Here’s a new word for the retail holiday shopping season lexicon: moneymaxxing.

Minty, the automatic coupons and cashback rewards app, coined the term based on new consumer research released this week. The report’s overall findings echo trends revealed from several other surveys showing consumers turning to AI for help—especially to find deals—and starting their holiday shopping earlier.

“Moneymaxxing” is when consumers stack AI, cashback and comparison shopping together “to make every dollar work harder,” said the authors of the Minty report.

“Holiday shoppers are turning to AI to do more than find gift ideas,” the report noted. “They’re using it to find better prices, compare options and save time as inflation continues to put pressure on household budgets.” The survey showed that 54 percent of consumers polled said they plan to use AI to shop this holiday season, “and roughly two-thirds are turning to cashback and savings apps to stretch their budgets further.”

The data also showed that 91 percent of respondents said they are concerned about inflation. “Yet shoppers aren’t planning on cutting back,” the report’s authors said, adding that 79 percent said they plan to spend the same or more than last year. And they’re doing it smarter, as 96 percent of those polled said they are planning to use at least one strategy to stretch their budgets.

The report noted that AI is a clear example of the rise of moneymaxxing. Using AI has graduated from occasional use to an essential tool, with 44 percent of respondents noting they use AI more than they did last year for shopping. “They’re using it to find the best price (52 percent), discover gift ideas (45 percent) and to compare products, brands or retailers (38 percent),” the report stated.

AI is also a time-saver. Sixty percent of those polled said AI will save them time this year, with 59 percent expecting to save up to 25 hours.

Another tactic in the moneymaxxing toolkit is cashback, the report’s authors said. “When shoppers were asked which tools help most this season, cashback and savings apps ranked highest.” The data showed that 67 percent of respondents said they plan on using cashback, savings apps or browser extensions this year. And those using these tactics are not spending less, the survey showed.

“Cashback and savings-tool users intend to spend 30 percent more than non-users, while nearly half plan to increase their holiday spending compared with just 13 percent of non-users,” the report stated. “Rather than cutting purchases, price-conscious consumers are using technology to feel more confident that they are getting maximum value.”

Rodney Mason, chief marketing officer of Minty, said holiday shoppers are using AI and cashback “to optimize two things they never have enough of during this busy season—money and time.”

“They still want to participate in the season, but they want technology to help them to be more in control of the value they get from every purchase,” the CMO said. “For retailers, that means the most price-conscious shoppers may still be some of the most valuable, and winning them will increasingly depend on proving value quickly, reducing friction and making it easier to find the best deal.”

Other key findings mirrored other recent surveys. The Minty research showed that 25 percent of consumer polled said they’re starting their holiday shopping before October and 14 percent said they’re already shopping right now—looking for deals.

Tinuiti, the full-funnel performance marketing agency, released its annual consumer holiday report and found that 17 percent of those polled said they have already begun their holiday shopping. And 14 percent said they are planning to shop before October. But despite the holiday shopping season creeping earlier over the years, “Black Friday is still a key mile marker for many consumers, with 18 percent of respondents expecting to start their holiday shopping that day, which falls on Nov. 27 this year,” the report’s authors said.

In regard to the types of products consumers will be purchasing, researchers at Tinuiti said apparel and accessories topped the list at 62 percent. Of those polled, 55 percent said they expect to buy gift cards. Next was toys for kids at 41 percent, which was followed by video games with 34 percent and beauty at 28 percent. Jewelry and food followed with 27 and 24 percent, respectively. Books garnered 22 percent, while consumer electronics had 21 percent. Gifts for pets came in with 18 percent.