by Arjun Wadhwa

Created on: December 31, 2008

Every year during the holiday season, there are lots of sales and bargains; some of them up to 70% off! However these bargains are not easy to find and the stock gets over before you find out about the sale.

You have to make sure that you are one of those people who get to the shop first and know where and when to go. There are certain strategies which you can use to find the best bargains, timings and be the first to get a discounted item. Strategies to find a bargain include:

* Search online: Internet has become one of the fastest growing markets for selling and buying items. From sites like Amazon to sites like eBay, internet is a market by itself. In addition, search engines like Google make it easy to find stores near you which have sales and their timings.

No one will come to your door and tell you that there is a sale. You have to search for it online. Some sites to search for bargains are futureshop, bestbuy, eBay, Amazon, bargain blogs, etc. You can also find the contact number online. Use the contact number to find out when the shop will open and get there 1-2 hours before!

In many cases, you can even find a deal online. In these cases there is no need to leave the house because the item can be ordered online. This is especially true for sites like eBay and electronic items.

So not only is internet a good place to look for timings, location and other information about bargain, but also a place where you might find a bargain.

* Inquire: It doesn't hurt to call up friends and relatives to find out where they are going shopping. Your friends or relatives might have been lucky to read about a blowout sale and will be glad to inform you only if you ask.

This is one of the key ways of knowing about a sale. The more friends and relatives you have, the easier the task gets. You can inform your relatives and friends next time when you find a sale to return the favor; this way you all benefit.

* Read newspapers/fliers: Many sales and ads are listed on newspapers and they are usually written with exclamation marks. During post-holiday season, you should focus mainly on the advertisement sections as there will be many sales.

Fliers are especially useful because they only contain information about sales and they are a catalogue of items. This makes it easier for you to find out which items are offered for a bargain and where the store is located.

If you do not receive fliers or newspapers, then you can look online, borrow from a neighbor or visit different stores and collect

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