Keep these tips in mind when holiday shopping to nab the best prices

For many people, the season of giving is also the season of shopping.

Some look forward to this annual tradition, while others become Scrooge-y about it. Whether shopping brings you joy or pain, here are some ways to save money and avoid hassles this holiday season.

Spare yourself the holiday hangover when the January credit card bills roll in by developing a realistic budget. Include how much you can comfortably spend on gifts — plus wrapping and décor — and stick to that amount. From there, decide how many people are on your gift list and determine how much you can spend on each recipient.

Don’t immediately bite on what you perceive to be a good deal: Do your homework. Checkbook research has proven many “sales” aren’t really special at all, and shoppers can often do better. Do a quick internet search for the product you want, and you’ll usually find prices from several stores for it. It’s also worth it to check prices the main competitors are offering.

There are dozens of smartphone apps and websites that scour the internet for the best deals. Some of the best are PayPal Honey, PriceGrabber.com, ShopSavvy.com, and Yahoo! Shopping. Amazon’s price-checking tool is integrated into its mobile app. And CamelCamelCamel.com, which tracks Amazon price histories for the past year, is often helpful for identifying how low an item’s price might go on that site.

When shopping online, you’ll often see spaces where you can enter a promotional or coupon code. Search for discount codes for whatever site you’re browsing. There are many websites that track these deals. We most often check CouponCabin.com, RetailMeNot.com, and Slickdeals.net.

If you’re an older adult, in the military (or a family member of a servicemember), a veteran, teacher, student or first responder, check whether you qualify for a special discount. TheSeniorList.com has a roundup of discounts available to you.

Connect with retailers on social media and sign up for their promotional emails, which retailers use to share discount codes and other deals. Many stores offer one-time discounts of 10% to 25% when you sign up for their email lists. You can even sign up multiple times using all your email addresses. Following style bloggers and Instagram influencers can also pay off when retailers partner with them to offer special deals.

A growing number of websites and apps such as Rakuten.com, BeFrugal.com, MrRebates.com and CouponCabin.com share commissions they receive from businesses with their customers.

Your kickback depends on which cash-back portal you use and where you shop. Before making a big purchase, check with CashbackMonitor.com, which aggregates offers for various rebate sites and reports the best current payouts.

Many retailers still hit mailboxes with catalogs and coupons. The trick is to avoid temptation for items you don’t need and only keep coupons you know jibe with your shopping list. If there’s a coupon code, snap a pic with your phone and recycle the catalog to avoid a junk pile.

Keep an eye on retailers’ sites for a few weeks after you’ve made a purchase to see if prices have dropped. Check policies on websites. Some stores offer an adjustment within seven days of purchase, some 30 days or longer.

If you’re shopping in store and find a lower price elsewhere, ask a salesperson or cashier for a price match. Checkbook checked the payment policies of 100 major retailers and found many stores will honor lower prices from competitors, and we find most companies make this simple.

Most retailers now push various buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans as a convenient way to pay for purchases. The basic model for retail purchases is simple: Buy what you want and pay back the loan in equal installments, often without interest. But beware: These point-of-sale loans can lure you into buying products you can’t afford. Sellers offer BNPL because they’ve found these arrangements help them close deals, but most consumers who sign up don’t really understand how these plans work.

Not all BNPL offers are the same. Check the terms and conditions before using one. Most BNPL loans have late fees, which in some cases, might make it to the credit bureaus and damage your credit history. It’s important to find out how that company handles late payments before you register.

Many stores have restrictive return policies or make sending back online purchases a huge hassle. Some are now trying to discourage returns by making customers pay fees to ship back purchases. If you think you might need to return an item you’re purchasing, or if you’re buying a gift, familiarize yourself with the return policy. Standard policies often flex or extend during the holiday shopping season to allow ample time for gift returns and exchanges.

To make the return process smoother (or to request a price adjustment), hang on to your receipt or give a gift receipt to the recipient. Without a receipt or some other way to prove what you paid, you likely will receive the current selling price of the item, which is often less than what you paid.

Until Jan. 5, Minnesota Star Tribune readers can view all of Checkbook’s advice (including much more on shopping success) and ratings of local service providers and stores free via Checkbook.org/StarTribune/shop.

Twin Cities Consumers’ Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. We are supported by consumers and take no money from the service providers we evaluate.