Procrastinating your Christmas shopping just might save you a BUNCH of money this year. Well, now that you have found this article anyway. While shopping year-round and only buying when you find screaming deals is typically the best way to save on your shopping, these 6 tips just might help you save even more money. Use them wisely, protect them closely, and unleash them often young Jedi. May the force (and savings) be with you…

1. Learn to Negotiate a Great Deal

Shopping in-store between now and Christmas and the things on your list all seem to be marked at full price? Don’t fret as you can still score a deal by negotiating with the employees on the floor.

I have done this successfully at Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears, and even Costco. Look for things like flooring models, display models, damaged packaging, and don’t forget to become a price matching ninja.

Start by asking for 20% off and be prepared to meet in the middle. Also, try the bundling technique where you ask for a discount when buying 2 or more significant items.

Example: Bundle a TV and a Bluray player and ask for a discount. Be polite and you’ll be surprised with how well it works.

More Info: Talk Your Way to a Deal: How to Negotiate at Major Retailers

2. Abandon Your Virtual Cart

If you’re making a significant purchase like a new TV, computer, riding lawn mower, Les Paul electric guitar, treadmill (you get the idea) try this tip to score a coupon.

Just register with the website where you plan to purchase, login to your account, add the items to your virtual cart, then when you reach the payment page, instead of entering your credit card info simply log out of your account and abandon your cart.

This will trigger an email by many large online retailers enticing you to come back to your virtual cart by offering a coupon code to complete your order.

Popular retailers where this often works include JCPenney, Best Buy, Guitar Center, Bass Pro Shops, Babies R Us, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Macy’s.

Sure, it’s a bit passive aggressive, but who the heck cares, save money any way you can!

More Info: 17 Online Retailers Who’ll Bait You Back with a Coupon

3. Shop on the Right Day of the Week

Were you aware that many popular retailers do their clearance markdowns and add new items to the clearance rack on certain days of the week? Yep, it’s true!

I actually wrote an article recently on 12 Insider Tips on Store Markdowns that will help you shop on the right day and save some serious money when finishing up your Christmas shopping.

After all, there is nothing worse than shopping in the clearance section and finding if completely picked over.

In the 10 days leading up to Christmas be sure to shop the following days to score the best clearance deal at the following stores:

• Sunday: Joann Fabrics & Crafts
• Monday: Gap, CVS Pharmacy
• Tuesday: Macy’s, Anthropologie
• Wednesday: Ross, Old Navy, Best Buy
• Thursday: Babies R Us
• Friday: JCPenney
• Saturday: Kohl’s

See Also: Here Are the BEST Days to Shop Between Now and Christmas to Save

4. Free Shipping Day (December 14th)

When shopping online perhaps the best day to procrastinate, and still score a deal, is Saturday, December 14th, also known as Free Shipping Day.

A day when over 1,000 online retailers come together to offer guaranteed Christmas Eve delivery with NO minimum purchase required.

A few retailers that are offering free shipping, that typically don’t, include Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, J.Crew, Crutchfield, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Most retailers will offer free shipping with NO coupon code required so be to sure to look for an online coupon to stack on top of the free shipping offer to score the best deal possible.

5. Shopping Online? Hit Up Live Chat

This tip is one of my favorite ways to score an online deal when no coupon is available and you seemed destined to pay full price.

Hit up the live chat feature that many online websites employ and politely ask for a coupon for free shipping or a percent off your entire purchase.

A large percentage of live chat operators have coupon codes ready to hand out to encourage shoppers to complete purchases and build brand loyalty.

Start taking advantage, like right NOW.

More Info: Frugal Hack: Use Live Chat To Score Deals

6. Buy Discounted Gift Cards

Perhaps the best (and most popular) gift idea for procrastinators is the gift card.

The gift that says you spent as little time as possible shopping for someone. Kidding.

That is not always the case as gift cards are often great ideas for folks who are impossible to shop for.

Let them pick out something they actually want.

But why pay full price for one when you can buy discounted gift cards for most popular stores?

Did you know you can typically pay 8-20% less for gift cards by using websites like Gift Card Granny.com,  GiftDeals.com, and GiftCards.com.

Check them out and save yourself some money when buying last minute gift cards this year.

Happy savings.

By Kyle James

Kyle James( Owner/Founder )

I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)