As I have talked about many times, I am a huge fan of trying to figure out the best times to make online purchases to maximize savings in terms of both deals and coupons made available by popular retailers. So I dug back through 18 years of data here at Rather-Be-Shopping and figured out when we get the best deals and coupons sent to us in December.

I then broke the data up by product category and was able to decipher the exact day you should shop in order to get the best price between now and Christmas. Use this info as a helpful guide this year and I really believe you can save some significant money.

Christmas Toys

Saturday, December 7th, 2024: This date falls on a Saturday this year. Last year we saw the absolute best prices and coupons for toys on December 7th.

This also included the number of deals and coupons available at stores like Amazon, Target, and Walmart.

The reason? My best guess is this is when we reach crunch time for toy sales and the incentives begin to be thrown out by retailers in order to cash in on those “semi” last minute shoppers.

PRO TIP: DON’T WAIT ON “HOT” TOYS

If your shopping list includes the hot toys of the year. you’re going to need to snatch those up when you find them and not wait until the 7th. If you wait, you might end up having to buy from a 3rd party on eBay or Facebook marketplace and have to pay way above the retail price.

See Also: 45+ Stores Offering FREE Shipping on Holiday Shopping (With NO Minimum)

Stocking Stuffers (Small Gifts)

Wednesday, December 4th, 2024: Our data the past seven years shows excellent early-month coupons from “specialty gift” online retailers like Snapfish, Things Remembered, Personal Creations, and Shutterfly.com.

They usually have new coupons starting on December 4th that last a few days.

Shop early in that time period to ensure Christmas delivery.

Apparel, Shoes, and Accessories

Saturday, December 14th, 2024: Cyber Monday is always the best day of the year for online coupon codes at apparel and footwear retailers. Easily save 40-50% off.

So take advantage of the 2nd best day to save and shop online for clothing and shoes which is Saturday, December 14th.

This is also known as Free Shipping Day, a day where hundreds of online retailers offer guaranteed Christmas Eve delivery at no extra charge.

Shopping in-store? Be sure to shop on December 14th for the best clothing and footwear deals as many of the sales and coupons will be in-store too.

PRO TIP: FIND A COUPON CODE

A large majority of online sites like Gap.com, Lands’ End.com, American Eagle, Macy’s, and Old Navy will have fantastic coupon codes to go along with their free shipping offer. A big double win as they often have coupons for up to 40% off your online order with free shipping.

HDTV’s (Name Brand Variety)

December 6th – 8th, 2024: So if you’re not buying a new TV for yourself, then you’ll want to wait until late January, early February, when new models are released and last season’s models have their prices severely slashed.

But if you’re buying a TV as a gift, be sure to check out deals between December 6th and the 8th.

Over the past 10 years in particular, we’ve seen some killer weekend deals 2 weeks out from Christmas from Best Buy.com, Costco.com, and Walmart.com.

Look for deals this year in the 30-40% off range on Samsung, Sony, Vizio, and Panasonic.

See Also: All the Stores Who Offer an Extended Holiday Return Policy

Tools and Hardware

Friday, December 6th, 2024: Shopping for tools for Dad, Mom, or Grandpa this year?

I had to throw Mom in there as my Mom is one of the handiest people I know when it comes to DIY projects and home repair/improvement projects. Take a look at the deals available online on December 6th.

The last few years have seen some killer deals and price drops from Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, and Harbor Freight Tools.

Also, shop in-store for tools and hardware from the 6th up to the 14th for some pretty darn good deals, easily in the 20-30% off range.

PRO TIP: NOT BUYING TOOLS FOR A CHRISTMAS GIFT?

If you’re looking for a good tool deal for yourself then wait until after the holidays. In particular, several months after Christmas.  Your best bet is to shop for tools the couple weeks leading up to Father’s Day in June. By far the best time of year to save on power tools, tool sets, and anything for the garage.

See Also: 14 Retailers Who WILL Price Match Amazon’s Lower Price

Laptop Computers

Saturday, December 7th, 2024: So for the past three years on December 10th, Dell.com and HP.com have hooked us up with some incredible online coupons.

Like $500 off a top of the line Inspiron 15 laptop (the best price of the year) and also allowed shoppers to buy a very capable budget laptop for under $200.

Look for the same this year. Also, check Costco.com for some attractive deals on laptops mid-December.

Last year they offered several great deals on laptops from Dell, HP, Acer, and Toshiba.

PRO TIP: WAIT IF YOU’RE NOT BUYING A LAPTOP AS A GIFT

If you’re not buying as a Christmas gift, and can afford to wait, you’ll want to wait until graduation season in May and June. Followed by the back-to-school shopping season in August. This is when we see our best prices of the year on a new laptop.

Apple Products

No Set Date: The pricing on Apple products can be a bit tricky to figure out. We saw some pretty decent deals on Black Friday as the iPad, iPod, and iPad Mini all saw their lowest prices of the year with some pretty cool gift card incentives to boot.

So what do you do if you didn’t take advantage? The best way to score a deal in December is to buy refurbished Apple products. Savings in the 20-40% off range on iMacs, iPads, iPods, and even the Apple TV.

Worried about the quality of these refurb items? Don’t be. From the Apple Store site, refurbished items “undergo a rigorous refurbishment process to make sure it’s up to Apple’s tough quality standards. We back it with our standard one-year limited warranty.”

PS5 & Xbox Systems

December 12th – 15th, 2024: While Black Friday was a great day to buy video games and new gaming system bundles, fear not as you still have a chance to save money before Christmas.

Every year over the past 13, we have seen some great deals from Gamestop.com, Amazon, Costco, Walmart, Target, and NewEgg.com in mid-December.

In particular, between the 12th and 15th of the month, retailers really offer some attractive incentives to Christmas shoppers.

We have seen new video game titles priced at 35% off the original price and older games at 60% off. Also, look for great deals on the XBox and PS5 systems, especially new system bundles.

Winter Apparel

Saturday, December 14th, 2024: If you’re buying winter apparel as a Christmas gift, you’ll definitely want to shop online on Free Shipping Day which is December 14th this year.

Not only will you get free shipping from hundreds of retailers, but many websites will also have coupon codes available to entice those last minute shoppers.

PRO TIP: NOT BUYING APPAREL AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT?

If this is the case, you’ll want to wait until the end of the winter season in March and April and take advantage of clearance sales on jackets, boots, sweaters, etc. If you have kids, this makes for a great time to stock up for the following year. My wife and I would always do this and buy a size up and store it for later and save a BUNDLE of money in the process.

See Also: ALL the Popular Retailers With Live Chat Operators Who Hand Out Coupons

Jewelry & Wedding Bands

December 4th – 25th, 2024: I have been informed by several jewelers that jewelry stores freeze their prices, independent of gold and silver prices, in the few weeks leading up to Christmas.

So if you are window shopping for a wedding band, now is a pretty darn good time to consider buying as prices could conceivable rise significantly after the holidays.

The same goes for jewelry for your sweetie that you want to wrap and place under the tree.

Fitness Gear & Equipment

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024: The last couple years we got new coupons and deals for Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI, and Big 5 Sporting Goods on the 3rd day of December.

Will it happen again this year? I can’t guarantee it but I have already gotten word from a couple online sporting good stores that they’ll have some great coupons again in early-December.

Another good day is December 14th as Dick’s, Reebok Store, Under Armour, and Puma Store have already announced they will ship for free on that date.

Not buying for Christmas? Shop right after the New Year when retailers offer great deals on fitness equipment and gear. Some of the best prices of the entire year.

See Also: Abandon Your Virtual Cart: 17 Stores Who’ll Bait You Back with a Coupon

Kitchen and Household Stuff

Saturday, December 14th, 2024: December is always one of the best times to buy stuff for the kitchen, bedroom, and family room.

Stuff like bedding, home décor, cookware, dining sets, silverware, small appliances, and kitchen gear.

But exactly when in December is the best day to get an awesome deal?

The answer this year is Saturday, December 14th.

Why? Because the following online retailers have already stated that they will ship items for free (with guaranteed Christmas Eve delivery) on that date: Macy’s, Nordstrom, Pfaltzgraff, Belk, Mikasa, Brookstone, Lenox, and Chefs Corner Store.

Look for even more stores to jump in as we get closer to the 14th.

Ask the Reader: When in December do you tend to find the best deals and coupons?

Happy savings.

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Dafne Cholet.

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)