The old saying, ‘work smarter not harder’ can definitely be applied to holiday gift shopping.  The marketing machine for Christmas shopping is already at full speed and will shift into overdrive after Thanksgiving.  But how do you get the best deal?  Can it be found at midnight on Black Friday?  With the click of a button on Cyber Monday?  Here are a few of the tips and tricks my wife and I use to be as smart as we can with our holiday shopping.

Amazon App

Perhaps one of our favorite tools for holiday shopping is the Amazon app for iPhone and Android.  We use the app for instant in-store feedback about a possible deal.  The app has a built-in barcode scanner to simplify the process of finding the product in question.  You can quickly see what the Amazon price for the item is, which will let you know if you’re getting a deal or if you have fallen prey to holiday hype.

Another major use of the app is user reviews.  Even if Amazon doesn’t have the best deal, they usually have the best collection of user reviews for a product.  Filtering through user reviews will allow  you to find out any issues or defects that a product might have.

The Amazon app also allows you to keep up with the barrage of lightning deals that the online mega-retailer offers this time of year.  Amazon is already offering 50+ lightning deals a day as they ramp up to Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the rest of the Christmas buying season.  One word of caution, the percentage of discount shown is off of the retail price and not the daily Amazon price.  An item listed at 62% off might actually be 15% off the regular Amazon price.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask

Economic times are pretty challenging for most families and we want our gift giving dollar to go as far as it possibly can.  There is no harm in asking the people on your shopping list what they are really wanting this Christmas.  As an example, I am notoriously hard to shop for.  This year I have put together a short list of parts for my Mustang that I would be very excited to receive come Christmas time.

Additionally, you might consider asking your family if they would be interested in changing things up this year.  The holidays are all about spending time together as a family, not stuff.  A few years back my in-laws switched to a ‘gift drawing’ and I really like it.  Everybody draws the name of one relative who they buy a gift for – guys for guys and gals for gals.  This system really helps to simplify things and is travel friendly for relatives who are traveling in.

Let Other People Do The Work

Keeping up with the flow of bargains and good deals can be challenging.  There are plenty of blogs that will find the deals for you.  One of my favorite is MoneySavingMom.com.  The updates from the site can be a bit overwhelming but if there is a deal to be found they have it.  Some deals can get pretty complex so make sure you are aware of all the steps and/or requirements to get the best deal possible.  I have also been following DealNews.com for deal updates.

Make A List

If it is good enough for Santa it is good enough for me.  Shopping lists can be complex and a simple list of gift ideas and what has been purchased can be very handy.  Make sure to include items that you have purchased during the year and set back for Christmas.  More than once we have been working in our closet during spring cleaning and have found a well hidden Christmas gift we set back for the girls.  Having a written list can help you save money, time and unnecessary stress.

Cash Is King!

Financial analysts predict that $90-$100 billion will be spent on gift cards this year.  Transaction fees, inability to exchange, and declining value all make gift cards a bad deal in my opinion.  Cash is the original ‘gift card’ and can be spent any where at any time.  Billions of dollars of value are lost each year to gift cards.  (Tip: If you do get stuck with a gift card you don’t want, try re-gifting it or selling it on the secondary market at sites like cardcash.com)

Avoid Black Friday

Unless you enjoy long lines, crazy people, and sales gimmicks, avoid shopping in brick and mortar stores on Black Friday.  Deal research site DealNews.com has found that the highest volume of great deals for that time period are found on Thanksgiving day and the Sunday following Black Friday.  Most stores rely on gimmicks to get people into their location on Black Friday.  I gave up the madness many years ago and have never looked back.

Switching To Apple?

Black Friday is the one day a year that Apple traditionally discounts their equipment.  We’re not talking about ‘door buster’ type deals but they will typically knock off 5-10% on rarely discounted items.  The best part, the discounts are all online and rarely sell out.  I have been watching prices on the MacBook Air and have noticed that retailers like Best Buy are already offering some interesting discounts.  This week they have the entry-level 13″ MacBook Air on sale for 10% off while all other models are pretty much full price.  Remember to use credit card points and in-store reward programs to your advantage as well.

Experiences Beat Stuff

Over the past few years I have grown to appreciate the gift of experiences.   These well thought out gifts are greatly appreciated as we are trying to get a handle on the clutter in our home.  Some great ideas for families include memberships to the zoo or a local museum, a special show that is coming to town, or a date night for mom and dad with an offer for babysitting.

What Ideas Do You Have?

What tips and tricks have you found that help you shop smarter during the holiday gift giving season?  I know you have some good ones.  I’d love to learn from you.  Please share your ideas in the comments section below.