Ready For Holiday Shopping?

The holidays have arrived again, and
everyone is scrambling to find the perfect
gift to fill various people's wish lists and
wrap up for December. The state that our
economy is in at the moment has made it even more important to snag a great deal this season. With Black Friday and mega sales just having started, there are many different places where good deals can be found.

One issue with the holiday sales is the intense crowds that arrive, leading to
stressed-out people fighting over the best
deals. In addition, getting up extremely
early is usually mandatory to save the
most money.

For the holidays there are many alternatives to expensive shopping and horrible crowds and those ideas and places can be a lifesaver for those limited on cash and time. Many students struggle around this time of year to find thoughtful gifts that
don't burn through their wallets.

One of the best places to check for great
deals is on the Internet. Many Internet
sites are competing with retail shopping
by having sales that last throughout the
weekend of Black Friday and throughout
the holiday months. Amazon.com is one
of the largest websites to find great deals.

Try clicking on the "Today's Deals" link to
see the different merchandise that has been
marked down for a short period of time.
Another great online site to take a look
at for those people who are interested in
deals on electronics is Pricegrabber.com.
This site has listings of different websites
from all around that sell different items
from laptops to televisions, iPods to phones,
and also recommends neat other items that
might now have even crossed someone's
mind like a portable DVD player or a deal
on the latest Rock Band game.

There are also various other sections on
the site dedicated to furniture, clothing,
jewelry and movies, but the best deals on
that site are left to the electronics.
If what someone is looking for can't be
found on websites, another great alternative
that many people aren't aware of is Ebay.
com. Authentic gifts can be found in any
category. Many times items found in normal
stores, especially clothing, can be found on
Ebay for much cheaper than usual.

Thoughtful handmade gifts are one of
the best things to buy for someone special
during the holidays. Not everyone is
talented or crafty enough to create authentic
gifts that look really nice, but with the
creation of the website Etsy.com there is
an endless selection of handmade items
all over the site.

One of the best things about Etsy.com is
the "Custom" tab at the top of the screen.
In this section anyone can list exactly what
they want created and how much they are
willing to spend. Etsy.com members then
"bid" on that person's request to make
whatever item it is the buyer is looking
for. The great thing about this section is
the options available.

The entire section is dedicated to the
buyer. The buyer sets up his or her own
price and can choose from various sellers to
create that perfect gift. Scouring the internet for something rare or individualized can sometimes be a huge hassle, but with this great option it really cuts back on time spent shopping as well as expenses since the item is created around the buyer's own budget.

Some people aren't interested in doing
their holiday shopping online, but there
are still many different options available.
Malls everywhere are preparing for the
gift-buying season so sales are showing
up in stores. For vintage clothes people can check out Jet Rag located at 825 N. La Brea Ave. Every Sunday they fill their parking lot with clothes and sell everything for $1. A lot of digging is necessary to find nice things, but the clothes are mixed with designer labels and trendy fashions. Some time needs to be set aside to look through the clothes, but it's a great deal.

The holidays can be stressful for many
people, and some may be on a tighter
budget than they usually are, so searching
for great deals makes it a little easier to
spend money on gifts. There are deals all
around and sometimes it's just a matter
of looking.