After Christmas Sales: Saving Money for the Future

After Christmas sales can have some of the highest mark downs for some of the most needed merchandise of any sales out there. Many stores have their entire stock of Christmas items marked down 75 - 90% the day after Christmas. Some stores also mark down items such as gift sets, clothing and toys that were overstocked. By taking advantage of these sales, you can save big money for next Christmas.

Scrape together some of your Christmas budget and set it aside. $10, $20 or even $50 would be great. More would be fabulous. Set it aside and don't touch it until the day after Christmas. It may be hard not to spend it getting "just one more" gift or stocking stuffer, but it will be worth it when you reap the rewards next year. Plan to go to many large stores the day after Christmas and search through their sales.

Some items that you can purchase at after Christmas sales to make next year cheaper and easier are: wrapping paper, tape, tags, bows, ribbon, Christmas cards, lights, tinsel, ornaments, Christmas trees, stockings, all Christmas décor, Christmas themed stocking stuffers and many other items. Just think, if you needed 4 rolls of wrapping paper and bought them at full price you could pay as much as $12 - 15. By buying them on sale after Christmas, you could save up to 90% off of that price! Next year, when it is time to buy wrapping paper, you won't have to! The money that you would be spending you can now spend on presents or even on bills.

One thing to keep in mind when you are shopping the after Christmas sales is space. If you do not have an attic to store things in, you need to decide where exactly you will store these items for the next year. I have a plastic bin that I seal with tape and store on my carport shelving unit. Wherever you plan to store your items, make sure that what you purchase will fit in your area. It doesn't help to buy a bunch of inexpensive items and then be tripping over them all year long. You can usually get good deals on plastic storage bins after Christmas as well.

I suggest making a list of items that you purchased and how much you spent. This will give you a sense of accomplishment at what you saved as well as giving you a list to check next year without having to dig through your stash to see what is there. You can also purchase holiday craft kits on sale. If you buy these, you may want to store them separately from your decorations. That way you can access them and begin working on them even before you start decorating.

However much money you are able to set aside and whatever you choose to purchase at the after Christmas sales, you can rest assured that you are getting a great deal. Your Christmas next year will be bigger and better for less. And don't forget to set aside some of your Christmas funds for next year's sales!