‘Tis the Season for Shopping Smart

The holiday season is fast approaching and with that comes shopping!  We have Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday starting to take place at the end of this week.  With that I thought I would share a couple of my fav ways to save money this holiday season.

First off, want to get a jump start and planning your Black Friday shopping strategy?  Head over to BF Ads to check out all the good deals that will be released this Friday.  Click on Ad Scans (7th option down in left hand column) for my fav way to look.

Small Business Saturday is a great initiative started by American Express last year to encourage people to shop local business.  I encourage you check out some shops in your area or at least make a few Etsy purchases this holiday season (I have found so many good things on Etsy so far this year and the customer service is through the roof)!

And finally, Cyber Monday – the day everyone goes back to work and shops the day away.  I am a big fan of online shopping throughout the year, but really like the stress-free shopping opportunities it provides this time of year in particular.  Online Retailers offer great free shipping deals and promo codes that really help save money.

My number one piece of advice for online shopping (year-round) is to sign up for EBATES!  Through this free service you earn rebate cash (anywhere from 1% – 20%) based on your online purchases at any of their 1000+ partnered retailers.  I know it can sound too good to be true, but I have been an avid Ebates shopper since 2007 and have racked up over $700 cash back (quarterly deposits into my Paypal Account – you can get checks too).  You get $5 just for signing up, so do it!

If you need some inspiration to get to shopping, I have been clipping a few fun things on my Holiday Gift Giving Ideas board on Pinterest you can check out.  They range from thing from large retailers, etsy shops and ideas of things to make.  I plan on pinning a lot more in the coming weeks too.

Good luck shopping and be safe out there!

Kimberly Brinkman is the creator of the blog Fab Finds Under $50.

There, she shares daily outfits, trends she loves, outfit ideas, inspiration to mix and match your closet and more.

Visit Fab Finds Under $50 and find out what it means to celebrate “Real Women, Real Fashion, Real Prices!”

You can also follow Kimberly on Twitter.

Or check her out on facebook for additional fab find fun!