New Ways To Shop Smarter

With the holiday shopping season looming, many consumers are wondering how they can save a few bucks. Sue Perry, Deputy Editor for ShopSmart Magazine, has some tips.

Saving experts have long advocated keeping a jar in your house for spare change, but rolling all those coins can be time consuming. Instead, CoinStar, simplified the process by automating everything. The catch? The company takes a percentage of the coins you cash in.

Perry says there's another option, though, that allows you to keep all your money: gift cards. "There's an option now to get a gift card or a gift certificate," says Perry. Many popular companies are participating, such as iTunes or Amazon.com. Now, you can turn your loose change into gift cards for family and friends. "You get an even exchange," says Perry.

Perry also advises using credit cards when you do your holiday shopping. Unlike a debit card, credit cards offer protection on purchases. If something goes wrong, you're usually covered. "Say you buy a big ticket item and it breaks or it gets stolen. With a credit card, you get some of that money back," says Perry. Credit cards also cover changes in price and add extra warranty coverage to major appliance purchases.

Another way to save? Look for coupons while you shop. Many people search the internet for coupons before making an online purchase, but the same technology can be applied to store purchases as well. If you have a cell phone that has internet capabilities, you can search for coupons while you're shopping. "CellFire is one of the sites that you can dial up," says Perry. Or, she suggests searching on www.CouponSherpa.com. "All you have to do is save the coupon that you want onto your cell phone, and then when you go to the cashier... you just show them your cell phone," says Perry.

Cash for clunkers was a success, so now the government is offering another energy hog trade-in program for major appliances. If you buy an appliance with an EnergyStar label, the government will give you a rebate. The program is just starting, though, so check online to see when rebates will start in your home state. To find out if your new appliance qualifies, click here to visit www.EnergyStar.gov.

Perry also suggests taking a good look at your cell phone plan. What seems like a money-saving choice may actually be costing you more. Consider switching to a pre-paid cell phone plan if your contract is nearly up. "They've come down in price, and we calculated... that can save you as much as $600.00," says Perry. Some carriers are offering plans that only cost $50.00 per month. Shop around to see what plan works best for you.

For more ways to save money and shop smarter, click here to visit www.ShopSmartMag.com.

By Erin Petrun