| With office parties, family travel, preparing for | | | | them. |
| and throwing family get-togethers packing in on | | | | 2. Call ahead to see if items are available. |
| the schedule and budget, it's no wonder that 85% | | | | 3. Consider shopping when the stores first open, |
| of Americans complete their gift shopping 10 days | | | | or the last hour that they are open. |
| before the holidays. And oddly enough men and | | | | 4. If you spouse is deployed, let the stores ship |
| younger shoppers, according to a 2003 report by | | | | the items for you. |
| American Express, are now leading the holiday | | | | 5. Shop at online stores and take advantage of |
| rush.While some are a bit ashamed of the | | | | their gift wrapping and shipping options |
| appearance of procrastinating, others consider it | | | | 6. Buy store issued gift cards such as Starbucks, |
| quite fashionable to delay gift giving. The thought | | | | Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy's and Best Buys |
| of facing a crazed shopping mob, spending 60 or | | | | 7. Buy prepaid gift cards from credit card issuers |
| more on 10 gallons of gas and losing hours of | | | | like DiscoverCard and MasterCard prepaid debit |
| much needed rest driving from store to store | | | | gift cards |
| does little to discourage procrastinating. One study | | | | 8. Shop online and save gas and hours driving |
| reveals that only one in four last minute shoppers | | | | from store to store |
| (25 percent) finds the task pleasurable.It goes | | | | 9. Take advantage of online reward programs |
| without saying a frugal shopper can save | | | | 10. If you must venture out to shop take time |
| hundreds, even thousands waiting for post-holiday | | | | to do comparison shopping online first.That said, |
| clearance sales and sending belated gifts out in | | | | Fimark, a web business marketing firm located at |
| January. Still many are just not content to put off | | | | , encourages consumers to take advantage of |
| in-season gift shopping no matter what the | | | | price comparison shopping in the online |
| savings. | | | | marketplace. What can you find when |
| To that end how can last minute shoppers save | | | | comparison-shopping online? Customer reviews |
| both time and money finding the right gifts?10 | | | | are often the best guide for determining which |
| Time Saving Shopping Tips1. Make a list of your | | | | stores to trust. |
| gift ideas and possible stores that may have | | | | |