This year has been long and tough financially for many people. Now that the biggest shopping season of the year – Christmas shopping – is upon us, finding ways to save on gifts is even more important. Fortunately, with a little foresight and a bit of effort, you can save tens if not hundreds of dollars with savvy shopping tips this holiday season.

Discounts, Discounts, Discounts

Take advantage of every price discount you can find for items you want. Reducing the price you pay with coupon codes or coupon slips is a very smart thing to do. From food to decorations to gifts and more, the money you don’t spend is money available for something else!

Be sure to check several sites for the best discount code or coupon for your target item. Some discounts are noted for specific items, while others are for any purchase at a particular storefront.

Discover if you can combine sale price discounts or not: Some merchants allow combinations up to a pre-set percentage or discount total. Some allow an either/or situation only where you chose which discount you’d prefer.

Compare Prices

You might think that the sweater you’ve been wanting is finally being offered at the lowest price around, but it might not be discounted as far in Store A as it is in Store B. Even using multiple tabs or browsers, sorting through price comparison on comparable items can still be confusing and very time-consuming.

Try price-matching websites for larger or major end items. They often give several prices for the same or similar items from different vendors, saving you time, effort and sanity.

If your preferred store is not listed among those displayed vendors, at least you will have that information ammunition for a price-match request: If you can get a lower price by a price-match arrangement by a local store, do so! The store manager might not agree, but she might: You’ll never know unless you ask!

Find out, however, if local stores have the authority to suspend store chain policy, though. What you might read on the corporate website may not agree with your local store’s policy. Discover each policy and consider negotiating for the better policy arrangement on your purchase.

Shipping v Local Pick-Up

Many merchants make the purchaser – you – pay to have the item delivered to your doorstep. Some, however, present the option to have the item shipped to you via your local outlet for free.

The cost of shipping should be added to your total purchase price, but so should the cost of fuel, mileage, car usage and your time to retrieve the item from the local store.

If you can afford the time more than you can a high shipping cost, opt for the less expensive delivery mode every time. You can combine other errands on your retrieval trip to save time and money.

This post was written by Holly Miller, a writer for Coupon Croc, visit us for the latest promotions and discounts on all of your favorite online shops this holiday season.