A month full of the best vacations is upon us. If you’re like us, you’re excited and ready to celebrate even while you’re in shopping mode. Luckily, December is still a great month to save. We’re off to a strong start with Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday, but that’s not all. As the holiday festivities approach, there are plenty of ways to save this month, and we’ll help you find deals and shop smarter along the way.
Whether you’ve gotten a head start on gift shopping over the past few months or are taking a last-minute approach this year, you’ll have tons of great results to choose from when shopping. Check out our interactive calendar above and keep checking this space for updates on deals throughout the month. You can shop your favorite items directly from your calendar or even save reminders to your device! Also, weInternal discount dataCalculate the average discount shoppers can expect in popular categories throughout December. Read on to learn more about the top sellers and categories to get more information.
December’s highest shopping sales
- RMN’s 100 Best Gifts: Shop the best deals and find sale prices you don’t want to miss.
- Cyber Monday Deals: Check out the best Cyber Week deals from your favorite retailers.
- Tuesday Travel Deals: Don’t miss out on the amazing travel deals available on this special day!
- Vera Bradley Outlet Black Friday Sale: Black Friday deals run at Vera Bradley Outlet until December 5th! Get 70% off regular priced items during the sale.
- Shutterfly RetailMeNon-Exclusive: RetailMeNot has exclusive deals! Receive 40% off regular price orders when you spend $59 or more online or through the Shutterfly app.
- Adidas Year-End Sale: From now until December 31st, get up to 60% off sale styles without a code!
- RMN’s December Cashback Boost Event: From December 12th to 15th, get up to 20% cashback at your favorite stores and brands.
- Costco New Member Promotion: Receive a $45 digital Costco shopping card when you sign up as a new Costco member online and sign up for automatic annual membership renewal.
The 5 smartest things to shop for in December
1. Photo shooting service (average discount rate: 45% discount)
Photo gifts become very special and personalized thanks to the customization options. Thankfully, many brands that offer this service offer great discounts to help you give the sweetest gift this year. Personalized gifts may take longer, so pay special attention to delivery deadlines.
Here are some of our favorite brands to buy for photography services:
- Shutterfly
- cast
- CVS
- Vistaprint
- snap fish
2. Computers and electronics (average discount: 22% discount)
The tech-obsessed person in your life is in luck. Especially if you’re feeling generous this year. You can find lots of great electronics deals this holiday season if you know where to look. Luckily, we know and we share our secrets all the time!
Check out these deals on some of our favorite electronics brands:
- Best Buy
- lenovo
- samsung
- LG
- boss
3. Clothing (average discount rate: 19% discount)
Get great deals on new fashion items that make great gifts or extra winter essentials. If you’re looking to give the perfect gift to a fashionista, a kid or a new mom, or just want to give yourself more wardrobe options, take advantage of this season’s clothing sales.
Shop popular clothing brands that always offer great discounts.
- adidas
- forever 21
- Maurice
- Lucky Brand
- children’s place
4. Gifts (average discount: 19% discount)
Retailers know that everyone and their mom will be shopping for gifts at the same time, so they want to offer attractive prices to win your business. There will also be big markdowns in many places you might think of as gift shops and other places that might surprise you.
Find gifts from these retailers we love:
- Macy’s
- ninja kitchen
- Lego
- Belk
- total wine
5. Travel (average discount: 15% discount)
Travel Tuesday is a big money-saving day for those who travel the world. But if you miss it, don’t despair. This month is a good month to save money on travel. Find a travel brand you can trust and give them an adventurous gift or take them on a well-deserved vacation.
Shop great travel deals with brands you trust.
- Expedia
- Hotels.com
- Viator
- hot wire
- Booking.com
Honorable mention: Toy
Retailers don’t want to hold on to extra toys after December 26th, so expect price cuts in the final days leading up to Christmas. While this isn’t the recommended way to get your hands on this year’s toys, you can get discounts on toys, stocking stuffers, games, and more that your kids will love.
Additional tips for shopping smart this season
Due to holiday shipping deadlines and price increases, keep the following in mind this month:
- Delivery cut-off time note: Pay attention to delivery deadlines. Retailers usually announce a date by which you must order your gift to ensure it arrives on time. This usually happens around the middle of the month, but sometimes sooner. This is especially important if you want to avoid expedited shipping costs.
- Take advantage of free in-store and curbside pickup. Take advantage of services offered by retailers to make your life easier, especially when doing additional shopping. Take advantage of online purchase, in-store service pickup, or curbside pickup if that seems like an option. This is an important way to avoid stress related to delivery dates.
- Find gifts that don’t require shipping: Another way to avoid shipping stress is to avoid shipping altogether! Think outside the box with unique gifts, including experiential gifts, digital subscription gifts, gift cards, and subscription boxes.
- Shop weekly ads from grocery stores and large retailers: Several retailers offer these products and they’re perfect for adding extra savings on seasonal snacks and more. Target has a particularly great weekly ad that we love. Pay attention!
- Buy gift cards at restaurants and get gift cards for free.: Around this time of year, pay attention to chain store promotions. Some even offer free gift cards when you purchase a gift card, so you can enjoy a little freebie yourself when shopping for your foodie friends.
- Buy a vacation home for next year. Don’t wait until next year’s holiday season begins to get your hands on the decorations of your dreams. Grab last-minute deals at the best prices later this season, and save your finds to brighten next year’s festivities.
The post Save the Date: What to Buy in December first appeared on The Real Deal on RetailMeNot.
