Secrets to bargain hunting

With as many as 31% of consumers saying going into debt is an essential part of funding Christmas it's time to take a serious look at how we spend and save money.

Not only that but 44% of Brits have admitted that they have to go into debt in order to pay for their loved ones presents.

HotUKDeals have put together a handy selection of tips and tricks that are essential for saving money throughout the year.

Get deals on the move
Keeping an eye on products your interested in is a great way of nabbing last minute savings and with all the technology on offer these days it's getting easier and easier to do. Download the apps for the stores your interested in a sign up for email alerts to make sure you don't miss out. There's even a HotUKDeals app that will ensure you get deals sent straight to your device.

Keep an eye out for price glitches
Technical errors, pricing mistakes and website glitches can all result in people saving themselves a fortune thanks to being in the right place at the right time. Luckily we don't have to worry about hunting down these glaring errors ourselves because the sharp-eyed members of HotUKDeals are doing it for us! We've followed some of the best price glitches of the year on AOL Money including great savings on DVDS, food and takeaways.

Use the HotUKDeals temperature gauge
Members use this tool to determine whether or not they think a deal is good. You can vote hot or cold depending on a variety of factors including product quality, retailer and price. The hotter the deal, the better the offer.

Set keyword alerts
If you're a true bargain hunter it's likely that you've got your eye on a specific product some of the time. Setting keyword alerts on a particular website mean that you could get savings sent straight to your email inbox or phone, you'll never miss a deal again!

Scour social media
During big sales events like Black Friday it's more than likely that big brands will be updating their Facebook and Twitter pages with their top deals throughout the day. Change your account settings and you'll get a notification for everything they post.

HotUKDeals also run a newsletter listing some of the hottest deals of the day, so this is definitely worth signing up for if you're interested in saving yourself some serious cash in 2016!