Save time, money on last minute gift shopping
HOUSTON - The clock is ticking. Still, need to finish your holiday shopping before Christmas? Are you panicking?
With just one day left before Christmas, your best bet for making sure a gift is under the tree in time is to shop in stores.
Before you go, make a list of gifts you need to buy, and Google each one. The browser will show you prices for the item at each retailer, so you can head directly to the store with the lowest price.
No idea what to get? Gift baskets or gifts with holiday packaging will likely be on sale.
For shopping online, download a shopping extension browser, such as Rakuten or Capital One Shopping, which will show you the lowest prices and coupon codes.
Some retailers like Amazon may still offer same-day delivery on Saturday. But you can also order gifts for same-day delivery through local delivery services, such as Instacart, Shipt, DoorDash, Uber, and Roadie or use curbside pick-up.
We asked the experts at DealNews for some last-minute tips.
"Definitely shop around. Take a few minutes to check out something before you buy it, to make sure no one else is offering a better deal," said Julie Ramhold with DealNews. "Use any store credits you’ve been earning, so you can spend those when they’re valid. If you leave them on the table, the deal is not as good if you're also leaving money on the table."
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If you still need to shop on Christmas Day, most retailers will be closed. But chain pharmacy stores such as Walgreens and CVS along with other stores like Dollar Tree and Starbucks will have some stores open.
Here's a link to a roundup of stores' holiday hours.
But here's a tip: one of the most popular gifts this year is to give an experience, such as tickets to a show, or a gift card for a massage or a restaurant. Those can be purchased online and delivered to the recipient's inbox immediately.