Tight money? Tips to help you save big on holiday gifts

There’s no denying how expensive things are right now. Get as many years out of things that cost a ton to replace as possible. Tap or click to see 10 mistakes killing your appliances.

Some wallet drains are more subtle. Leaving your technology connected all the time can cost you a decent amount of money. Tap or click here to see the top power-suckers.

When it comes to holiday gifts, we’re all looking for a bargain. Instead of hopping from site to site and hoping you find the best deal, let technology do the work for you.

1. An easy way to find coupons

You only have to google “coupon codes” once to see how annoying and time-consuming it can be to find one that actually works. Honey is a browser extension that finds coupon codes for over 30,000 online retailers. Works with Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge and Opera.

It is very important that our loved ones know that we care during this Christmas season and always.
(iStock)

Honey connects to coupon databases and compares them to expiration dates and current promotions. When a matching coupon is found, it is automatically applied at checkout. I use it myself and have saved a ton over the years.

Download Honey here.

2. Shop smarter on Amazon

If you shop a lot on Amazon, chances are you have a Prime account. Here are some of my favorite perks included with membership. Either way, here are three quick ways to save.

• When checking out, look for a coupon checkbox near the item price. Clicking will apply a virtual coupon.
• Select a later ship date to get credit for future orders or media at checkout. When you select a delivery date, you’ll see available incentives for rush delivery.
• Amazon Warehouse sells returned or lightly used items at deep discounts. You can use your Prime benefits for free shipping and there’s a good return policy. Tap or click here to view some Amazon Warehouse products.

I have more tech intelligence to share. Tap or click for even more ways to save on Amazon.

3. Sign up for their app or email list

Chances are your favorite store has its own app. You may find some sales or promotional discounts that you won’t hear about anywhere else, along with coupons or deals for loyal shoppers.

The same goes for signing up for your favorite store’s e-newsletter or following them on social media.

While you’re logged into Facebook or Twitter, get social and check out this quick guide: 5 Social Media Dos and Don’ts to Protect Your Privacy and Security.

4. Use a cashback app

There are many apps that will pay you for what you are already buying. Some are paid in gift cards that you can spend anywhere and others in points or specific credit for future purchases.

A popular option is Ibotta, which offers in-store and online cash back for purchases at retailers and travel sites like Home Depot, Best Buy, Walmart, Kohl’s, Hotels.com and Priceline.

You can shop with the Ibotta browser extension or online shopping app. Tap or click here for direct download links. To withdraw your accumulated savings, it must be more than $20. You can also transfer money to your PayPal account or to a gift card purchased through the Ibotta app.

Friends having fun celebrating Christmas, sitting at the table, eating, drinking wine and having fun while spending time together during winter holidays
(iStock)

Tap or click 10 apps that pay you to do next to nothing.

5. Set a Google Alert

Google Alerts lets you track keywords on the Internet and alert you when they’re mentioned. This can be useful if you have your eye on something specific. For example, you can set one to track “AirPods sales.” You’ll get an alert in your inbox whenever it’s mentioned.

• Go to Google.com/alerts and sign in.
• choose keywords to track and then choose Show options.
• Select how often you want to receive alerts, sources and more.
• Select Create an alert to finish

Alerts is a great free tool from Google. My favorite, though, is Google Voice. Tap or click here to see how a Google toll-free number makes your life easier.

6. Track the prices to see if the offer is worth it

Apps and extensions that get coupon codes are great, but CamelCamelCamel goes one step further. It tracks prices on Amazon over time, so you can see if the advertised special is worth it.

Let’s say you’ve had your eye on expensive noise-canceling headphones. You can use the CamelCamelCamel website or browser extension to see how the price has fluctuated. That way, you don’t pay more than what might go on sale later.

Christmas gifts
(unsplash)

Tap or click here for direct download links and more tricks to get the most out of this handy tool.

Maintain your technological knowledge

My popular podcast is called “Kim Komando Today”. It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips and calls with tech questions like you from around the country. Look for it wherever you find your podcasts. For your convenience, click the link below for a recent episode.

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Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast player.

Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando”.

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