The internet is abuzz with money saving tips for the holidays and for good reason: According to the National Retail Federation sales are expected to increase 3.6% to $655.8 billion, compared to the 10 year average of 2.5%  and above the seven year average of 3.4% since recovery began in 2009.That’s a lot of money for the average American.

With seven weeks left until Christmas we here on the blog will be giving some of our best tips for saving money this holiday season, starting with tips for those who plan in advance all the way up to some last minute tips for…well you know who you are!

• Tip # 1: Be prepared

Several web sites start posting Black Friday ads as soon as they become available. Scout out these ads thoroughly since some of these deals posted are just to lure customers in. There are a couple of website that do this. One notable website is The Black Friday. It divides the deals into different stores so you can easily compare.

When you do find a great deal check price comparison sites such as PriceGrabber.com to make sure you can’t do better elsewhere. Doing the research in advance can help eliminate impulse buying of products you don’t need and prices that aren’t anything special.

• Tip #2: Discounted Gift Cards

After you decided what to buy and where to get it, start purchasing gift cards for those stores. Coupling discount gift cards from CardCash.com with your best Black Friday deal stretches your savings even further! All gift cards are stackable with Black Friday savings.

If you want to save even more you can even work the other way around! Do you know which stores carry the particular product you want? Look for the highest percentage off at CardCash.com to decide where you will be shopping this season. For example; suppose you are looking for perfumes, you can buy a discounted gift card to Macy’s for 8% off or try your luck at at TJ Maxx for a whopping 15% off!

• Tip #3: Price Match

Price matching is a great resource for shoppers. If you prefer to shop at a particular store, or if you’re unable to shop at one of the big department store don’t forget to price match. If one retailer has a better deal than the store you’re in, see if they will price match their competitor. Most competitors will honor the price match as long as its the exact same model.

Some of the more famous “price matchers” are: Walmart, Target, Amazon, Staples, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowes, Fry’s Electronics, Sears, Bed Bath and Beyond and Toys R Us.

• Tip #4: Shop Using A Credit Card

Don’t want to use a gift card? Use your credit card wisely. A cash back credit card can provide 1% or 2% cash back on all purchases. You can receive extra cash back on certain types of purchases such as gas or groceries.

Certain American Express credit cards may even have an extended warranty policy. This can be helpful if you are buying expensive products that can’t be returned.

• Tip #5: What Not To Buy

You may be tempted to buy everything at Black Friday. But experts say that there are some items you may want to leave for now. Quentin Fottrell is a news editor and The Moneyologist columnist for MarketWatch, he has a great list of what NOT to buy on Black Friday. Some notable mentions include linen, Doorbuster TVs(!) and luxury goods.

Toys, for example, might look like a great purchase, but major stores actually do big toy deals between Black Friday and Christmas. Patio furniture as well as out door grills generally do better in September with Labor Day being a real winner.

Want more tips? Our deals team has experience with all the fun and we love to share our knowledge. Tweet to us @cardcash.