – You know who their favorite retailer is, but you have no clue what this person wants. Besides, you can’t imagine yourself rubbing shoulders with influenza influenced shoppers this time of year. Instead, head over to the website of their favorite retailer and order the card online. Macy’s, for example, allows customers to order and customize cards right online. Add a photo if you like or order an e-card as late as December 24th (1 p.m.) to arrive in time for Christmas.

7. Cash – Some people think that giving cash or writing out a check is tacky, while others are grateful for your generosity. Teenagers love receiving money because that means they can decide what they want to buy and where they’ll buy it. It sure beats receiving an unwanted or inappropriate toy!

In the event that the weather socks you in or you just can’t get to the store today, go ahead and contact the USPS, UPS, and FEDEX for their last minute shipping options. You’ll pay more, but at least your package will arrive in time for Christmas. (see The Wall Street Journal | Holiday Shopping Tips)

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What You Need To Know About Christmas Gift Cards

November 12th, 2009 by Matthew C. Keegan | 6 Comments | Filed in Consumer Tips

All week we’ve been examining how to get the most out of Christmas this year. On Monday, it was all about getting your Christmas shopping done early. On Tuesday, we reviewed five Christmas shopping tips for savvy shoppers while on Wednesday we looked at rethinking your Christmas giving altogether.

Gift Cards

gift cardsToday, the discussion turns to gift cards and what you should know about these immensely useful and thoughtful presents. Not everyone likes to give them, preferring to buy a special item and wrapping it themselves, but for many recipients a card is the preferred gift as it allows them to decide what they really want. Honestly, gift cards can be a bit of a mystery, especially since their “rules” vary from retailer to retailer. Personally, there are some shops I would never buy a gift card from, fearing that they’ll tack on a fee that will diminish the value of the gift or in some cases the retailer may be headed for bankruptcy rendering the card and gift worthless.

Bankrate Advice

To help matters, we’ve turned to Bankrate.com a leading aggregator of rates and financial information for a variety of financial products including gift cards. Bankrate notes that gift cards have been the number one gift for the past five years, something not likely to change this year. However, they’re quick to warn consumers that reading the fine print is important before making a purchase, taking into consideration the following data as well:

  • Beware of fees on your major credit company gift cards if you don’t spend the card after the first 12 months: Three credit issuers charge a $2.50 monthly maintenance fee after 12 months of inactivity on their gift cards;
  • All store gift cards don’t charge a fee for purchasing their card in-store (Starbucks charges a $1.50 handling fee for cards purchased online), however all credit issuer gift cards charge a $3.95 fee upon purchase;
  • Keep an eye on your credit issuer gift card’s “Valid Thru” date: While it’s not an expiration date, your gift card will have date on it which indicates when it’s valid through (reportedly due to the shelf life of the magnetic strip). Gift card owners will have to call the issuing company to swap that card for a new one to use it;
  • When buying a retailer gift card, make sure that the card you’re buying can also be used online. While most retailers do allow online purchasing, major retailers such as CVS, T.J. Maxx, and Marshall’s do not allow their gift cards to be used online;
  • February 2010’s Credit CARD Act will also have an impact on the gift card industry: While the CARD Act does not prohibit an inactivity fee, it does mandate that gift cards cannot expire in less than five years;

Shop Now!

Gift cards certainly come in handy, but not all cards are equal. Know what you’re buying and the restrictions of each can certainly make a difference. Of course, if cards are used right away, then a number of issues disappear just as fast, therefore encourage your recipients to hit the stores ASAP in order to find bargains and get full use of their gift cards.

Source: Bankrate.com

Photo Credit: Ivan Prole


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Happy Black Friday, Now Start Your Shopping!

November 28th, 2008 by Matthew C. Keegan | 3 Comments | Filed in Consumer Tips, Fun Stuff

Happy “the day after” to you and yours – the day after Thanksgiving, that is.

Today marks the unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season, the countdown to Christmas which is less than four weeks away. Hopefully, you’ve picked your bird clean, polished off the last of the pumpkin pie, and sent unwanted leftovers home with your guests. After eating the equivalent of three meals in one sitting, you’ll need to get all the exercise you can to Christmas giftput off undesirable bulk. So, strap on your running shoes, throw on your overcoat and do what you do best: shop!

Before you run out, do you have all the tools at your disposal to help you find the best deals? In many locations, the Thanksgiving Day newspaper is the biggest issue of the year – jam packed with ads, advice, and savings tips. You’ll end up spending a significant chunk of your time sifting through all of the ads, but here is one bit of advice that you cannot discount: pull out those ads for stores you’ll want to visit and toss the rest.

Many stores will open early and some will offer specials during their first few hours, great buys that aren’t offered at any other time of the year. This means that if you hit the store when it opens at the ungodly hour of 5 a.m., you stand a chance of finding that four-slice two-slot bagel crisping toaster that your Aunt Bertha wants. Who cares that she lives alone and has no use for the thing? That’s what she wants, so be a good nephew or niece and line up at your local Global*Mart at 4:30 to secure your place in line.

Okay, so getting up before the sun rises isn’t your cup of tea, then what? Well, you’re probably still in luck. Some stores will be fairly well picked over by 8, while others will be restocking all day long. What’s more, you’ll find stores having specials in the morning – 7 to 11/12 – and in the afternoon – 12/1 to 5 – perhaps in the evening too. This year, with the economy being so tight, retailers are competing for customers and will be offering their best deals early. So, if you can’t stand being online out in the cold at some awful hour, grab a cup of coffee and head out a few hours later.

While malls will be jam packed, don’t forget downtown areas even if your business district is only a shell of its former self. Lots of mom and pop stores are still out there, some selling jewelry, others selling clothing, while still others featuring household items. You may not find the best prices on Black Friday at one of these stores but you’ll have smaller crowds to contend with and enjoy one attribute lacking almost everywhere else: customer service.

Finally, if even leaving the home has you dreading traffic, crowds, rude people, and the attendant sore feet, why not simply skip the shopping and stay at home? Computers are a great way to get your shopping done as some of the best buys can be found right online. In fact, the busiest online shopping day is Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving when holiday weary employees return to work, log on, and continue to shop…on company time!

Adv. — Do you need some great gift ideas? Does the thought of venturing out to the mall have you stressed even feeling anxious? If so, then look for what you want to buy online! Visit nBuy Plaza to find better deals than your local strip mall. While there, print out Santa’s List and download your free Christmas Party Holiday Kit to help you plan your social events for the month of December, even beyond. Happy shopping!


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Skip The Gift Cards This Holiday Season!

November 21st, 2008 by Matthew C. Keegan | 2 Comments | Filed in Consumer Tips

Its Christmas morning and you’re opening up one of your smaller gift boxes and quickly come upon a gift card which can be used only at a favorite retail establishment. You like the idea of getting a gift card because it allows you to buy what you want and when you want it.

Months goes by and you forget about the card, happening upon it again in June just a few weeks before you take your annual summer vacation. With glee, you begin to gift boxthink of ways that the money will come in useful, perhaps enough funds to purchase new bathing suits for you and the kids or a hammock and bird feeder for the backyard.

Before you run out and use the gift card you’ll want to make sure of one thing: is the retailer still in business? Unfortunately, a rash of bankruptcies even for popular retailers has meant that some consumers have been left holding the bag (or a worthless gift card) which could end up being the worst gift that you received this Christmas.

According to consumer advocate Clark Howard, when a retailer of restaurant goes into bankruptcy, it is up to the bankruptcy judge to determine what rights you have as a gift card holder. Unfortunately, judges usually wipe out those rights, leaving you with just a small piece of plastic as remembrance of a gift given. Howard hates gift cards and recommends that people give a time-honored gift instead: cash.

If you do receive a gift card this holiday season you can avoid losing the value of that gift by purchasing something immediately. The weeks following Christmas usually have the best sales of the year, stretching the value of the gift card further. However, with so many retailers on shaky ground, you might want to hit the store the day after Christmas because the New Year may not be so promising for that retailer.

Howard says that consumer groups are trying to have the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issue guidelines on gift cards that would require retailers to escrow gift card money. This move would protect consumers in the event of a business bankruptcy and give gift card givers and receivers some peace of mind.


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