• Shop at 6pm the day BEFORE the big sale and beat the crowds. A retail industry honcho says the discounts are often put in the day prior.
• Hesitation is good. When shopping online, before you click buy, look for promotion codes. Try searching for the product name and merchant name at couponcabin.com or fatwallet.com.
• Befriend the store staff. Ask with your best bambi eyes if there's any unadvertised coupons or sales going on that week.

Read more: insider tips to smarter holiday shopping [Free Money Finance]