Target 11's holiday buying guide

PITTSBURGH — Black Friday deals are over and so are Cyber Monday specials, but that doesn't mean you have to pay a premium for good gifts.  Consumer reporter Robin Taylor discovered some of the lowest prices are yet to come.

That's especially true if you're shopping for clothing or gourmet gifts because the prices drop the closer you get to Christmas.

I've put together this buying guide, so you'll know when you can save the most on a whole variety of products.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are known for door-buster deals on electronics, but those sales are over.

The best promotions on toys are also winding down, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're out of luck.  There always are some late markdowns.

"They want to move that merchandise.  They don't want that overhead, and they want to clear the quarterly sales for the end of the year," said Sara Steigerwald, with the website SistersShoppingOnAShoestring.com.

Mark your calendar for ec. 17, which is Free Shipping Day, with another spike in great deals. This year, nearly 2,000 merchants are taking part.

"And the great thing about that, not only is it free shipping, but it's also guaranteed to be there before Christmas day," said Steigerwald, a deal pro with Savings.com.

She suggests loading your online cart up now, and then waiting.  Steigerwald says don't go through with the sale until Free Shipping Day, and then, make sure you use a promo code, which you can find on Savings.com.

"A lot of the specialty retailers do not offer free shipping and that's where you can really cash in," said Steigerwald.

The best deals on clothing begin the week before Christmas.  The closer it gets to the holiday, the more drastic the markdowns.

Sales on gourmet foods and wine kick in a few days before Christmas.

If you time it right, you can get the most bang for your buck.

"It's all about trying to get the best deal," said Steigerwald.

Here's another way to stretch your dollar.

Let's say you know you're going to buy a gift at Macy’s.  Instead of using cash, buy a Macy’s gift card at Giant Eagle, or another retailer offering bonus points, and then use the gift card to pay for the gift.

That way you'll get double fuel perks, which will help you save money at the gas pump.

In the interest of full disclosure, Savings.com is owned by Cox Media Group, which is WPXI’s parent company.

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