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6 Hacks for Holiday Shopping Online

By U.S. News & World Report

Thanksgiving is coming up, so now is the perfect time to prepare your holiday shopping game plan. For those who want to avoid the packed parking lots and malls this holiday season, you’re in luck. Shopping online is easy and convenient — and the best deals and discounts are literally right at your fingertips. Each year, more people are shopping online for holiday gifts, which means that the deals are getting better every year, too. Here’s a list of some online shopping hacks that will help you through the holiday season (and beyond).

1. Make a list. One of the easiest ways to overspend during the holiday season is to start shopping without a plan. When you don’t have any idea of which items you are looking for, or the budget you should stick to, you can get carried away and lose focus on the task at hand. Avoid impulse buys and take your time to get organized. Browse online gift guides for ideas. You can even find ones that are categorized by age, interests and price range. Plan ahead, create a budget and make a shopping list to stay on track and get everything you need without overspending. One free shopping list app that can help is called Santa’s Bag. It organizes the people on your shopping list and can even give each person an individual budget.

2. Stack your rewards. Once your shopping list is ready, start looking for ways to save money. Check out cash back and coupon websites to earn money back on your online purchases while you take advantage of the best deals on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the rest of the holiday season. You can stack even more savings by using a rewards credit card to pay for your items (just make sure to pay it in full when the bill arrives).

[See: 9 Ways to Save When Holiday Shopping With Credit Cards.]

3. Stay notified. Keep connected with your favorite stores on their social media channels. By following and liking their pages, you will always be updated with the latest deals, and you might even get access to special discounts for fans. You can turn on notifications for the stores you follow and know immediately when a new deal gets posted. Another way to get exclusive deals is to sign up for a store’s email newsletter.

[See: 10 Money-Saving Websites to Check Before Shopping.]

4. Discounted gift cards. Gift cards are a great option if you don’t know exactly what to get someone. But did you know that you can buy gift cards for less than their face value? Websites like Cardpool offer gift cards that you can buy online for discounted prices. They even allow you to sell gift cards that you have, but will most likely never use, and customize new cards to the stores you like. You can’t go wrong with a gift card that’s worth more than you paid for it.

5. Free Shipping Day and store pick-up. When shopping online, one of the biggest letdowns is getting to the checkout and realizing that shipping is way more expensive that you expected. Some stores will offer free shipping if you spend a minimum amount, but if you have already gotten everything you need, buying something extra can be frustrating. Fortunately, every year around the holidays there is a Free Shipping Day, which falls on Dec. 16 this year. Take advantage of this “holiday” and save some of your last-minute shopping for this day. It’s great for gifts you forgot, or even stocking stuffers that wouldn’t reach the typical minimum amount. You can also get free shipping by opting to pick up your online purchases at a store’s physical location.

[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]

6. Compare prices. It’s never fun to make a purchase, then later find the same item somewhere else for much cheaper. Avoid doing that this year by using a price comparison tool. Next time you shop online, use one of many comparison websites to quickly scan the prices of different items and make sure you are shopping at the store with the lowest price.

Try some of these online shopping hacks to make your holiday season fun, easy and — best of all — frugal.

More from U.S. News

10 Ways to Save on Your Wardrobe

Your Month-to-Month Guide to Savings

12 Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget

6 Hacks for Holiday Shopping Online 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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