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5 Sneaky Ways to Avoid Overspending on Last-Minute Holiday Shopping

By U.S. News & World Report

Down to the wire on your holiday shopping? That doesn’t mean you have to completely blow your budget, especially when you’ve been on the financial “Nice List” all year! Resist the temptation to pay a premium for convenience, and try these five tips for smarter last-minute spending:

1. Cut the clutter. Don’t let your inbox flood with daily deals, which will only tempt you to overspend. This time of year especially, we’re all bombarded with offers, newsletters and promos. To stay focused on what you really need when you are online shopping, take a few minutes and click “unsubscribe” at the bottom of the emails. Or, you can use a service like Unroll. Me that pulls up all your subscriptions, and lets you just make one click to get out of them. If you want to keep some pertinent emails from your go-to stores, the service will gather your subscriptions into a daily email rollup that you can schedule to arrive a certain time everyday to keep your shopping efficient.

2. Avoid eye candy. For those promotional emails that you do let through, don’t click on the prompt to “display images” within the email. Instead, go straight to the “unsubscribe” link within the message. Do not mark these as “spam” or just put them in the trash; that won’t stop them from coming. You have to actually click “unsubscribe” (typically all the way at the bottom of the email, so keep scrolling). You should do this especially for flash sale and auction sites, which can be some of the most addicting shopping experiences out there.

3. Clear your cookies. Remember those shoes you were looking at online? Ever notice how they keep popping back up on the side of your email or when you are on your social media accounts? It feels like those shoes are haunting you, and it always seems to happen when you feel stressed and might need a pick-me-up in the form of an impulse buy. Those are called “cookies.” It’s technology that retailers use to pester you about an item that you look at once on their site. It’s not coincidence; it’s a marketing effort on their part to get you to actually buy that item. And those constant reminders can come back to bite you in a moment of weakness. So clear your cookie trail! It’s super easy: Go to the preferences or settings in your browser and click “clear history and website data” then click “disable cookies.” Like magic, you’ll never be haunted by those shoes you were looking at wherever you go online.

4. Plan before you shop. Now that you’ve cut the clutter, plan out the remaining of your shopping. You can go old school and make a grocery-style list of what you need before you go online. Just write it down like you would before you go food shopping, and stick to it. Stay focused because it’s easy to go down unwanted shopping rabbit holes in the online shopping world. Google Shopping Shortlist is a great way to stay organized when shopping online; it lets you sort by price and when you added the item, and it allows you to list a short description of the items you want so you’ll remember later.

5. Streamline checkout. Once you’ve decided exactly what you need, check out more conveniently. Take advantage of services that let you check out safely and easily without having to enter all your information again. Try Google Wallet or Apple Pay. Visa Checkout also offers exclusive deals for major retailers like Under Armour and Staples when you check out using it. You’ll skip the headache and stress of the constant entry and re-entry of credit card information. After all, time is money — and ’tis the season to save a bit of both!

More from U.S. News

10 Money-Saving Websites to Check Before Shopping

9 Ways to Save When Holiday Shopping With Credit Cards

12 Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget

5 Sneaky Ways to Avoid Overspending on Last-Minute Holiday Shopping originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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