Americans Who Shop Holiday Sales Save Over $400 a Year on Average, According to Survey

Over 60 percent of parents surveyed said saving money while holiday shopping is more important this year than ever before for their family

Photo: SWNS

This holiday season, shopping may look more like detective work for many Americans.

Sixty-four percent of Americans surveyed admit to snooping on items they’re hoping will go on sale, according to new research.

The survey of 2,000 Americans found the average respondent will wait an extra eight days to purchase an item they’re shopping for – just in case the price drops.

Half of the respondents reported checking in on a specific item at least once a day when price-stalking.

Yet a full 59 percent of respondents who employ this tactic have missed out on their item of choice by waiting, saying their desired purchase went out of stock instead of on sale during their wait-and-see period.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of the shopping app Flipp, the research also examined the other money-saving tactics that Americans plan to use this holiday shopping season and beyond.

The survey revealed that families are particularly conscious of seasonal spending.

Sixty-four percent of respondents who are parents agreed shopping for everything they need for their family, especially during the holidays, can easily become a budget-breaking task.

Moreover, 66 percent of parents surveyed said saving money while holiday shopping is more important this year than ever before for their family.

Price-stalking items online was far from the only money-saving strategy respondents have embraced to help their households stay on budget. Most are actually more likely to utilize these strategies before or after the holiday season, as opposed to during it, suggesting that the holiday rush is alive and well, even in the era of online shopping.

In fact, six in 10 respondents reported finding some of the best deals of the holiday season prior to Black Friday.

Filling up your cart but not checking out to see if you're offered a discount incentive to purchase (43 percent), using coupons (57 percent), and buying in bulk (42 percent) were all common strategies.

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And the extra time and effort spent to get the best deal can certainly pay off.

The average respondent who employed one or more of these strategies, or similar ones, saved a cool $407.48 every year by doing so – and seven percent even reported saving over $1,001.

Respondents were also asked about their top hacks for shopping like a pro. Asking for price adjustments, scouring the email list for discounts, buying throughout the year and shopping clearance first were among those they shared.

But perhaps no one knows the importance of saving money during the holidays better than parents – 74 percent of whom said saving money on their kids’ gifts goes a long way towards stretching their budgets.