After the mince pies are put away and the wrapping paper is put away, think about the lonely gadgets, clothes and snacks that weren't gifted this holiday season. Christmas sales start after the big day and give you the opportunity to purchase various products at a great discount.
While post-Christmas sales aren't as hectic as Black Friday or Prime Day, they're still a great time to score a deal, whether it's a gift you were hoping for and didn't get, or leftovers from a big item of the year. Now is your chance to get best phone you were so thirsty, find it new budget GPU make gaming fun in 2026 or buy best tv for which you held on.
However, as in any sales season, here, like Scrooge McDuck, there are pitfalls in the huge ocean of discounts. So, to help you choose the right purchase, here are some helpful shopping tips to help you stay loyal.
Prepare your goals in advance
I'm not saying you need to make a vision board and attach photos of your wish list to it, but it's a great idea to decide what exactly you're looking for before you start selling.
If you're going into a sale green-eyed, it's all too easy to impulsively buy something you don't really need—it's easy to get swayed by those big “deal” or “discount” signs, especially if there's a large amount being dropped.
Having a narrow search list keeps you focused and ensures that you've done enough research on each retailer you're considering and product you're looking at. Don't let yourself go astray!
Set a total budget and a budget for each element
Following on from the last point, it's worth preparing in advance a specific amount you're willing to spend: a total amount and a rough or hard limit for each item you have on your search list.
This will prevent you from spending more on sales than you want or can, which is always important, but doubly important considering how draining Christmas can be on the bank account!
You can create this budget based on the timing of the product you're considering or the market range you're considering for specific items. This is a research task, so it may seem like a waste of time that could be better spent shopping, but limiting your choices can prevent you from buying unnecessary offers.
Only shop on sites you trust
A tip that's even more relevant in 2025 than in years past: No matter how good the discount, make sure you don't buy deals from websites that turn out to be fake.
With the rise of website creation and text generation using artificial intelligence, many new websites have emerged that appear to be online stores but are actually scams. There are many fake online stores that try to scam you out of your money by offering too-good-to-be-true deals and unmissable packages, and it is important to only buy from websites you know and trust.
These could be big box stores in your area or smaller retailers known for their specific products, and of course, reputable manufacturers can be trusted to sell their products. When in doubt, research Google or sites like TrustPilot to find out if the site is real or a scam, or just use logic: Is the deal much better than anywhere else? Does the website have sloppy layout issues or does the text appear to be AI-generated? If alarm bells start ringing, you should avoid visiting the store.
Consider Alternative Configurations
I already told you to make a specific shopping list and stick to it, but there is a caveat that can save you a lot of money.
Many products come in different variants: TVs have different sizes, laptops have different internal components, phones have different memory options. And sometimes there will be a modest discount on one version, a huge discount on another, and there may be no discount at all on the third iteration. On Black Friday, we saw TVs get cheaper than a smaller version of the same model, which would be easy to overlook if you only stuck to one model.
So if you're not completely sure about the size or configuration you're considering, perhaps consider other models of the same product to see if you can get a decent discount. Luckily, most retailers make it easy to customize internal features or product specifications on their page without having to click on a whole new listing.
Check discounts before purchasing
Unfortunately, the next tip is just more exploratory. If you find a discount you like on an item you want, it's still worth checking to see if it's actually a good price for that item. Christmas sales are great, but they aren't always the best.
Use Google to determine if an item is at or near its lowest price and if it is often on sale there. Some items are marked down to their lowest price every other weekend, while others get their biggest discounts on Black Friday. A little research can help you figure out if that fantastic deal you found is really that good, or if you can get it for less if you wait a little longer.
Check out the sites' non-sales bonuses
The main benefit of Christmas sales is the prices; specifically how much lower they are after Christmas than the RRP. But it's always worth considering the benefits of websites or specific offers beyond the sales in question, as some of them could save you even more money.
Find out what the retailer is offering if you buy from them: free or low-cost shopping, a long warranty, any order bonuses or carryover discounts. Some actually stack the savings in your favor with additional subscription services or free trials if you buy a bundle of it, and they can be worth more than a few extra dollars if you're comparing two of the same discounts.
