The Savings Mom's Tips for Last-Minute Gifts

ByABC News via logo
December 15, 2006, 12:51 PM

Dec. 15, 2006 — -- When I do my holiday shopping, I do my best to buy as many items as possible using online sales, coupons, rebates and free shipping. By the time I have finished my online shopping, I usually only have a few items that require fighting the crowds in the stores. With only a few days left to take advantage of free shipping offers that will arrive by Dec. 22, you may want to try these easy online shopping strategies as well.

Here are some of my strategies for finding deals and some examples of what I have found. Please understand that these are only a few examples of what you can find, and they are not recommendations or endorsements of the items.

Once you find an item you like, take the time to read product reviews from other shoppers, rating systems, and details of promotions before deciding to buy an item. Understand the retailer's return policy before you place your order. If you take advantage of a rebate offer, be sure to fill out the rebate form immediately and make copies of any documentation that you mail in to follow up if necessary.

When you have a specific item in mind or you are just browsing to find creative bargains, go to a coupon code site, like thecouponmom.keycodecoupons.com, to see if there is an online coupon code available for items or retailers you like. You can also go to a search engine and enter the name of the retailer and the term "coupon code" to find many sites with online coupon offers.

Some offers, such as 10 percent off at Target or 10 percent off at Overstock.com, require you to click through to the retailer from the coupon code site first. The coupon discount will be applied to your order automatically from click-through links, and the link will tell you that it is automatic. Other online coupons are actual codes that you simply copy from the site and paste into a promotional code box on the retailer's checkout page.

Clearance Web sites like Overstock.com carry a limited quantity of clearance-priced merchandise all year. They may not have the selection that traditional retailers have, but it is possible to find popular items at low prices, combined with online coupon codes, from these sites.