Every December, shoppers think the best deals vanish when the holiday rush ends. The truth is, the quiet stretch before the new year often hides the sweetest bargains. Retailers drop prices to clear leftover stock, travel sites roll out flash sales, and credit cards slip in limited-time rebates. If you know where to look and how to stack the right offers, you could walk into 2026 having spent far less than everyone else.

Why the Smartest Shoppers Wait Until Mid-December

Most people stop hunting after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, assuming the big discounts are gone. Stores know this, and they use it to their advantage. Electronics retailers quietly clear shelves to meet year-end goals, airlines push discounted seats for post-holiday travel, and subscription services release renewal codes to lock in new users before January.

In short, mid-December isn’t the time to give up. It’s when prices quietly dip again.

Where Hidden Year-End Deals Hide

Even now, there are plenty of ways to spot value if you know where to look.

Tech and Electronics

Amazon and Best Buy both run holiday clearance events starting around December 10 and lasting until January 1. You can find savings up to half off on laptops, headphones, and smart home gear. Apple’s refurbished section is another trick for getting genuine products at a discount.

Instead of linking directly to Best Buy’s daily sale URL (which often changes), you can easily find ongoing Best Buy deals by visiting the homepage and clicking the “Top Deals” banner at the top.
Browse Amazon Holiday Savings

Travel and Hotels

Flight websites and hotel chains ramp up discounts in mid-December. Expedia and major airlines like United and Delta drop fares by as much as 25 percent on early 2026 travel. Booking through a credit card portal such as Chase Ultimate Rewards or AmEx Travel can add another layer of savings, often 5 to 10 percent back in points.

Explore Expedia Deals
To use Chase travel offers, log into your Chase credit card account and access the travel portal from your dashboard.

Fashion and Everyday Retail

Big-name stores like Target, Macy’s, and Nordstrom mark down winter stock after December 15. Shoes, outerwear, and accessories often hit 40 to 70 percent off. The trick is combining that with coupon plug-ins such as Capital One Shopping or Rakuten for extra automatic discounts.

Check Target Year-End Offers
See Macy’s Post-Holiday Sale

Subscriptions and Apps

Software and entertainment services like Adobe, Canva, Hulu, and Spotify often extend their “holiday holdovers.” These give 20 to 30 percent off annual renewals, and some toss in an extra free month if you sign up before December 31.

View Adobe Holiday Offer
Try Hulu’s Year-End Deal

Gift Cards and Bonuses

Retailers including Kroger, Best Buy, and Home Depot offer small bonuses, often $10 or $15 back, when you buy $100 in select gift cards before Christmas Eve. Some banks and credit unions even waive prepaid card fees this week only.

How to Stack Discounts for Double Savings

Stacking works best when you layer discounts naturally instead of overcomplicating things. You start with the sale itself, add a cash-back app or portal like Rakuten or Capital One Shopping, then pay with a card offering category bonuses or a rebate. If you’ve picked up a discounted gift card, that goes in next. The combined result is surprisingly strong, often 10 to 20 percent more savings than others get from the sale alone.

Imagine buying a laptop during Best Buy’s clearance sale while using a Rakuten link for 5 percent cash back. Then you pay with a Chase Freedom card that gives another 5 percent back on online purchases and apply a Capital One Shopping coupon at checkout. You’ve layered three simple steps in one transaction for notable extra savings.

Join Rakuten
Try Capital One Shopping

Top Categories Worth a Last Look

Category	Offer Window	Typical Savings	Stack Tip
Tech	Dec 10–Jan 1	Up to 50%	Add Rakuten or Capital One Shopping
Travel	Dec 12–21	20–30%	Book through credit card rewards portals
Fashion	Dec 15–Jan 2	40–70%	Layer coupons within browser extensions
Subscriptions	Through Dec 31	20–30%	Annual plans save extra automatically
Gift Cards	Until Dec 24	$10 bonus per $100	Pay using a cash-back card

Spot the Real Deals and Avoid the Fakes

Fake coupon websites bloom in December like weeds. The Federal Trade Commission cautions shoppers that social media posts claiming unbelievable savings are a common scam. Only use secure checkout pages that show “https,” confirm that a store appears on the Better Business Bureau website, and never share payment or login info outside a legitimate checkout form.

The Travel Stack in Action

Suppose you’re heading to Florida in early 2026. Expedia lists a hotel at 25 percent off. You click through Rakuten and add another 5 percent cash back. Then you pay with an AmEx Gold, which earns extra points on travel, and apply a loyalty email code for $50 off. After all rebates and rewards, a $600 trip costs closer to $450. That’s the full power of stacking in motion.

Quick Wins Still Live This Week

Amazon still knocks 40 percent off Echo and Fire devices through December 23. Rakuten is temporarily doubling cash back at several retailers through December 20. Southwest is slashing 25 percent off early-2026 bookings until December 15. Adobe Creative Cloud stays at 30 percent off annual plans until the end of the month, and Target continues handing out $10 gift cards on $100 purchases through Christmas Eve.

These disappear fast, so it’s worth bookmarking the pages or setting up daily alerts.

Finish 2025 on a High Note

There’s still plenty of value out there if you shop smart. Right now, before New Year’s Eve arrives, combine active clearance prices with cashback portals and the right credit card. The goal isn’t just to spend less, it’s to get more back while you do it.

You’ve earned the win. Let 2026 begin with extra rewards already in your pocket.

This article was developed using available sources and analyses through an automated process. We strive to provide accurate information, but it might contain mistakes. If you have any feedback, we'll gladly take it into account! Learn more