For the savvy shopper.(CLIP AND SAVE)

Once you've created a gift list, clip these tips and follow them to make your shopping as hassle-free as possible:

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1 TIME YOUR BUYING. Don't fall for Midnight Madness sales, which typically offer discounts on just a few products. Sales are first come, first served, which could mean hours of waiting. For "hot" gifts that might be in short supply, buy as soon as you see them. But consider waiting for others while discounts mount. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and the following Cyber Monday are the days when many merchants get serious about sales. You're likely to find online discounts, free standard shipping, or deferred interest payments. Shop in the early morning, when crowds tend to be light, and when retailer Web sites we scanned are especially inclined to offer special discounts.

2 GO ONLINE TO SAVE BIG. Use several shopping "bots" to compare product prices at dozens of retailers. Better-known bots include BizRate, DealTime, Google Product Search, MySimon, Shopping.com, Shopzilla, Amazon.com, and Yahoo Shopping. If possible, sort by product price. (Bots often put retailers that pay a fee at the top of the results list.) Download coupons at FatWallet and DealTaker.com. Those sites also provide advance information about sales at many stores and reveal which products come with rebates and which merchants offer free shipping. CouponCabin offers coupons plus discount or promotional codes, which boost savings. Store Web sites offer coupons and say what products are available at stores, so you won't waste a trip.

3 BE LEERY OF BANK GIFT CARDS. They're more likely to expire and tack on fees than cards offered by individual retailers. Some cards depreciate in value from month to month if unused. If you give a gift card, pass along the receipt, too, in case the card is lost.

4 GET A GIFT RECEIPT. If the recipient ...