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And now that you’e watched the video, here’s another great tip. Check out the 275 stores listed below for coupons and deals, and if you can’t find the store you’re looking for check out our new Coupons site, which has coupons for over 1000 stores.

Find More Coupons

Shawn from TechWebLog.net sent me his top 5 tips for Christmas and holiday shopping. Reading through the list, these are all excellent things to keep in mind at any time of the year.

• Get an Extended Warranty. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had an electrical product fail due to poor quality or excessive use. If a warranty isn’t offered where you are shopping, walk away. Chances are, another store or merchant will offer one.
• Have patience. If the product is not in stock, don’t settle for something that isn’t exactly what you want. The store may get another shipment in within the next few days, or you may find it at another retailer. You can also ask a sales clerk or manager if they have some in “the back” that hasn’t hit the shelf yet. Sometimes, that actually does work!
• Ask about the return policy. It happens all the time. People get a duplicate gift, the wrong size, or the wrong color/style. Make sure the store you are buying from has a return policy, and what it is. Do they give store credit? What about an even exchange for wrong sizing? How difficult will it be for the gift recipient to exchange? Always ask for a gift receipt, as well. Many stores now only give credit at the lowest sale price within the last 90 days. If you paid $60.00 for something, and it went on sale the next week for $30.00… the person would only get a $30.00 credit upon return without that gift receipt.
• Shop around. Check sale ads for various stores, and even on their websites. You may find much better prices at a store three blocks away, than at your normal shopping haunt. You should also always consider checking for online coupons and deals to save even more money.
• Do your homework. Search through blogs, reviews and posts around the Internet. Make sure that the majority of people are happy with the product you are planning to buy. Check to see if there are a lot of negatives, such as missing pieces and parts, shoddy workmanship, or the like.

These are all excellent tips to help you when shopping during the Holidays, or any time of the year. Be sure to keep an eye on my blog for many more excellent deals, coupons and tips throughout this Season.

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Jeff has something to add:

Chris,
I think you missed out on your Five Tech Shopping Tips. It really should have been Six Tips. Here’s the Sixth (and some say the most important!)-

Always read the fine print when you’re buying, be it new or used!
Before you plop down the plastic, read up on all the things you’d rather ignore. That includes return policies, DOA returns and or exchanges, price protection, etc… There have been more tears shed over a sniveling return policy with a monstrous restocking charge than those shed because someone bought something they simply wanted. Personally, I’d rather be sorry for busting the budget over an excellent product than working hard to buy something at the absolute lowest price, only to be tortured by a rat in vendor’s clothing.
Later,

Jeff

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