The passing of Halloween now marks the green light for retailers to push full speed ahead into all things holiday. Both Target and Walmart are donned in religion-less snowflakes or presents. Malls and lifestyle centers are festooned with wreaths, lights and posters advertising special holiday shopping events. While it can be fun to get out and shop among the masses, I get more of a thrill from the satisfaction of knowing I’ve gotten the best deals online, shopping in the comfort of my own home. We’ve long known that online shopping wins in the speed and ease at which one can compare prices and availability, but this year, social media has added several more pluses to buying with a click. Before you buy, become a fan of the desired store on Facebook. In many cases, store pages will have free shipping or discount codes available immediately or offers will be shared in status updates or messages. For example, befan J.Crew and get the code for free shipping. Befan Target and learn that you get 5 cents back for every reusable bag (for when you have to go to the brick & mortar store). Twitter is a great source of shopping deals, too. Follow your favorite stores and watch for tweets with promotion codes or follow personas like CheapTweet, who searches Twitter for all deals, coupons and freebies and tweets them on in real time. For example, did you know that the Home Depot is hosting a twinkly light trade-in? Bring in your old Christmas lights and get $3 off LED strands. Also search ‘deals’ and look for your local magazines, newspapers and news anchors on Twitter. With all these online connections, I’m hoping to check off every item on my list below full price or with free shipping at the very least. Good tidings of shopping deals & joy!

Posted by Grace