I buy perishable foods in a grocery store, generally very early in the day. Otherwise for the rest of my groceries and everything else I shop online. I do shop around to get a good price, but if I need something I do not wait for a sale.

Our freezer died a couple of years ago and much to our good fortune, it was around Thanksgiving time. We went to Lowes and lo and behold, they were having an early Black Friday sale. So you might want to wait. I think it was the Monday before Thanksgiving.

During the summer we were in Home Depot checking out stacking washers and dryers. The person in that department told us to wait for the 4th of July sale. Bless him! Instead of the basic LG front loader and dryer I was able to get the units with steam at near or almost what the others cost. A very nice savings indeed! I like to save money so before I buy most things I research who has the best price and shop accordingly.

Babs, it's great when the salespeople are helpful like that. My DD was able to order a sofa from Raymour and Flanagan but wait until the following week for it to go through for a sale. This way that salesman got the commission and she got a terrific sale. Win/win.

For Christmas, I don't necessarily wait for certain days. But, I do wait for sales. I stick to a budget and don't get bogged down with the cheapest, cheapest, cheapest! As long as I get a decent discount, I'm good.

I am getting like Moni. I don't need anything and don't like clutter. We have a tiny family and I do enjoy buying for them.. It gets me into the throws of it all. But, each year I do try to buy less.

Because of online price matching and deals going on practically all the time these days I don't find holiday sales to be much better than shopping at any time for larger purchases like appliances unless you happen to like the exact item being offered. Plus a good salesperson search out manufacturer discounts and deals that are not necessarily widely advertised.

Places like Lowes often are good about stacking offers occasionally. I got 10% off recently along with a promotional zero interest rate on a purchase recently. I forget why but I was surprised since my coupon said either/or at the time. Some places will do free delivery and toss in haul away which can be factored into a lower price.

Plus there is always online which is how I bought most of my plumbing, electrical and fixtures for both kitchen and bath. All kitchen hardware was bought online.

I bought my range online from clear across the country years ago because it was discontinued (bought out by a different company) and none were available anywhere. On the other hand I worked with a local appliance store for my hood since I had a specific design in mind. But I bought the back splash with warming shelf - online. DH had a sheet metal guy make an extension I needed.

Shopping I prefer to do later at night. I don't like crowds or noise. For staples I make middle of the trips to an all night Walmart. Most of our local stores have ended 24/7 hours. The "homeless" have taken over and started camping out in the stores.

I shop $5 Friday deals at the local Safeway when they have things I would buy anyway. Ditto on loss leaders at other grocers but I don't go out of my way. With only two of us I no longer stock up much. One in use and one in the pantry. Costco for beef or a local meat market. I shop ethnic food stores too.

I avoid malls. Hate them. I'm not into fashion. Clothes are functional. DH buys pants and tees online.

The only thing I shop for are groceries. I don't usually buy many Christmas gifts any more, they get money. If I need something one of my daughters will pick it up for me when they are shopping or we will order it online. I only shop myself in Aldi. If I would like something from another grocery, my girls will get it. Usually my shopping is just once a week. There are times if the girls are going, I will ride along, may or may not shop, depends on how I feel and if I need anything at all.

Sue

I buy what I need when I need them. Or when we have the money for what we need. My dishwasher broke down so we went without one for six months before we decided it was time to fill that hole up in my kitchen cupboards. I don't wait for sales, but I do shop around ONLINE before heading to the store most of the time. I prefer shopping in stores rather than online, but I do shop online. Amazon and I are quite close for some things. :)

For groceries, my family taught me to watch the ads and plan meals around what was going to be on sale. Soon as I left home, that lesson went out the window. I prefer to walk into a store, decide what I want based on price, quality and whim, and plan meals on the fly. Rarely do I use a coupon, to me they're pieces of paper cluttering my house/purse/mental life and they don't pay me enough for the headache. (If it's a large enough dollar value on a specific brand I'd get anyhow, sure I'll bother. But not for 10 cents for was it two cans of what size of which brand....)

For big ticket items, I research on line before setting foot in a store, so I have a pretty good idea what I do or do not want and how much it should cost. Salespeople seem okay with me asking nicely 'what's your store's best price, for instance are any sales or special offers coming up?'.

Black Friday: I think there are some great bargains but the bigger the bargain, the more limited the quantity. Most sales will last until through the holidays.

I buy for the holidays as I see things that I know would make someone happy. I used to be a sales fan but in recent years not so much because many of the stores have the constant “sales” going and they aren’t really sales anymore.

My tip - when you see something you love and there is a limited amount of that item, buy it right then and there. If you don't, chances are it'll be gone when you decide later that you want it. This has happened to me more times than I care to remember.

I like to buy things when they are on sale, but if it's something we need and it's not on sale, we'll purchase it after shopping around for the best price if it's a big ticket item.

My favorite time to shop is during the week when most people are working. I leave weekends for the folks who don't have the weekdays free.

Most of my shopping is done online. I use a rebate generator and always check for sales, coupon codes and free shipping. For a large electronic or appliance purchase, I would research to see when the best deals are offered.

Our grocery shopping is pretty simple since most of our meals are vegetables and chicken or fish. There usually aren't coupons for those, so I don't bother checking coupons, but I do belong to the loyalty programs for the store. It's easy enough to swipe that card.

I find shopping online has spoiled me for shopping in real life somewhat. What store can offer the range of options that the internet can? Though I do like to stroll and browse in stores from time to time- especially in town- rarely at a shopping center- though I do like the fake towns shopping centers like Santana Row in San Jose. I do not like to shop with friends along.

Shopping online makes bargain hunting easier too and studies have shown that people who grocery shop online make fewer impulse purchases (a big problem for grocery store since their margins are thin.)

For appliances, I would scour the internet and check local stores that may carry floor models and discontinued models for a good bargain. Also, if you live in a big metropolitan area, check out Craig's List. In SF you can find **brand new** high end appliances from people ripping out what the previous owners put into their houses.

You will never find me near a big sale like Black Friday or Boxing Day- no thank you to the crowds and gimmicks.

Other than groceries, I buy pretty much everything online. It's always on sale somewhere, LOL. And DH does 95% of the grocery shopping, since he works at home and his time is more flexible. I still work full time and don't have the time or interest anymore to go to four different grocery stores to get the"deals", so I go to the store that has overall, in my opinion, the best everyday prices.

For appliances I decide what I want then I first check out the appliance outlets like Sears outlet and the one at Best buy etc. I got very lucky last year when I was buying everything new. I found my kitchenaid range at the best buy one and my kitchenaid dishwasher and microwave at the Sears one. Awesome savings. I only had them 9 months but I loved them.

Debby, I'm the one with the broken dishwasher now. It died weeks ago and its truely killing me with a family of 5. I also can only buy when I have the money. I used to see nice ones on Craigs list cheap but now that I need one they are too pricey. I'll continue searching and saving. This hardship won't last forever. LOL.

I'm not much of a shopper and avoid all of the big sales. My son does most of the grocery shopping.

I like to give things whenever people need them throughout the year. We don't buy gifts for Christmas anymore in my family. I don't like clutter either. All except one sister that is. She likes to buy knick-knack type things for people. I've insisted on perishable items from her if she must give something. I have told her she doesn't need to at all though. Hopefully this year she will listen as she's on a limited budget. We make sure to help her when she is having problems and we got her a cell phone and pay the cell bill but not as a Christmas gift. To me you do for family.

Except for buying groceries and horse feed, I don't shop very much. I don't like shopping for clothes and most of my clothes are second hand. I have lost a lot of weight and a friend gave me some jeans that she could no longer wear because she gained weight. Now they are too big for me too, so I am glad I didn't buy them new. All of my furniture came from estate sales or auctions. My fridge and washing machine were used....washing machine was free....fridge....like new was $100. It went thru the flood and when I plugged it back in, it worked fine and still working. As long as something works....I keep it.

I have almost no family....and my husband and I don't exchange gifts. If I want something, I buy it. He doesn't want anything and never buys anything for himself, unless it is another shrimp boat or something for one of the boats. I give my daughter money and gift cards because she can pick out what she wants. Same for my son-in-law. Have no grand children.

I do like to shop for groceries and I probably spend more on food than the average two person household. I go almost every day. I also go to the feed store every day. I spend more money on my horses than on anything else.

mama....the BEST dishwasher I ever purchased was @ a Restore.

October is low season for retail. They have appliances they want to move to make way for new models.

I buy for birthdays and Christmas year-round. My family is so tiny (me, DH, DD, my dad, and my future SIL) that it's not much of a financial strain at all. We generally spend about $20/person per holiday/birthday.

Plus, nobody in our family NEEDS anything, and we don't WANT anything, either. If we want/need something, we all just go buy it.

I do shop sales for stuff we need, though - like paint for the house or a new winter coat. I hate spending money unnecessarily.

We menu-plan and meal-prep based on the meat in the "mark down" bin at our grocery store. Most of our meals are vegetable-based, and the meat is a "side" or non-existent. Fresh fruit (in season), yogurt, and nuts are our snacks.

As for price-matching - did anyone else note WalMart no longer price-matches?

I did notice Walmart no longer price matches.

I hate shopping. I only buy grocery and things I really need. I don't need anymore junk either. I never buy Christmas presents either.

Grocery day is Friday right after work on my way home.

When I was working (I am now retired): I'd hit groceries and Costco early Saturday mornings. Occasionally if I needed something, I'd go after work (to the supermarket, not Costco). Or hit the big box hardware stores. I would never stop at a store Fridays after work, unless I was desperate - way too crowded around here. I would hit Trader Joes or Whole Foods (which were very close to where I worked) on those weekends where i had to put in a few hours. If I hit those after weekday work days, the highway would back up further and further while I shopped.

Now that I am retired, I shop all those places mid-mornings on weekdays. Can you tell I hate crowds?

I hit farmer's markets on Saturdays when they open, or as close to that time as possible.

I'll spend extra for quality food. I don't think it is a bargain if my burger meat contains junk from hundreds of animals in a single patty. I'll also spend full value for paper towels that come from recycled paper, if (like Marcal, and not Seventh Generation) it is a quality product that does what it is supposed to do.

Bargains are not bargains for me if I have to deal with crowds. I have never ever shopped Black Friday for that reason. I do pay attention to Cyber Monday - the internet may slow a tad, but I'm not physically in a crowd! I also avoid TJ Maxx for that reason... herds of people who toss the clothing ever which way.

For major purchases, I do look for the sales - I bought most of my appliances on sale. It just won't be a Black Friday sale. I may try to check out these items during a non sale period, but hey, suddenly one knows that Presidents' Day sale is around the corner... and I can usually finalize the purchase on line or via phone.

I bought the pretty awesome low end range in the house I will be selling at a Scratch and Dent. I have to look hard to find the single scratch. (One really REALLY good thing about replacing the original which dated from about 1969, is that I was informed that the electrical connection for the original was a fire safety hazard, and hasn't been up to code since the mid 80's or thereabouts. This upgrade is in itself worth its weight in gold!)

Holiday gifts: I have a few close relatives and close friends I buy things for. None of my relatives live near me, so the Internet is my friend. My brother and I send each other food from online sources, 4 years out of 5. I'm really not interested in accumulating more "stuff"; I seriously want to downsize (Still somewhat a failure at this...). Consumables, stuff to grow outdoors, or gift certificates for books are best (for me). I've had to buy new stuff for the new home, but that's best done at my end. I have a great nephew who turned 2 last summer, and he is fun to buy for, especially toys. I can purchase clothing for him for his summer birthday in person up here, but for the holidays I need to do it on line -- he lives in Florida, and a winter suit from New England isn't going to help him much!

For major appliances I try to shop at Lowe's during or before the Black Friday sales. Sometimes, I just tell my girls what I want and they go in, Lowe's prints off the different things they have that I might want, I look that over and send the girls in with my charge card. Lowe's deliver when I want. I always use a Lowe's coupon so get even a better deal.

Sue