Expert: Don't Wait. If It's On Sale Now, Buy It
BOSTON (CBS) -- No one likes the idea of sky-high credit card bills after the holidays, but staying within you budget can be a lot easier said than done.
Good friends Camini Persad and Jennifer Rivera have a strategy to help them avoid over-spending. "We don't pay retail, ever. That's a rule," Persad explained.
Their secret weapon: coupons.
They clip, share and redeem coupons on just about everything and those savings really add up. "We work very hard for our money," Rivera said. "We want to keep as much of it as possible."
WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben reports.
They are not the only bargain hunters out there this season. According to the National Retail Federation, 87 percent of holiday shoppers say they won't buy a gift this year unless it is on sale.
In hopes of attracting those bargain-minded shoppers, stores are not waiting until the last minute to offer discounts. Sales are on now.
Retail experts say if you see a gift on sale, buy it. It is not likely to get much cheaper. And like last year, stores have a limited number of items in stock. "We do believe that customers that wait until the last minute, may be disappointed because some of the key items that they are looking for may be well sold out by then," explained John Long a retail strategist with Kurt Salmon Associates.
Shoppers may have better luck finding the items they want online. "Keeping inventory in each separate store is a very costly proposition," Long said. "Keeping it in a warehouse, poised and ready, waiting for your order is a bit easier."
According to Long, shoppers can expect lots of online only deals and special weekly, daily or even hourly web promotions.
But don't let these sales lure you away from your budget. The National Retail Federation reports that online holiday shoppers will spend almost 25 percent more than shoppers who go into the store.
