The holiday is over, so it's time to take advantage of the clearance sales!

When it comes to saving money, planning ahead is usually the best way to save. This is true in most cases, but especially when it comes to clearance sales. So now that the holiday is over, it's time to make plans to stock up.

Before we talk about what to buy, let's take a minute and talk about what not to buy.  When it comes to discount shopping, my motto is:

No price it too cheap for stuff you don't need!

Let's all agree from the start that we aren't going to buy a bunch of junk just because it's on sale.  That is the opposite of being thrifty. If you are looking at an item that you have no use for or have never considered buying before, don't buy it just because it's 90% off. Agreed? Good.

Okay, so what can you buy?

Goodie Bags and Gifts for Little Girls

First you can buy things for next year's holiday.  A day or two after a holiday ends, when things hit the 75% clearance mark, it's a good time to think about what you will need/want next year. 

I buy all my Valentines a year in advance when they are 25 cents a box!

One year we found wrapping paper for 5 cents a roll! I bought 40 rolls for $2 (I would have bought more but we were in a tiny apartment with nowhere to keep it)! We didn't need wrapping paper for years.

A few years back we were planning to buy our first house, and we wanted to have Christmas lights to put up the following winter.  So when outdoor lights went on clearance we bought up tons of super cute Christmas lights including some automated light-up reindeer for $8 each!

After Halloween, a costume that regularly costs $20 can be snatched up for $3-$5.

My kids have always dreamed of owning a giant lawn inflatable, so one year after Halloween we got Elmo for 80% off. Even if you are a minimalist when it comes to decorating, the few choice items you need can be had for one fourth the price if you just buy them a year ahead.

What if your house is already full of all the seasonal paraphernalia you can handle?
Try thinking outside the holiday.  What other things could holiday items be re-purposed for? 

-A red checked table cloth bought at valentines day can be re-used for July 4th.
-Many supposedly Halloween themed items are really just fall themed, and can be used for months out of the year.
-Heart shaped picture frames become Mother's Day gifts for grandma.
-Halloween costumes and accessories make great dress-up items to give as gifts for birthdays and Christmas.
-Christmas M&Ms can be sorted into bags of all red or all green and used for Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day treats (okay, let's be honest, they'll never make it 'til February, I'm really just gonna eat them all).
-Plastic spiders can be used for party favors at a little boy's birthday party.
-Valentines plates and cups are great for little girls' birthday parties.

Our cupboard is filled with plastic cups from a variety of holidays.  I could go out and spend good money on a set of matching plastic cups for my kids to use. And there is nothing wrong with that.  But instead I choose to buy cups 4 for a quarter when they clearance after every major holiday.

So as another holiday passes, treat yourself to a little day after shopping. Just remember to keep in mind what you can afford, what you have room to store, and what you will actually use. 


Good luck!


Marcia