Purchasing holiday gifts through the group-buying sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial can help you stay within your allotted budget and save money, says Bruce McClary, a certified financial educator for ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions in Seattle. The sites sometimes let you buy multiples of their deals as gifts.
"It's good to follow your favorite retailers on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, too. You could land yourself some good bargains that way," McClary says. "But remember you're also putting yourself on that retailer's marketing radar."
Think twice about whom you "friend" on social media if you don't want your inbox filled with unwanted offers.