Ready for Christmas shopping? This savvy shopper reveals tips to save money on your festive spending!
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As the festive season approaches, the pressure to find the perfect gifts for loved ones can be overwhelming, not to mention the strain it can put on your wallet.
But fear not, one savvy shopper, Alice Zhao, has shared her secrets to getting the best bargains and making your Christmas budget stretch further.
Alice, a Sydney-based mother of two young boys, has been using ShopBack, a cashback and rewards platform, to get money back on her spending for the past six months.
She's found it particularly useful for retail goods and travel purchases. In just half a year, she's collected about $2,000 in cash back, with the majority coming from travel bookings.
'I’ve booked twice with Booking.com, and I had cash back from them, which was probably the biggest cash back…it’s actually a good bonus,' Alice shared.
But Alice's strategy isn't just about using cashback services. She also emphasised the importance of planning and preparation. She creates a Christmas wish list well in advance, ready to pounce when a good deal comes along.
'Black Friday is coming up next week, so I’m hoping that that will be good to have a bit of cashback on top of the sales,' Alice said.
'I think definitely preparing a wish list beforehand helps because some brands only do flash sales for a couple of hours, so it’s just handy to have the wish list so you can just add things in your shopping cart,' she explained.
This comes after a new study from Westpac found that Christmas would be a much smaller affair this year, with almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of people planning to cut back on their Christmas spending.
Furthermore, 74 per cent of people said they would be actively seeking bargains and looking for coupons, deals and cashback offers to help stretch their spending further.
In response to this trend, Westpac is integrating cashback offers from ShopBack into its app.
Steve Rubenstein, Managing Director of Consumer Finance, said shoppers were becoming savvier with their spending by purchasing gifts throughout the year and hunting for deals, rewards and loyalty programs.
'We know that on average, Australians are planning to spend $836 in total this Christmas, with millennials intending to spend the most at $948,' he said. 'We estimate, on average, our customers could get $86 in cash back when purchasing through ShopBack over the festive period—making their Christmas budget go even further.'
ShopBack is the Asia-Pacific's largest cashback and rewards platform, with more than 4,000 partner brands.
But while WestPac’s study suggests dampened holiday spending among Aussies, the Christmas Retail Trends Report conducted by Monash Business School's Australian Consumer and Retail Studies revealed that Australians are expected to spend more on Christmas presents this year despite economic pressures.
So, as you prepare for Christmas shopping this year, consider taking a leaf out of Alice's book. Plan, make a wish list, and use the various tools and platforms available to help you get the most bang for your buck.
After all, the festive season is about spreading joy and love, not financial stress.
What are your savvy shopping tips for the festive season, members? Share your secrets in the comments below!
But fear not, one savvy shopper, Alice Zhao, has shared her secrets to getting the best bargains and making your Christmas budget stretch further.
Alice, a Sydney-based mother of two young boys, has been using ShopBack, a cashback and rewards platform, to get money back on her spending for the past six months.
She's found it particularly useful for retail goods and travel purchases. In just half a year, she's collected about $2,000 in cash back, with the majority coming from travel bookings.
A savvy shopper shared tips on how to save money during the Christmas season. Source: Seniors Discount Club
'I’ve booked twice with Booking.com, and I had cash back from them, which was probably the biggest cash back…it’s actually a good bonus,' Alice shared.
But Alice's strategy isn't just about using cashback services. She also emphasised the importance of planning and preparation. She creates a Christmas wish list well in advance, ready to pounce when a good deal comes along.
'Black Friday is coming up next week, so I’m hoping that that will be good to have a bit of cashback on top of the sales,' Alice said.
'I think definitely preparing a wish list beforehand helps because some brands only do flash sales for a couple of hours, so it’s just handy to have the wish list so you can just add things in your shopping cart,' she explained.
This comes after a new study from Westpac found that Christmas would be a much smaller affair this year, with almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of people planning to cut back on their Christmas spending.
Furthermore, 74 per cent of people said they would be actively seeking bargains and looking for coupons, deals and cashback offers to help stretch their spending further.
In response to this trend, Westpac is integrating cashback offers from ShopBack into its app.
Steve Rubenstein, Managing Director of Consumer Finance, said shoppers were becoming savvier with their spending by purchasing gifts throughout the year and hunting for deals, rewards and loyalty programs.
'We know that on average, Australians are planning to spend $836 in total this Christmas, with millennials intending to spend the most at $948,' he said. 'We estimate, on average, our customers could get $86 in cash back when purchasing through ShopBack over the festive period—making their Christmas budget go even further.'
ShopBack is the Asia-Pacific's largest cashback and rewards platform, with more than 4,000 partner brands.
But while WestPac’s study suggests dampened holiday spending among Aussies, the Christmas Retail Trends Report conducted by Monash Business School's Australian Consumer and Retail Studies revealed that Australians are expected to spend more on Christmas presents this year despite economic pressures.
So, as you prepare for Christmas shopping this year, consider taking a leaf out of Alice's book. Plan, make a wish list, and use the various tools and platforms available to help you get the most bang for your buck.
After all, the festive season is about spreading joy and love, not financial stress.
What are your savvy shopping tips for the festive season, members? Share your secrets in the comments below!
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