BOMO fever is very real this holiday season. With inventories running low and Christmas gifts in more demand than ever, waiting 30 more days until Black Friday may not be the most cost-effective option in 2021.
Allow us to explain: BOMO is an acronym for buy or miss out—which, according to TopCashback’s consumer expert Rebecca Gramuglia, should be every shopper’s motto leading up to December 25.
Some have heard the message loud and clear. In a recent TopCashback survey, 35% of Americans said they've already started their holiday shopping. But we'd like to help more people eliminate any future stress that the global supply chain shortage may cause (if it hasn't yet!).
Below, Rebecca shares how you can buy now to avoid empty store shelves and still get Black Friday-like savings:
1. Pre-order now.
If you’re eyeing an item for the holidays and it’s on pre-order, don’t wait to buy it. Pre-orders can have limited inventory (that you may not be aware of), so the earlier you purchase the item and get your name on that list, the better.
- Pro-tip #1: While an item may look like it’s in stock when you’re scanning through the site, make sure to actually click on the product and act as if you’re adding it to your cart. Sometimes pre-orders, delayed delivery dates or out-of-stock sizes aren’t immediately advertised until you actually view the item’s page.
- Pro-tip #2: Don’t let BOMO break your budget! If you know it’s the best time to get an item but you don’t have the means to spend the money on it, see if the retailer has a “buy now, pay later” program—like Afterpay or Klarna. These programs will automatically deduct money from your preferred payment method on a set schedule, typically once or twice a month until you pay off the item. It’s basically a loan without the pesky interest rate. Be sure to always read the fine print with these programs and consult your budget before finalizing a purchase.
2. Price match.
Some retailers offer a price match, so buying early may save you both time and money. However, don’t assume you’ll have an endless time period to score a price match. Read the retailer’s terms on their website to know how it works so you’ll know what to expect.
3. Know the sales.
When you’re shopping at your go-to retailers, you usually know which promotions are better than others. If you’re shopping at a new store, look to see when they had sales last year to get an idea of what to expect in the coming weeks.
However, if you’re shopping at a store that typically doesn’t have sales and you see a one-time-only sale, buy it now. If a store is always running sales and promotions, buy when the discount is a seemingly good deal.
Waiting 30 more days until Black Friday may not be the most cost-effective option in 2021.
4. Find additional savings.
While we know that holiday sales can yield some higher discounts, don’t assume that there aren’t any other saving opportunities for that item that you’ve had your eye on. Find the lowest price for the item and layer on applicable coupons and credit card rewards.
Plus, you can shop through a cash back site, like TopCashback.com, to earn a percentage of your money back on all qualifying purchases from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Sephora and more.
5. Size matters.
If you’re giving the gift of clothing or shoes this holiday season, make sure the size you need is in stock. Have you noticed only a few sizes are left? This could be a sign that the item is popular and may sell out soon, so you’ll want to purchase the product earlier rather than later.
- Pro-tip: Some websites say when an item has limited stock left, so if that’s the case, be sure to grab the size you need ASAP.
Put the B in BOMO this holiday season and let us know what quality gifts you managed to purchase. We'd love to hear from you.
by Diana Oliveira
Diana Oliveira is the senior copywriter at TopCashback.com. After beginning her copywriting career at a paper company, where she harnessed her creative chops writing about…paper, this self-described “bargain shopper” has felt at home talking about our many stores, deals and money-saving tips the last few years.
