11 Must-Read Holiday Shopping Tips

Starting to freak out because there's a week left to Christmas and you still haven't picked up every item on your shopping list? In addition to checking out the iVillage Top 10 Gift Guides for everyone, including your mom, the man in your life, your girlfriends and our favorite places to shop, we asked four shopping gurus for their top tips on how to shop for holiday gifts both online and off. Read their holiday shopping tips so you can enjoy the rest of the holiday season without the stress.

Meet our holiday shopping gurus:

• Dara Fleischer, iVillage Shopping Expert and Founder of FashionJunkie.com
• Amy Gordon, founder of Artfulwears.com
• Michelle Madhok, founder of Shefinds.com
• John Berry, co-founder of Premiumpearl.com

1. Read the fine print. Whether shopping online or off, check the retailer's return policy before you buy so you don't get stuck with a pesky store credit. — Dara Fleischer, iVillage Shopping Expert and Founder of FashionJunkie.com.
2. Get a recommendation. Visit social networking shopping sites such as Kabbdle.com and ThisNext.com for tips and tricks on where to find the hottest products and best bargains. You'll find recommendations from real people whom you can easily connect with for honest feedback and shopping advice. — Dara Fleischer, iVillage Shopping Expert and Founder of FashionJunkie.com
3. Shop at sample sales. So long as you have the time and stamina, don't shy away from designer sample sales. Sites such as clothingline.com, topbutton.com and lazarshipping.com offer free listing of the best NYC bargains. — Dara Fleischer, iVillage Shopping Expert and Founder of FashionJunkie.com
4. Save time and money. Holiday shopping online saves time and money. By shopping online you generally avoid sales tax, standing in line, and you resist impulse purchases. Plus, you can explore more options in a shorter amount of time. Many places even offer free gift-wrapping and gift enclosure card. If you are sending a gift to someone out of town, you can ship it directly to them saving you even more time and money. — Amy Gordon, founder of Artfulwears.com
5. Look for last-minute free-shipping offers. Some online stores will waive last minute shipping fees to get your purchase, but even if you're willing to pay for overnight delivery make sure you know the cut-off dates and times before placing your order. Many retailers are very specific - 3 PM on 12/23 may get your gift there on time, but if you place the order at 3:15 PM plan on leaving an IOU under the tree. — Michelle Madhok, founder of Shefinds.com
6. Buy Online - Pick-up in Store. If your crunched for time you don't want to wander aisles searching for elusive items. Many stores, like Circuit City will let you complete the order online and then swing by the local store to pick it up. — Michelle Madhok, founder of Shefinds.com
7. Get organized. Make a list of possibilities for those you still have to shop for. Make sure you have several options for each person so that you aren't stumped if your first choice is sold out.
8. Use specialized shopping search engines. You can hunt down gifts and quickly compare the attributes and prices at shopzilla.com, bizrate.com, shipstyle.com, and thefind.com — Michelle Madhok, founder of Shefinds.com.
9. Purchase and Print. A Gift Certificate from restaurant.com, WaySpa.com or SpaFinder.com allows the recipient to choose a service from any participating spa, plus digital delivery ensures you can shop right up to the last minute. — Michelle Madhok, founder of Shefinds.com
10. Give yourself at least one day of extra shipping time. This is the busiest time of year for all shipping companies, and not only that but weather and traffic affects all shipments as well. So to everyone, plan on having at least one extra day! — John Berry, co-founder of Premiumpearl.com
11. Make a phone call. That is something I want to say to all shoppers, but especially for all last minute shoppers. Call us! We can always answer all questions, be it what is suitable, what is in stock, and how fast we can ship it. There will always be someone here to answer the phone. Also when you are placing an order, always remember to leave a "safe" phone number. Meaning give us a number to which you can always be reached in case of any problems that might come up. We always try to be discreet, since we are aware that most of our orders are gifts and we know you want it to be a surprise. So make sure that you give us a number that we will be able to reach you (the customer). Please feel free to just give us a call, there will always be someone here to help. You might even get a chance to talk to me! — John Berry, co-founder of Permiumpearl.com

source from http://beauty.ivillage.com