Everyone is looking for Christmas deals this weekend to finish up their Christmas shopping before the holiday.  We just finished ours this afternoon, and we survived! Here are a few deals that caught my eye recently.

Blockbuster Free Trial

A Blockbuster free trial of their online movie service can be a good stocking stuffer if you have any movie buffs in your family.  The free trial allows you to try out the service and see how you like it before committing to a monthly membership.

Omaha Steaks Deals

If you’re not a meat eater this won’t be for you but if you are there are some good deals to be had.  In addition to their Omaha steaks free shippping offer they are also running thier 19.99 sale.

They have a whole range of foods like filet mignon, top sirloins, pork chops, bbq pork, burgers, and chicken fillets on sale for $19.99.  With regular prices on the food packages ranging from $35 – $60 the sale offers considerable savings -  $19.99 Sale

Angies List Deals

Angies List is offering 50% off their gift memberships during the holidays. Typically you need an Angies List promotion code to waive the activation fee but for the gift memberships they’re waiving the fee. 

Gamefly Deals

Gamefly is like Blockbuster Online but for video games, not movies.  Once you’re a member you can select a certain number of games and they’ll ship them to you.  After you finish those games you send them back in and they ship you the next ones on your list.  Gamefly is running a special this weekend, if you sign up for one month you get a second month free – One Free Month

I ran across an article on CNBC about the top 10 hidden costs associated with the holidays, and it struck a chord with me, because I often overlook these expenses during the holiday season. Here is the list from the article and my take on each of them.

1. Holiday meals/gifts for hosts/entertaining

My wife and I just bought a house, and we wanted to utilize the holidays as a way to show off our new pad. So, we planned a Christmas party, then agreed to have the family over for dinner on Christmas day, and then we invited friends to hang out at our place for New Year’s Eve. We sat down and planned out each of the events the other night, and the expenses associated with entertaining were something we did NOT plan for two months ago.

2. Holiday cards/wrapping paper

This is never a huge expense for us, because we buy wrapping paper from the dollar store, and we spend very little on holiday cards. For holiday cards, snap a photo of you and your family with your digital camera. Then, upload the photo onto the website of your choice that develops digital image files. Then, choose a Christmas background border, and you are done. We spent about 60 cents to a $1.00 per holiday card last year.

3. Holiday travel (airfare, hotel, gas)

Holiday travel is the worst. We try to avoid it if at all possible. The most we might travel on Christmas is a two hour drive to my hometown. I don’t consider this one a “hidden” expense, because most people plan for these expenses well in advance.

4. Holiday decorations

Ugh, this was another one that trapped us. We have a house now, and of course we want to decorate it like it’s Santa’s workshop. But, we resisted the temptation to go overboard, and we will be waiting until after Christmas to get all of our decorations at 50 to 75% off. We’re okay for waiting until NEXT year to make our house look like the North Pole.

5. Shipping/postage

This one catches many people off guard. When you are sitting down and coming up with a gift budget for each person on your list, make sure you include the cost to ship the gift. So, if you budget is $50, don’t buy a $50 gift and spend $15 to ship it. Multiply that by 10 more people on your list and you will be wondering where all of your money went.

6. Clothing/holiday party outfit

If you buy a new outfit specifically for a holiday party you’re cutting into your gift giving budget.

7. Electricity for holiday lights

Most Christmas decorating veterans factor in their budget that their electric bill will be astronomical in January. The new LED lights provide some electricity savings, but the main thing is to not go overboard with your lights. Does your house really need to be seen from outer space? Be tasteful and purposeful with your light decorations. Your house will look better and you won’t annoy your neighbors so much.

8. Additional childcare/pet sitting

This is a big expense during the holidays that many people overlook. Factor in a couple hundreds dollars extra for childcare and pet boarding if you have children and dogs and/or cats.

9. Charitable contributions

Make sure you factor in your charitable giving into your budget. This would be anything above and beyond you already give throughout the year.

10. *BONUS* Gift for yourself – but only if you can afford it!

Gift for yourself? Please! You might be able to convince your spouse into buying a “family” gift, but it’s tough to justify a gift for yourself during the season of giving! Can you think of any other hidden expenses that you might incur throughout the holidays? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section. The holidays are all about planning, and if you don’t plan, you’ll start whipping out the plastic. Don’t let yourself have a credit card hangover in January. it’s not too late to plan for your upcoming expenses in the next two weeks.

Christmas deals are everywhere in days before Black Friday and the month leading up to the biggest gift giving event of the year.  Sometimes retailers get pretty creative with their holiday promotions and sometimes they simply offer good old discounts.  Here are a few I’ve noticed mentioned around the web recently:

American Express $20 Cashback

Wal-Mart has teamed up with American Express to give you $20 cashback on your Am Ex card when you enroll your card and spend $40 at Wal-Mart two times over the holidays.  Thanks to Sun for bringing this $20 cashback deal to my attention.

Sun’s going to enroll his AmEx True Earnings card, I’ll probably use my AmEx Blue Cash card.  The deal results in $20 credited to your statement.  If you’ll be doing any shopping at Wal-Mart this shopping season you could save $20 with this one.

Restaurant.com Gift Certificate Discounts

Restaurant.com has been offering some pretty significant discounts lately, apparently many people like to give these as gifts or stocking stuffers. The 80% off promotion that the Digerati Life wrote about has ended but they’ve already launched another deal for 70% off either their Dinner of the Month Club or a $25 Gift Certificate. 

Use this link and the promo code of THANKS for 75% off.

Discover Card Signup Bonus

The deals above offer you cashback when you spend or a big discount, this one simply gives you cashback when you signup for a Discover card and spend $500 in the first 3 months.

This week, Five Cent Nickel alerted me to a business bonus, you can earn $100 cashback when you signup for a Discover Business Card.

Black Friday deals can save you a lot of money if you don’t mind getting up early and standing in line in the cold dark morning.  An alternative to the early morning and long lines is shopping for deals from your computer on Cyber Monday.

A recent survey by ShopZilla indicates that Cyber Monday has become a favorite of many deal shoppers:

“45% report they prefer Cyber Monday over Black Friday and only 10% prefer Black Friday, which used to be the official ‘bargain-hunters’ paradise”

Black Friday

Of course, Black Friday has it’s advantages.  You don’t have to pay shipping and in some cases you can get free or pretty much free stuff for door buster specials.  For some people it’s even a tradition, the family doesn’t mind rising early and waiting in the cold, they’ve made it into a annual fun family event.

Cyber Monday

The obvious benefit of Cyber Monday is that you don’t have to wait in line and deal with crowds.  It’s still best to get up early since some of the deals are limited quantities, but it’s a lot easier to roll out of bed and sit at your computer than spend all night out in the cold. 

Another benefit of Cyber Monday is that you have easy access to comparison shopping at your fingertips, you can pull up deals from multiple merchants in a matter of seconds and find the best match for you.  Of course, this benefit will someday be matched by shoppers “on the ground” with the evolution of mobile shopping.

Cyber Monday vs Black Friday

You certainly don’t have to choose Black Friday over Cyber Monday, or vice versa.  You can shop for bargains on Black Friday and browse for Christmas deals on Cyber Monday as well.

For me, the hustle and hassle of Black Friday isn’t worth the savings that I might find.  I’ve plunged into the mass of scurrying shoppers in years past and each time I find myself wondering why I blow a whole vacation day running from retailer to retailer chasing down deals.

This year I’ll be looking for deals on Cyber Monday, how about you?  Which do you prefer, standing in line or shopping from home?

Christmas shopping and budgeting can be stressful, especially when the economy is struggling.  Here are some tips on Christmas shopping and saving from last holiday season that definitely apply in today’s tough economy:

Christmas Deals

How to Double Your Savings on Christmas Shopping Deals – “Looking for some deals this Christmas? Understanding the strategy behind retailer’s sales can help you save twice as much!”

A Consumers Guide to Holiday Shopping on eBay – Along the same lines as eBay Christmas deals this has tips on buying gift cards, quick sales, customer service, return policy, and shipping on eBay over the holidays.

Christmas Savings

Saving Money on Christmas Pictures for Baby – “After lots of fun and lots of pictures we now have a charming holiday shot of his cute little face smiling up at the camera from under the Santa hat.”

Save Money with a Homemade Holiday this Christmas – Cookies, Christmas Cards, IOUs, Crafts, and Cocoa can all help you save money with a homemade Christmas.

Christmas Spending

Holiday Budgeting Tips from Ebenezer Scrooge – “Know being careful with your Christmas budget does not make you Scrooge. You do not have the money that Scrooge had stashed away; an affordable gift will not deny friends and family heat or make them work too hard. A true friend or loving family member should not want you to go into debt for what should be a Merry Christmas.”

What are You Teaching Your Children this Christmas? – “Since you believe in being wise with your money, there is no time like the present to begin instilling good financial sense in your children. Teach them that the depth of your love is not measure by the size of your wallet. Show them ways you can enjoy the holidays and give, without spending a cent.”

Merry Mob Madness Mentality – “Do not subscribe to the merry mob madness mentality. Do not let Christmas put you in the poorhouse, or cause you to lose all sense of emotional or financial reason.”

Restaurant gift certificates are a great holiday gift for friends or family that love to eat out.  Choosing the right gift card when it comes to food can be kind of tricky so you really have to be sure you’re picking a place they like to eat.

If you know of a restaurant they like but aren’t sure if gift certificates are available, you can visit the website Restaurant.com to do some research.  It’s a national directory of over 8,500 restaurants that you can search by state, city, neighborhood, zip code and food type to find a nearby restaurant that your friend or family member will enjoy.

Dinner of the Month Club

The website has a program called Dinner of the Month Club that you can buy as a gift for someone else.  They will automatically receive a $25 gift certificate each month in their email inbox that can be redeemed online for a restaurant-specific gift certificate from one of the 8,500 restaurants across the US.  Of course the neat thing about the Dinner of the Month Club is that they can choose someplace different to eat each time they go out.

Gift Certificate Savings

Restaurant.com frequently has specials where they will offer their gift certificates at substantial discounts.  For example, through this Thursday you can get 80% off of the purchase price of a $25 gift certificate or 80% off a Dinner of the Month club purchase.

Eighty percent is a pretty big discount, if it sounds like something you might use to buy gift certificates this holiday then try it out during this promotion and see what you can find.  Use the links below and enter the coupon code of SURPRISE to get the 80% off savings:

• 80% off $25 Gift Card
• 80% off Dinner of the Month Club

How many times have you been stumped when trying to buy a gift for a friend or family member? A recent survey by the National Retail Federation found one of the main reasons why people avoid gift cards is that they aren’t sure which ones to buy.

I’ve found that gift cards and gift certificates can actually make this decision pretty easy by putting the power to choose in the hands of the recipient.  The secret when you’re not sure is to go general, not too specific, here are some examples: 

American Express Gift Cards

American Express gift cards used to come with fees that would eat into the amount of money you’re giving away.  They recently removed the monthly fees so the recipient no longer has to worry about the balance depleting until it’s used.  The great thing about the American Express gift cards is that your friend or family member can spend it at any store on any gift that they want - American Express Gift Cards

Magazines.com Gift Card

Magazine subscriptions are a nice gift to give because they usually last a whole year, a gift that keeps coming each month is pretty neat.  Of course the challenge can be knowing what they’re most interested in, no one wants to buy a subscription to a magazine their friend or family member won’t like.  That’s where sites like Magazines.com come in. 

Their most popular titles are Time, People, Sports Illustrated, Men’s Health, Cooking Light, Cosmopolitan, Money, Entertainment Weekly, and Southern Living but they have hundreds of other magazines to choose from.  You’re sure to get them something they’re interested in by buying them a Magazine.com gift card.

iTunes Gift Card

Of course this is specific to anyone that has an iPhone or iPod they can use to download music from iTunes. On the other hand, this is a pretty general present for anyone that does own and use an iPod or iPhone.  The variety of music available in iTunes is pretty impressive, they have songs for most every taste so if they’re a music buff with an iPod you can be pretty sure it will be a hit if you buy an iTunes gift card.

Drugstore.com Gift Card

While the things for sale from Drugstore.com may not be the most exciting, they’re certainly gifts that most anyone can use.  They sell medicine, vitamins, hair products, makeup & accessories, diet & fitness, baby stuff, contact lenses, even toys & games.  It’s definitely a “safe” gift, you won’t likely get any jumping for joy when they open a gift certificate to Drugstore.com but you can bet they won’t throw or give it away either.  So if you’re looking for a practical gift that you know will be used, get them a Drugstore.com gift card.

Benefits of Gift Cards 

Gift cards will be requested as holiday gifts by almost 55% of consumers this year according to the National Retail Federation survey, this is good news for many of us who like to give gift cards as presents.  Why are gift cards so popular? Here are some of the answers given in the survey as to why people buy them:

• Gift cards allow the recipient to select their own gift
• Gift cards are easier and faster to buy than traditional gifts
• Sometimes they carry retailer incentives
• Easier to ship than traditional gifts
• Gift cards can help shoppers stick to their budget
• Recipient won’t have hassle with returns

Personalizing Gift Cards

Of course, some people steer clear of buying gifts cards or gift certificates because they feel it’s not a very personal gift. One of the suggestions they give for making gift cards more personal are to package them with other small items you know a person would like, such as enclosing candy and popcorn with a movie theater gift card. Another method is to buy gift cards from retailers that allow you to design your own cards with personal messages and photos.

Custom Gift Cards

With GiftCards.com you can build your own personalized gift card.  It’s a pretty neat way to customize a gift card, making it much more personal.  You upload a photo to the site then resize, crop, or rotate your picture so it fits on the gift card.  Then you position the picture and add a custom message the gift card.  Pretty slick!

So take advantage of the advantages that gift cards offer this year and if you’re looking for some ideas check out the ones below:

• American Express Gift Cards
• Magazine.com gift card
• Personalized Gift Cards

We’ve written a lot recently about preparing your budget and shopping plans so that you don’t overspend on gifts over the holidays.  Here are some key shopping dates to plan around that can save you some money.

Black Friday (November 28) – The official start of the holiday shopping season, the day after Thanksgiving when retailers offer some of the best deals of the season.  The catch is that quantities are often limited so the early bird gets the worm!

Cyber Monday (December 1) – Many people are either too busy shopping in brick and mortar stores over the Thanksgiving weekend or prefer to spend time relaxing with family rather than shopping. Online retailers are well aware of this and often offer great deals online starting Monday morning.

Last Ship Date (December 20) – For many retailers, this is the absolute last day that they will ship an item to guarantee delivery for Christmas. Of course most of them will charge an extra fee for the rush delivery so place your orders ahead of time to avoid paying higher shipping costs.

Last Minute Shopping (December 20-25) – If you put your holiday shopping off long enough to miss the ship by Christmas deadlines you can still turn to gift cards to get it there in time.  Most merchants offer E-gift cards that can be sent just in time for Christmas directly to someone via email.

Post-Holiday Sales (December 26 – January) - With the holiday rush over, merchants are looking to clear out the extra inventory they stocked up for Christmas.  You can find some great deals during after Christmas sales, you might even start your shopping for next year!

Do the holidays put a strain on your budget? It can be one of most expensive times of the year; it’s easy to lose control of your spending with all the expenses for gifts, entertainment, travel, and even higher heating costs. Here are some tips for taking control of your money this Christmas season.

Create a holiday budget: If you already have credit card debt you don’t want to increase it and if you’re debt free you certainly want to stay that way. Set a spending number you will not exceed and start setting aside cash in an account to cover it.  When should you make the budget? As early in the year as possible, but if you haven’t started shopping yet, figure out how much money you can realistically set aside and stay as close to that number as you can.

Avoid the binge: Staying on a financial diet can be tough. Permit yourself to stray a bit, but commit to avoiding ANY unplanned purchase above a certain threshold, such as $25.

Revamp your gift policy for all the adults on your list: Does everyone on your gift list over the age of 21 really need a present? The answer is as individual as your family and friends, but if you think it might be welcome, make a suggestion for a gift drawing, a budget limit, a moratorium on gifts or some other alternative where you trade off gifts for quality time. For instance, you might agree to take each other out to dinner during the New Year or find some other fun way to spend time together. You could help a friend or family member with a household project that could save them money. In any case, you’ll  save money and gas wandering around the mall wondering what to buy, and personal time might be more enjoyable in the long run.

Go debit: Debit cards wearing a bankcard logo are typically welcome at most stores where credit cards are accepted. This way, you pay cash without carrying cash. If you don’t have such a card, you can probably get one from your bank to replace your traditional ATM card, but remember to tell them to limit your buying power to the cash balance in your account.

Start your shopping list for next year:  With your budget figure in mind, start jotting down items when your kids or other friends and family members mention something they want. If it’s something you know they’ll definitely want, keep an eye peeled for that item on sale before the holiday craziness begins. Granted, you might see an item at deep discount when the holiday season officially begins, but you won’t need to burn gasoline or fight your way into parking lots and through crowds to get it, which may be worth the whole difference in price.

Price gifts online, then compare by phone: Whether you plan to shop online is a separate issue, but browsing online can be a very good idea. “Shop-bot” websites like mySimon.com or cheapuncle.com can help you determine general price ranges for gifts you need that are sold online. Once you have those ranges, get on the phone and determine whether you can buy the same items more affordably at retailers close to home – again, save gas whenever possible.

Don’t forget the coupons: Coupons aren’t just in newspapers or direct mail anymore. If you know particular stores where you’ll shop, get on their e-mail lists – you’ll start getting coupons and news of specials on a regular basis. Now you can even sign up to receive mobile coupons on your cell phone, just take your phone into the store and show them the coupon for some Christmas deals. Also, if you do shop online, sites like BradsDeals.com and CouponCabin.com have promotional codes that you can type in for discounts before you hit the “total” button on an order. 

Don’t forget taxes, shipping or fine print when shopping online: Online prices might look like a great deal until you realize you may be spending another 20 percent of the gift’s price to get it to your house or the recipient. Here are tips for saving money on shipping when shopping online. Also, read product descriptions very carefully to make sure what you’re buying contains all the features of the item that you could buy at the store.  At the same time, if there is a legal opportunity to avoid paying sales tax, watch for that.

Allocate spending for charity: You can either make charity a separate item in your annual budget or part of your holiday budget, but if there are specific charities you want to support by yearend, it’s a good idea to decide on those amounts before the holiday shopping season gets underway. This way, you’ll support the organizations you wish to without going outside your budget. Also, don’t forget to check for employer matching contributions or if they’ll consider gifts of appreciated stocks rather than cash if it fits your charitable goals and tax situation. Here a few simple ways you can even donate money while you shop.

This article on Christmas shopping tips is produced in association with the Financial Planning Association (FPA), the leadership and advocacy organization connecting those who provide, support and benefit from professional financial planning.

(Updated November 2009)

Here are some websites that I frequent to get great deals when shopping online.  You may want to check out these sites when doing your holiday shopping this year.

Ben’s Bargain’s - It’s a deal aggregator that scours the web for the best deals on electronics, appliances, and various other products.  Many of the items that they feature are perfect gifts for the holiday season.

Passwird –  It’s a lot like Ben’s Bargains and sometimes their deals overlap.  However, Ben’s Bargains focuses a little more on electronics while Passwird looks for deals in genres of consumer goods.

Deal Catcher – Deal Catcher helps you locate the best deals on the web, printable and online coupons, and short-term promotions.

Deal Info – Deal Info is another good deals and coupon aggregating site to find sweet deals online.

Black Friday – Want a leg up on the Black Friday doorbuster deals?  Check out this site for retailer black friday ads posted well before Thanksgiving day.

Amazon – With a daily deals page and a section for Black Friday deals, this massive site always has bargains to be found.

eBay – Don’t like having to wait for the whole auction process?  eBay is changing it’s model to one of fixed pricing so you won’t have to hassle with bidding and waiting. You  can still find some real bargains there, just use these tips for Christmas deals on eBay to take advantage of things like free shipping.

Retailers will likely be slashing prices to encourage sales in this weak economy so go online to find some great deals and avoid the traffic this holiday shopping season.  Here are some tips on how to save money on shipping when purchasing online. Just make sure you don’t wait too long, or your item might not ship before Christmas.