Christmas Deals

FREE SHIPPING – ONLINE COUPONS – CHEAP GIFTS – HOLIDAY SAVINGS

Are you keeping an eye on the calendar?  While there are technically still 9 days left before Christmas, shipping deadlines for online retailers are creeping up quickly.  So if you’ve got great Christmas gifts picked out for the whole family, quit procrastinating and order them before it’s too late to take advantage of shipping deals from the top online retailers.  Gifting sites like Zazzle and Overstock offer free or ultra-low cost shipping rates, as long as you order in time.  Otherwise, you’ll have to splurge on express, 2 day, or overnight options, which can get pricey. Here are some important dates to remember, but make sure to check with each retailer individually before ordering.

December 16th is standard, but some sites like Best Buy and Target will honor standard shipping rates for orders coming in as late as December 20th. Express shipping can cover most orders made by December 21st, where as you’ll have to spring for overnight if you order online before 10am on Dec 23rd. But even if it’s Christmas eve and you still haven’t bought a single gift, never fear. Just check out Gifts.com for tons of unique gift ideas that offer same-day gift delivery.

It’s notoriously hard to find great Christmas gifts for men, but if there’s a die-hard sports fan in your family, it can make things a little easier.   You can always wrap up a new jersey, baseball cap, or even a reel of DVD bloopers from their favorite team.  OR you can opt to go the classy route with this memorable and unique gift – Yankee’s Game Used Baseball Cufflinks.

These cool little accessories are made from real baseballs used by the Yankees in a major league game, so he’ll have a piece of sports history right there on his sleeve.   Plus, he’ll have a blast researching the life of the specific ball that was used to make his cufflinks – each set comes with a numbered hologram that allows you to discover it’s history online.

This Christmas gift is sure to be a home run, and now you can save 10% by entering the code Gifts10 when you order at NYTstore.com.

Finally! No more sleepless nights spent racking your brain for great Christmas gift ideas for friends and family members. Now, thanks to Hunch and Gifts.com, if you’re friends on Facebook, the perfect gift is just a few clicks away. This free gift finder service works by pairing Hunch’s ultra-advanced recommendation technology with Gifts.com enormous selection of hand-picked gift ideas for every age, recipient, and occasion. Just log in to the service and click on the friend that you’re shopping for. You’ll instantly be shown dozens of gift ideas that have been personalized to your friends’ interests and personality. You can choose a gift right away, or answer a series of fun questions to further customize the results. And it’s not just for Christmas gifts – this tool even has a built-in birthday reminder, so you’ll never be caught empty handed again. Finding great gifts for your Facebook friends has never been easier.

Click below to try it for yourself!

Connect with Facebook – Powered by Hunch

Mom deserves love and attention all year long, but we typically only shop for her three times: when we’re looking for Mother’s Day, Birthday, or Christmas gifts.   Whatever the occasion, when it comes to Moms it really is the thought, and not the pricetag, that counts.    They key to turning a small but thoughtful gift into a treasured keepsake is all in the personalization.

Does mom like to spend her free time in the kitchen? Go with a personalized recipe box, which will keep her culinary secrets safe and organized for years to come. Show her that you’ve grown up thrifty by saving 15% at checkout with the coupon code GIFTS215. Need an even better Christmas gift idea? Surprise her by filling the box with favorite holiday recipes from your childhood.

Does she prefer the great outdoors? Why not go with a personalized gardening tote that will really compliment her green thumb. And don’t forget to save 15% while you’re at it! As mom would say, money doesn’t grow on trees.

Even though you probably shouldn’t start decorating for Christmas until after Halloween, that doesn’t mean that you can’t shop for unique Christmas decor all year long.  In fact, Springtime can be the best time to score major savings on the holiday merchandise that didn’t move last year.  Your local discount retailers (i.e. Ross, Marshalls & TJ Maxx) are a great place to scope out post-season Christmas decorations and other holiday gifts, but you can also score fun and funky deals online, especially during months without any major holidays.

Drooling over something fabulous that’s still out of your price range?  Consider signing up for the websites e-newsletter.  You typically don’t have to make a purchase to register, and nearly every email that hits your inbox will contain coupon codes, free shipping deals, and other money-saving offers.  For example, I’ve had my eye on these incredible outer-space robot Christmas ornaments all month!  But with Christmas still 8 months away, I can bide my time until I see an offer I can’t refuse.

Phew! The holidays sure flew by quickly, and now Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. So why waste any time thinking about Christmas gifts eleven months in advance? Well, if you were one of those mad shoppers who got caught up in a last minute eBay bidding war and overpaid for the season’s hottest Christmas gifts, you may have just learned a valuable lesson. The truly budget-savvy shopper will snap up a great deal, no matter what time of year it is.

Take the now-notorious Zhu Zhu pet for example. This was THE Christmas gift for kids this past holiday season, and these little critters were flying off of store shelves faster than you could keep up with. But now that Christmas has come and gone, you can order one online, with free shipping included, for under $15. However, this is one holiday deal that won’t last all year, so don’t let your tendency to procrastinate keep you from scoring this amazing Christmas gift at an amazing price.

Still looking for a thoughtful gift for a friend, neighbor, or co-worker? You can’t go wrong with a holiday gift basket filled with gourmet goodies and sweet treats. Impress clients or your boss with an elegant wine gift basket, or get a perfect Christmas gift for mom that’s filled with bath time goodies and luxurious spa products. You can even delight your dad with a King of the Barbecue gift basket from GourmetGiftBaskets. Whatever type of Christmas gift basket you choose, don’t forget to save 10% by shopping Gifts.com and entering the code GIFTS10 at checkout!

Make a big splash this holiday season with a matching Sugar & Spice apron set!  A fantastic Christmas gift for mom, this festive gift set comes with both a mom-sized and a child-sized cotton apron, to help you look smashing while you whip up a batch of your family’s favorite Christmas cookies.   With the embellished ball-fringe hemline, we think that this adorable apron would be a big hit with Mrs. Claus!   But what makes this a truly awesome Christmas idea is that you can get free shipping from Frontgate if you order now through the end of the season.  Now all you have to figure out is if you’ll be making gingerbread or sugar cookies!

Everyone knows that the day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as Black Friday, is the biggest shopping day of the year. Most major retailers consider this day to be the ultimate shopping event, and it can be a great time to take advantage of hot sales and holiday deals on Christmas gifts for the whole family. However, without proper planning, Black Friday can quickly turn in to the shopping day from hell. Follow these tips and you’ll not only survive, but you’ll be in great shape to shop ’til you drop.

1) Wear comfortable shoes.
This one’s a no-brainer. You’ll be walking and standing in line most of the day, so this in not the time to break in those new high heeled Michael Kors boots.

2) Pack a snack
Tuck some water and a bag of trail mix or a granola bar in your purse. This will save you the frustration of waiting in line at the food court for greasy, unhealthy junk food.

3) Take your time
Don’t try to be the first shopper inside when a store opens. This is how people end up getting trampled every year. Sure, that flat screen TV would make a great Christmas gift, but it’s not worth a trip to the ER.

4) Plan your parking
By the time the sun goes down, you’ll be pretty much shopped out, and a 5 mile hike back to the car will surely kill whatever is left of your Christmas spirit. Make a mental map of all the stores you want to hit, and then park as close as you can to the dead center. That way, you’ll never have to hoof it farther than half way.

5) Tag team!
Shopping with a friend or family member can be a great way shop savvy. Have someone get in line right away and hold your place while you stock up on affordable Christmas gifts. You’ll also need an extra set of hands to carry packages, and an extra set of eyes to spot the best holiday deals.

We’re all feeling the pinch this year with the recession in full swing and unemployment on the rise. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give nice, thoughtful gifts. Your nice, thoughtful gifts just have to cost less. A lot less. It may take a bit more creativity and a little footwork, but it’s doable. Here are our five favorite gift ideas for under $5 that will still bring joy to the lucky recipient.

#1 – The Homemade Coupon

This is hands-down our favorite low-cost gift and one that will be especially loved by a spouse, parents or grandparents. Who says a Christmas gift has to cost money? Spend a little time creating a homemade coupon good for a free back rub, 5 nights of doing the dishes or a week of breakfast in bed. What mom isn’t going to love receiving a coupon from her kids worth 2 hours of “quiet time” or a coupon from her husband for a week of diaper-changing. You can even spring for the $2.99 Christmas card to enclose the coupon.

#2 – A Framed Photo

Find a great photo of you and the gift recipient. There may be a digital photo sitting somewhere on a computer hard drive. Maybe it’s on your Facebook or Flickr account or in some long lost folder. Dig up a great photo and have it printed in 4×6 or 5×7 size at any one of the many online printing services. Most offer extremely low-cost prints as well as free prints for new accounts.

Then buy a nice little photo frame. You may be surprised to find that there are well over 200 photo frames available in all shapes and sizes for less than $5. Check out Pronto Home for all the sizes and styles. The one featured here would make a great gift and is only $3.12 at Sears.

See the Photo Frames

#3 – A Christmas Ornament

The holiday ornament is a very nice gift that will be used year after year. It’s an inexpensive gift, often less than the cost of a scented candle, yet can look like it cost much more. Our favorites are the blown glass ornaments or the old-style wooden or metal ornaments that look like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

CB2 offers a handblown frosted glass snowman for only $1.95. It’s simple, sleek and is a modern take on a traditional ornament. With a nice box and wrapping paper, this will make a great little gift.

We found hundreds of holiday ornaments for under $5 from great stores like Pottery Barn, CB2, Target and more.

See the Ornaments

#4 – Holiday Sugar Cookies

Flour and sugar are cheap and water is free. Get the basics for making cookies for less than $5 at your local supermarket and spend the afternoon baking sugar cookies in all the traditional holiday shapes. What to pack them in? Here you will need to do a little recycling and regifting. Use last year’s cookie tins or some of the gift bags you’ve received in the past and stored in the closet.

#5 – A Bottle of “Inexpensive” Wine

Notice that I didn’t say cheap. The quality of wine is subjective and when someone doesn’t recognize the brand and has no idea of the price, more often than not, they also won’t know the difference. Don’t go to the liquor store for this one as these smaller stores are less likely to have wines below the $5 threshold. Try a local supermarket that runs good sales or weekly specials. Don’t buy a mainstream brand and judge the wine based on the label. A simple, elegant wine label will make the gift recipient think you bought this special wine while touring through the Napa Valley back in 1997. Who knows, you could have been storing it all these years just for this special occasion. Enjoy.