If you haven’t finished – or even started – your holiday shopping yet, fear not. December is one of the best times to find almost anything and everything on sale. Consumer Reports is here to help you navigate sales and make smart buys during this busy shopping season.

If you’re shopping based on someone’s holiday wish list, you already know what you need to buy, but when can you get the best deals?

There are plenty of opportunities to save in December, as well as a lot of different sales events going on to help you stretch your budget.

As Christmas and the start of Hannukah approach – both fall on Dec. 25 this year – there are some big events for shoppers to mark on their calendars:

• Look for extended deals from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with some sales possibly running through the month.
• Keep an eye open for special deals on Green Monday, a shopping holiday that dates back to 2007. This year, it falls on Dec. 9, and you can expect another surge of sales.
• Place any online shopping orders by Saturday, Dec. 14, which consumer experts say most retailers offer free shipping by then and guarantee a gift arrival by Christmas Eve.
• Last minute shoppers will want to pay attention to Super Saturday, which is the Saturday before Christmas and falls on Dec. 21 this year. It’s one of the year’s busiest shopping days. Expect plenty of in-store deals since online orders may not make it in time.

If you don’t get everything you want this season, don’t worry – the discounts don’t stop when the holidays end. Retailers will still offer savings in the new year as they make space for new inventory, which is the perfect time to use any gift cards you get this year.