Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
It seems odd and counter-intuitive to plan to shop as soon as Christmas is over. But after-Christmas-sales are a gold mine of fantastic bargains to put away for the coming year.
How much can you save shopping this way?
Well, consider this: The average after Christmas sale is at least 50% off. Taking birthdays as an example, you can cut the normal $20 for every birthday gift to $10. Multiply that by the number of times a year you need some kind of birthday gift, and then consider Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day”¦ Finding great deals the day after Christmas could end up literally saving youhundreds. Plus, you might even be able to replace some things for yourself and your home.
Toys““ Toys are always the most sought-after, and the fastest to be picked through. Retailers will have a pretty good selection. Not only will they have fun holiday-themed toys, some also have excess inventory toys they will put out to cut down on overflow.
Towels, washcloths and other linens ““Watch for hand towels, washcloths, kitchen towels, hot pads, flannel or jersey sheet sets, and more.
Christmas items ““This is the cheapest time of year to get that new pre-lit tree, more strings of lights, new ornaments, and other beautiful decorative items.
Wrapping supplies ““Buy ahead for next Christmas and to use throughout the year. Not all wrapping elements are necessarily holiday themed. This alone could save you quite a bit over buying every time you need to wrap a gift ““ even over buying dollar store wrap later on.
Packaged candy, foods, beverages, and tableware ““Stores are quick to sell themed packaging because once the holidays are done, left-over themed packages appear “outdated”. But in reality, most goods still have a long shelf life left. You'll find nuts, candy, holiday baking supplies, paper plates, napkins, and even things like cereal.
Health and beauty supplies““ Items such as perfume, cologne, grooming kits, multi-item make-up sets, lip balms, and much more can be found. Often, name-brand items packaged in special gift packs are much less expensive than the normal individual packages. These types of items are usually the easiest to find after Christmas, and often offer some of the greatest discounts.
“˜Holiday-only' inventory items““ Retailers get special items they only carry during the holiday season. Once Christmas is over, they do not have a place to continue displaying extra items. Their shelves are already are full of regular inventory. So anything that doesn't fit their normal stocking plans must go!
Clothing ““For both adults and kids, holiday and winter-themed pieces will be marked down, and not all of them are directly Christmas. Winter wear can often be found, too, just in time for more snow.
A few extra suggestions to really save after Christmas:
Shop with coupons. Sometimes coupons can also be found to pair with the abundant “percentage off” deals. Check for both manufacturer's coupons and store coupons.
Hit the return counter. This you have to do with a specific item in mind, and it is highly recommended you only do it during a slow time. You want to be in the good graces of the customer service counter staff. But if there was something you missed out on earlier during the season, you just might find someone returned one in the days following Christmas. So ask politely at the customer service counter. You might find out that the store got one of those televisions back in!
Go calendar blind for the sake of the budget.Families who go calendar blind do most, if not all, their gift shoppingafterChristmas. Then they have their Christmas morning a day or two after the 25th. Another way to do this approach is to do a little shopping ahead, and open a few gifts the day of Christmas, but save most of the money for day after Christmas shopping. And then, have the fun of spreading Christmas over a couple of fun, and frugal, days.
