Fall is one of the busiest and most popular times of the year to find a bargain. And it's no secret this is a good time to shop: Back-to-school spending is expected to hit $38.8 billion in 2024 — the second-highest fall season on record after last year's high of $41.5 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.1 And, with the right fall shopping strategies, consumers can make their dollars go far.
This guide looks at the art of shopping on a budget to maximize seasonal savings, and how shopping wisely for fall can help consumers earn cash back, maximize rewards, and attract bonuses and benefits.
Cash back programs offer consumers rewards in the form of returned cash on certain purchases and can be a helpful way to save on fall shopping.
For example, with the PayPal Debit Card2 you can earn 5% cash back in one of five monthly categories – gas, groceries, restaurants, clothing, health and beauty – when you shop online or in-store. This can be a helpful way to save money on specific items, say clothes, if you know you need to spend more in a particular category during the back-to-school season.
The PayPal app is another way to save. There are cash back offers from hundreds of brands at your fingertips. If you save a cash back offer in the app and check out with PayPal online using your PayPal Debit Card, you’ll earn an extra 5% cash back on top if the item is in the same monthly category.
Specific stores and outlets often incentivize customers through store loyalty card programs.
Why use loyalty cards? Points, discounts, and exclusive offers can help customers gain additional savings and benefits. It can be worth researching available programs and signing up with ones that align with personal shopping needs.
Want to know how to shop for fall clothes? Plan ahead. Research the events ahead of time, mark the calendar, and shop with purpose for benefits and deals.
Consider shopping for fall clothes around major sales and clearance opportunities to benefit from bonus retail markdowns and savings.
Shop during fall sales events, like Labor Day sales, Halloween, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, as well as early fall clearance periods and store-specific sample sales.
Ready to learn how to find online shopping deals? Some product prices may differ when comparing online vs. in store, so it can pay to do the research between the two and weigh up any savings differences. Whether online vs. in-store shopping, it’s also sensible to factor in the payment methods available and leverage the most beneficial options.
The PayPal Debit Card can help to simplify purchases both online and in-store, while earning bonuses like cash back on rotating categories. This can generate potentially greater savings, deals, and overall convenience.
Brands and businesses routinely offer coupons to motivate consumers, typically in the form of a percentage back on selected purchases.
Browser extensions can be a useful tool for discovering current coupons online. This is a form of customizable software that can be installed in a web browser. The PayPal Honey shopping extension, for example, is a shopping extension that automatically searches for and applies online coupons.
Using Honey coupons through the Honey browser extension alongside credit or debit card rewards can be a way to maximize total cash back on fall purchases.
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