Arguably the best life skill to develop as an adult is knowing how to hack your way into the cheapest deals. But this is not something that people are taught in school. Often, you have to pick up information as you go along.
Gone are the days when you had to brave crowds to squeeze yourself into a sale. Sure, there are still a lot of people who prefer going straight to the source by showing up at stores and lining up before the sun is even out. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, even the most enthusiastic of shoppers might be daunted by the risk. But there’s another reason why people have been flocking to website counterparts instead of brick-and-mortar stores these days. In the internet era, online sales are even better.
One thing that has been true for a long time even for offline transactions is that promotions usually mushroom around holidays. And a lot of these special events happen around Christmastime. It can sometimes get mind-boggling how people get so keen to spend so much of their money at this time of year.
In 2019, Gallup reported that they expected Americans to spend an estimated $942 for Christmas gift-giving. While across the Atlantic, Deloitte predicted that British consumers would probably spend £567 themselves. This figure was less than what Americans were anticipated to consume but to be fair, the British don’t really seem to care about amounts. In fact, Ocean Finance shared that only 16 out of a hundred people could actually remember the price of something they literally just bought!
It’s no wonder the two biggest sales events happen every last quarter. Even if you were not already training to be a smart shopper, these words should already be familiar to you: Black Friday and Boxing Day. Black Friday is one of the most awaited days of the year not just by American customers but also by retailers themselves. It aptly refers to the time when most companies will no longer be in the red financially. According to the British, Boxing Day on the other hand originated from the tradition of boxing presents for the poor that occurred annually after Christmas. Regardless of where these names came from, however, they mean the same to absolutely everyone: the best deals and the deepest discounts!
But don’t just take it from us. You will also learn this from your own experience. Throughout the year, you will also be able to observe sales sprouting around other times when the demand is highest. For example, you can snap up your Dell cashback during popular Back to School promotions, when more people are in greater need of laptops and other gadgets. This only makes sense since demand results from necessity. To the wise shopper though, the savings can really add up when you hold on to your coin and choose to bide your time. Sometimes it is better to take advantage of a good deal when the product is at its cheapest. Think of it as an investment because you know you’re going to use it anyway.
How much do you think you’ll spend in the upcoming holidays?
