5 ways to get the most out of your holiday shopping

(BPT) - ‘Tis the season for all the joys of the holidays—an abundance of food, family and friends, giving and receiving, and a chill in the air. But with these come the often-dreaded struggle of holiday budgeting, finding the time to find the best gift deals for those on your list and fighting crowded shopping areas.

If you look at it right, though, holiday shopping can be a kind of game. A big part of the fun is seeing how many deals you can find while getting great gifts for everyone on your list. To help you find the smart winning strategy for your holiday shopping, here are five tips to stretch your dollar and not get crushed in the crowds.

1. Make your list (or budget!), and check it twice – Before you start shopping, make a budget. Write down all of the people you need to buy gifts for and how much you can spend on each person. A budget like this helps you forecast all of your expenses and gets you thinking about where you can look for deals.

2. Boost your budget by selling unused gift cards for cash – If you’re like a lot of consumers, it’s probably fair to say that you have some old gift cards gathering dust in your drawer. Did you know that there are places where you can sell unused or partially used gift cards for cash? For example, Cardpool.com, a gift card exchange website, makes it easy for you to sell your unused gift cards and get up to 92 percent of the load value of the card back in cash.

3. Don’t wait for all of those last-minute sales – According to the National Retail Federation’s 2015 Holiday Consumer Spending Survey, gift cards have topped the list of the most requested gift items for nine years in a row. Not only do they offer flexibility for those on your list to get exactly what they want, but with Cardpool, gift cards and holiday shopping are more economical than ever. Shoppers purchasing pre-owned gift cards via Cardpool.com can get a discount of up to 35 percent—depending on the brand—which translates into a discount on every purchase from the brands you shop with this holiday season and year-round.

4. Buy online, pickup in store – For those who plan to purchase gifts online this year, the “buy online, pickup in store” option that many retailer websites offer at checkout is a great way to save on high shipping costs this holiday season. Some retailers may even provide shopper loyalty points or rewards if you choose this option. To really take advantage of this strategy, first, purchase discounted electronic gift cards using an exchange website, like Cardpool.com, and then use that card when checking out.

5. Price match – Most major department stores and big box retailers offer price matching programs. Policies can vary by store, but some will not only match competitor prices but also give an extra 10 percent discount. For the prepared shopper, this modern version of the ancient art of haggling not only saves money, but is a huge convenience that can save hours of running around from store to store to get the best deal.