Price Matching Is a Credit Card Perk that Few Consumers Use

Have you seen the credit card commercials that hype a card’s price-matching feature? Some credit card companies offer to refund the difference when customers can show that the price on an item went down after they bought it with that credit card. This offer brings in more customers to those credit card companies, but it seems that relatively few customers actually use it.

Terms vary from MasterCard’s offer of up to $250 back if you find the product for sale at a lower price within 60 – 120 days, depending on the card used, to Discover’s offer of up to $500 back if you report the lower price within 90 days of purchase.

The only downside of using this perk is that, in order to receive these refunds, you must contact your credit card company and submit documentation. Some companies request your credit card statement, while others have a special form to fill out online. You will need to show the specific retailer, price, and date that price was offered.

Price matching can definitely save you money, so be sure to check with your credit card company about their price-matching policy. Consider saving any refunds you receive. You might put the money into an emergency fund to meet unexpected expenses.

Reference:

Hill, C. (2015, November 10). The Greatest, Most Underused Credit Card Perk. MarketWatch. Retrieved December 10, 2015, from http://www.marketwatch.com/story/story?guid=e4aee540-50a2-11e3-ad6e-00212803fad6&storyguid=e4aee540-50a2-11e3-ad6e-00212803fad6&siteid=nwhpf.

Price Tracking Websites for Holiday Shopping

Price-Tracking Web Sites for Holiday Shopping

Even though Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, you can still find good deals online for holiday shopping without the stress of going over your holiday budget.

While Amazon always has many items marked down and can provide savings for the consumer, their pricing is not as straightforward as it might seem. Many consumers don’t realize that Amazon’s prices may change throughout the day. Fortunately, with the help of a price-tracking Web site, you can keep tabs on their prices and find the best time to buy the items you want.

CamelCamelCamel, for instance, tells whether a price on a specific item has increased or decreased over time. Copy and paste the URL of the item from Amazon.com—or the product keyword—and it tells if there has been a price change. CamelCamelCamel only tracks Amazon prices at this time. Their Web site is http://camelcamelcamel.com/.

To check prices from other online retailers, try Invisible Hand. This free download is an extension for your Web browser. It tells you if the item you are looking at online is being sold for less elsewhere. You can also use it for booking hotels, plane reservations and rental cars, as well. Their Web site is http://www.getinvisiblehand.com/.

PriceZombie is another free, downloadable Web browser extension that can notify users of low prices available at various stores. It gives an item’s price history and shows where you can get the item at the best price. It also notifies users if a recently purchased item is now selling for less, so you might be able to get a refund on the price difference. (Also check with your credit card company to see if they provide price-difference refunds when the price has dropped for an item you bought with your card.) Find them at http://www.pricezombie.com.

READERS, what do you think?

1.     Did you know that prices on items change all the time? What do you do to find the best prices?

2.     How do you plan to save money on holiday shopping?

Reference:

AOL, Inc. (n.d.). Price-tracking tools for holiday savings. Daily Finance. Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://www.dailyfinance.com/2015/12/01/online-price-tracker-holiday-shopping-savings-experiment/.

Preparing for the Holidays without the Stress

It’s November, which means that holiday season is upon us. In recent years, businesses have been pushing holiday sales, especially Black Friday. This has encouraged shoppers to make holiday purchases well in advance to save money. But it also cuts into holiday time that many feel should be spent with families.

Does holiday time seem overwhelming or hectic? Or maybe you wonder how you can pay for presents for everyone on your list? If you are stressing out over your budget, or how to balance school or work with holiday preparations, there are ways you can make your job easier.

·      Pay cash for everything. You shouldn’t take on debt to buy presents, so using only cash keeps you from spending money you don’t have. Don’t take more money with you than you’re really prepared to spend.

·      Write down a list of all the gifts you are going to buy and which stores you will need to visit to find what you are looking for. Stay away from stores not on your list and don’t buy extra presents just because they’re on sale.

·      Try DIY (Do-It-Yourself) gifts. Maybe you are not a big crafter, but DIY gifts are an excellent way to save money; and besides, a homemade present could be especially meaningful to someone because you made it just for them.

·      Have a gift exchange. You might not need to buy a gift for everyone you know. If your family and friends are having a holiday party, a gift exchange will save everyone money. Each of you can draw one other person’s name from a basket and buy a present for him or her. This can be a fun way to exchange gifts, and everyone in your group will get something chosen just for them.

Black Friday sales can save you money, but there are other ways to avoid paying full price. Look on several stores’ Web sites for the best prices and to find out which stores are selling what you want to buy. You might find a lot of what you want at the big box stores, but do not forget Small Business Saturday—two days after Thanksgiving—because you could find unique gifts for your loved ones. And you will be supporting small businesses in your area.

READERS, what do you think?

1.     Have you started thinking about holiday shopping? If yes, what have you done so far?

2.     What are your thoughts on holiday shopping and promotions advertised before Thanksgiving? What do you think about Black Friday and other early sales?

3.     What other preparations do you need to make for the holidays? What are you going to do to reduce the stress and make the most of time with family and friends?

References:

Bodnar, J. (2008, November). Ten Holiday Shopping Tips. Kiplinger.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015, from http://www.kiplinger.com/article/spending/T062-C000-S001-ten-holiday-shopping-tips.html.

Leinbach-Reyhle, N. (2015, November 3). Early Black Friday Savings Are Here in a Big Way, But Should You Start Buying? Forbes. Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/nicoleleinbachreyhle/2015/11/03/early-black-friday-savings-are-here-in-a-big-way-but-should-customers-begin-to-buy/.