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☆ Holiday shoppers are getting an early jump on the season, but student loan payments weigh heavily
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Twenty/20October is unofficial start of holiday shopping seasonThis year, half of shoppers plan to begin their holiday shopping by Halloween, according to a recent Bankrate report. Early estimates point to a strong shopping seasonWith more shoppers getting an early start on the season, holiday retail sales are likely to increase between 3.5% and 4.6% in 2023, according to Deloitte's annual forecast. "We expect healthy employment and income growth to keep the volume of sales growing for the 2023 holiday season," said Daniel Bachman, Deloitte's U.S. economic forecaster. Student loan payments could weigh on wallets"Student loan payments are another drag on the consumer," said Brett House, professor of professional practice in economics at Columbia Business School. "On the other hand, labor markets remain strong," House added.

Persons: RetailMeNot, Daniel Bachman, Matthew Shay, Jack Kleinhenz, Brett House Organizations: National Retail Federation, Columbia Business School Locations: Deloitte's U.S

☆ Parents face the most expensive back-to-school season to date. Here's how to save on supplies, deal hunters say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $890.07 on school supplies, $25 more than last year's record of $864.35, the NRF found. Already, credit card debt stands at more than $1 trillion, its own all-time high. Consumer finance expert Andrea Woroch recommends applying, if you qualify, for a new credit card with a sign-up bonus. watch nowThen use a cash-back site such as CouponCabin.com to earn money back on online purchases, including back-to-school supplies from Target, Walmart and Macy's. The experts at RetailMeNot recommend stacking discounts; for example, combining credit card rewards with store coupons and cash-back offers while leveraging free loyalty programs.

Persons: Philippe Huguen, Julie Ramhold, Ramhold, Andrea Woroch, Woroch Organizations: National Retail Federation, CNET, CNBC, Philippe, AFP, Getty, DealNews.com, Labor, Finance, Walmart Locations: New Jersey, Target

☆ Shoppers get set for Amazon Prime Day and competitor sales events as ‘little treat’ lifestyle takes hold
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this article AMZN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTwatch nowPrime Day, competitor sales start soonAmazon's highly anticipated Prime Day starts at 3 a.m. Still, nearly 80% of adults said they intend to shop on Amazon Prime Day, a survey by The Vacationer found. What to buy on Prime DayThe best deals will be on Amazon's own devices, such as 75% off the Amazon Fire TV 43-inch Omni Series. How to take advantage of Prime Day dealsTo take advantage of Prime Day deals, you must be an Amazon Prime member. (CNBC's Select has more on how to avoid the membership fee in time to score Prime Day deals.)

Persons: Amazon's, Matt Kramer, Lauder, Leonard Lauder, Vipin Porwal, it's, Julie Ramhold, Michael M, Ramhold Organizations: Walmart, Target, CNBC, Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Google, Sony, DealNews.com, Santiago, Getty Locations: Nordstrom, Sur, New York

☆ Stores and restaurants closed on New Year's Day 2023: Costco, Trader Joe's, Chick-fil-A, and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Costco, Aldi, Sam's Club, and Trader Joe's are among the stores closed on New Year's Day. Chick-fil-A will be closed, as New Year's Day is on a Sunday and the chain doesn't operate Sundays. Stores and restaurants open on the holiday include Walmart, Target, Starbucks, and McDonald's. And some stores, such as Costco, Trader Joe's, and Aldi, will be taking the first day of the new year off. Getty ImagesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsAlbertsonsBarnes & NobleBest BuyCVSDick's Sporting GoodsDollar TreeH-E-BHobby LobbyThe Home DepotIKEAKohl'sKrogerLowe'sMacy'sMichaelsOffice DepotPetcoPublixRite AidSproutsTargetUltaWalgreensWalmartWhole FoodsWhat restaurants are open on New Year's Day 2023?

☆ Who to tip over the holidays and how much to give, according to etiquette experts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

During the season of giving, good etiquette dictates that you offer a tip to the people who make life a little easier throughout the year. Before you panic about adding 20 people to your budget, the first thing to know about holiday tipping is to give what you can afford. "Good tipping feels good for everyone involved," says Daniel Post Senning, co-author of "Emily Post Etiquette, The Centennial Edition." That means if any of the recommended tip amounts feel steep, it's not out of line to adjust downward to fit your budget. Remember, these aren't requirements, but suggestions meant to give you an idea of whom you might want to thank this holiday season.

SKIP AHEAD Cyber Monday 2021 bestsellers | Is Cyber Monday a thing? What to buy and what to skip on Cyber MondayWhen Cyber Monday began, it was known as a tech-heavy deals day, said Kristin McGrath, shopping expert and senior editor at RetailMeNot. Apple products are often discounted during sales events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and AirPods, Apple Watches and Apple Pencils were all top sellers on Cyber Monday 2021. Because the line between Black Friday and Cyber Monday has blurred over the years — and because deals now start so early — many shoppers are wondering, is Cyber Monday still a “thing”? “Cyber Week” refers to the week after Cyber Monday, which is full of sales and deals from online retailers.

☆ Consumers are cutting back on holiday gift buying amid higher inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Inflation is weighing heavily on the holidays this year. Though the study found many consumers are also eager to get an early start on seasonal shopping, that surge is largely driven by concerns about affordability and money-saving strategies, other reports show. "Inflation is, by far, the biggest issue for households this year," said Tim Quinlan, senior economist at Wells Fargo and author of its 2022 holiday sales report. "The bottom line is, with inflation remaining a headache, dollars aren't stretching as far, and most consumers will still be looking for bargains," Quinlan said. A separate report by BlackFriday.com also found that 70% of shoppers will be taking inflation into consideration when shopping this holiday season, and even more will be on the lookout for deals.

☆ Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday Deals: Which are better?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Mili Godio | Mili Godio Is An Associate Reporter For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Black Friday deals started in October this year, while Cyber Monday sales can extend a whole week with additional sales online. Beyond that, retailers generally launch their online Black Friday deals months before Thanksgiving, giving online shoppers a jump-start. “Cyber Monday will offer TV deals as well, but many retailers stick to the tradition of Black Friday TV doorbusters and really pump out those deals on Black Friday,” McGrath said. Cyber Monday typically outperforms Black Friday in terms of sales: Black Friday raked in $8.9 billion in 2021, while Cyber Monday hit $10.7 billion, according to data from Adobe Analytics. While Cyber Monday claims the top spot when it comes to e-commerce spending, Black Friday consistently narrows that gap as the number of online Black Friday sales increases exponentially.

☆ 60+ Labor Day 2022 sales: The best ongoing deals available
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-06 | by ( Mili Godio | Mili Godio Is An Associate Reporter For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +18 min

Though yesterday was Labor Day, you can still find discounts on everything from mattresses and vacuums to grills and air purifiers. We're also seeing a lot of rare Labor Day sales from brands like Our Place, Allbirds and Great Jones. With several sales to choose from, retail experts told us ongoing Labor Day sales present a good opportunity to save as prices soar due to inflation and people begin to worry about spending more around the upcoming holidays. The best ongoing Labor Day deals in 2022To recommend the best ongoing Labor Day deals below, we evaluated highly rated options using price trackers like Honey and CamelCamelCamel — everything below is at its lowest price in at least the last three months. The best ongoing Labor Day sales in 2022Below, we rounded up sales across reader favorite categories to shop this holiday weekend.

☆ Millionaire earning six figures spends just $25 a month on food by 'secret shopping'—here's how it works
▼ + stars: | 2020-03-11 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Those companies will hire mystery shopping firms to find independent contractors like me to go pose at their establishment as a regular customer, buy the product or service and then report on it." Thanks to secret shopping, Baldwin spends just about $25 a month on food: "90 to 95% of our restaurant budget is covered by mystery shopping," he says. "Every once in a while, we'll want to go somewhere a little bit more exotic that doesn't have a mystery shopping program." That wasn't typical, though: Expect to get paid closer to $35 for mystery shopping at grocery stores, he says. To be clear, "secret shopping is not how I got rich," Baldwin says in a secret shopping explainer video on his YouTube channel.

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