Sunday Savings Tip: May 22nd

Next week is Memorial Day, which is a busy time of year for price slashing at many stores. There are sure to be sales across the country with many tempting offers. For savvy shoppers, this can be a great opportunity to keep within your budget. But be wary of buying something just for the sake of making a purchase.

• Consider birthdays and holidays. Plan ahead for upcoming events in your life for which you might need to buy a gift, such as birthdays or even year-end holidays. Buying these presents at sale prices will make your recipients and your budget happy!
• Think twice about each purchase. Is this something you really need or are you only purchasing it because it has a sale sticker on it? On sale is still too expensive if you don't need it.
• Check out the ads before you go shopping. If you need to cut coupons, make sure you do it in advance and know what you want to buy at each store.

• Avoid putting purchases on your credit card. Some cards do offer benefits and rewards, but if you cannot pay off your card at the end of the month, the interest rates will negate the cheaper price of whatever you purchased.