PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — It's beginning to look a lot like the holiday season.
This year comes with a lot of added expenses as many of you have reached out to WPTV worried that money has been tight. We are working to find ways to save you money as we count down to the holidays.
WATCH BELOW: 'We try to keep the prices as low as possible,' Lizzie Lerner tells WPTV
We looked around and found if you haven't gotten started on holiday shopping, you're already missing out on some pretty great deals.
We know what you're thinking, Halloween just ended and Thanksgiving is weeks away, but we discovered major retailers like Best Buy, Target and Costco have already kicked off some major promos.
We're talking some 50%+ off deals that could save you hundreds of dollars on some pretty awesome stuff. But don't sleep on mom and pop shops like Learning Express Toys in Palm Beach Gardens.
"It's hard, you're competing with big box, but the small businesses in the community are really important," said new store owner Lizzie Lerner. "We love our community. They're what keeps us here, so we try to keep the prices as low as possible."
The toy store has been in Palm Beach Gardens 25+ years but Lerner said purchased the store in June.
"What makes this store special is the feeling you get when you come in here, seeing the kids light up when they see something that they love, I love it," said Lerner.
The store is beloved among the community and the free gift wrapping of course is a great bonus.
"Just our staff is amazing, they're here to help you find the perfect present every time," said Lerner.
There are actually crazy numbers from Adobe's online shopping forecast that predicts from the start of November to the end of December, online sales will hit a record high of $253.4 billion.
So how can you save the most money?
Well it will depend on what you're shopping for. Adobe said Thanksgiving weekend is still has the best deals. Black Friday will be your day if you're looking for TV's, toys and appliances.
However, if you're on the hunt for clothes, computers or electronics you should wait until Cyber Monday.
Tariffs are also playing a role in holiday shopping in general.
Joe Adamski, senior director for ProcureAbility tells WPTV the recently announced tariff agreement with China has alleviated the worst-case predictions of potential damage, but the overall damage to the economy has already been wrought by the existing tariff schedule
He noted tariffs that are in place have been passed along to consumers estimating they paid 50% to 70% of tariff costs. An example he said was washing machines that had tariffs closer to 95%.
He noted the amount of inventory and assortment available for the holiday season is likely constrained as a result from tariff negotiations and the supply and demand reactions.
Based on the numbers, Adamski stated if the current tariffs were in place last year, and all other things being equal, American gift givers would have spend $40.6 billion more.
He estimates this year with tariffs, it will cost $132 per person.
