Shop till you drop this Christmas without leaving the house
Christmas is just around the corner, so it’s time to start planning so you can avoid that last-minute rush. We know shopping for Christmas gifts and Christmas decorations can be tedious and time-consuming. With the hustle and bustle of our busy daily lives, it’s often hard to find the time or the energy to get out there and spend hours at the shopping centre. So, this year why not make things easy - and do your shopping online!
Here’s how to do all your Christmas shopping – and save money - without leaving the house.
Find the lowest price
No, we don’t mean spending all your time scouring the internet to find the lowest price (that would just defeat the whole purpose really wouldn’t it!). But you can find a great price with very little time and effort. We’ve found a neat little app and plug-in called Honey that works across more than 40,000 sites and automatically applies successful promo codes before you check out. Honey currently supports shopping sites in Australia, USA, UK and Canada. You can download Honey to your computer (using it with Chrome is the best option) and it’s also available for iOS users.
Use a credit card
Instead of using your debit card, use a credit card. Not only does this give you a little extra time to pay for your purchases, it’s also a better option if you need to return an item you bought online. It’s easier to get your money back when you use a credit card than when you used a debit card. That’s because when you use a debit card your money is taken directly from your account and generally the banks take a little more time to replace it when a credit is put through for the item that you returned.
Amazon Prime sale
Amazon Prime is relatively new in Australia but now is a great time to explore it for Christmas. Membership costs $6.99 per month (or $59 each year*) with free shipping included. We think that’s great value, but you can also get a free trial, so you won’t need to invest if you don’t want to. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can see the daily Lightning Deals half an hour before they happen. If you’re using a smartphone when doing your online shopping, you can browse through the upcoming Lightning Deals by installing the Amazon smartphone app, which is available on iOS and Android. Once you see something you want, just click the “Watch this deal” button, and you will receive a notification on your smartphone just before it goes on sale. Now there’s no reason to miss out!
Facebook sale
If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, or if you’re not really into Amazon shopping, don’t forget there are loads of online sellers on Facebook, especially during the Christmas season. Facebook Marketplace will show local sellers as well as those nationwide, so if you’re after a larger item that will be costly to deliver, check out what’s available close to home so you can pick it up yourself.
Get free shipping from PayPal. Surprised? Yes, many online shopping sites will give you free shipping when you pay with PayPal. And don’t forget, you can link your credit card to your PayPal account so you can get some extra time before you have to pay.
Catch a great deal
Catch is an Australian online retailer offering thousands of bargains every day. If you’re a Club Catch member ($6.50 per month or $69 per year*) you get exclusive deals, club discounts and free shipping. Check out the Tommy Hilfiger wallet at 67% off and the essential oils diffuser for just $20* (that’s a whopping $100 saving!)
Do it early
The important thing to remember with Christmas shopping online is to do it early. You should plan to have all of your shopping completed before December 16th - any later and it will be harder to find deals that offer free shipping and you run the risk of your purchase arriving after Christmas (which kind of defeats the purpose really doesn’t it!).
Make the most of it
Christmas is a special time and we hope that yours is filled with lots of love and laughter. It’s the season of giving but it can easily leave you feeling a little financially strung out. But don’t worry if the cost of all that gift, decoration and food buying has you quaking at the knees - we’re here to help out. Just check out our cash loans $1,000 to $5,000 to find out how quick and easy it is to get your hands on some extra funds. Once a loan is approved, we can usually deposit the cash into your bank account within a few hours - so you can go ahead and start your Christmas shopping this week!
*Prices correct at date of publication (26 November 2019). May be subject to change without notice.