What to Buy After Christmas
December can be an expensive month with Christmas being the focus. However, if you plan a little you can save money by waiting to buy certain things till after Christmas, or buying items to prepare for next Christmas (and then you will save money for the following year.) Today I’m going to talk about what to buy after Christmas.
If you want to be frugal then learning what to buy at what time of year can really help you with that. When you purchase an item you want to get the cheapest price possible. Sometimes that means waiting till the perfect time to make the leap and buy what you need (or want in some cases!) That does require patience though.
However, learning to wait to buy something is a great habit to develop. When I am out at the store with my kids and one of them sees something they want to buy (and they actually have some money to use) I tell them to wait 30 days to purchase whatever they saw that they wanted. Almost every time they’ve decided in the end that they didn’t want or need what they were so set on buying in the moment, or they completely forget about it, never to mention it again.
Patience can go a long way in saving money. Either you decide you don’t need the item at all, or you wait long enough you can avoid paying full price for many purchases.
After Christmas you can get some really great deals if you are willing to wait.
WHAT TO BUY AFTER CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS DECOR
In the first few years we were married our Christmas tree looked pretty sad. Not too many lights on it because lights were expensive. However, I soon learned that if I waited till after Christmas all the lights were on sale for ridiculously good prices. So, every year after Christmas I would buy one more box of lights until I was satisfied with how many strands of lights I had on my tree.
I know it’s hard to wait a WHOLE year to be able to use our new Christmas decorations, but another Christmas is always coming and before you know it the year will be over and your wallet will thank you.
CHRISTMAS WRAPPING PAPER AND GIFT BAGS
I mean, you are going to need to wrap gifts again next year, so why not get the stuff at a super cheap price instead of paying the full amount? Wrapping paper and gift bags don’t take much room at all either so you can easily stuff them in the back of a closet. Just don’t forget you bought them when the next Christmas season rolls around!
WINTER GEAR
It’s amazing how early they bring out the next season’s clothing. Now is the time of year to start looking for winter gear you may need next year, or for the current year if your house is like mine and your kids are growing like weeds in a matter of months! Stocking up for the following year on at least some winter gear is not a bad idea anyways because that stuff ain’t cheap!
TOYS
Toy sales will drastically drop after Christmas and stores also have holiday stock they are trying to get rid of. Picking up some toys for future birthdays are a great idea at this time of year.
CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE
Okay, so there’s no real purpose to buying Christmas chocolate after the holidays except for the fact that, well..I love chocolate. And maybe you do too. Get it at a huge discount AFTER the holidays (but probably before January 1st when you make a resolution to eat better…:) )
EXERCISE EQUIPMENT
Exercise equipment is the one item that seems to go against all the others when it comes to sales. Usually you find the best deal on an item when it’s not selling well, but exercise equipment seems to be the exception to that rule. You’ll most likely find the best prices on new exercise equipment in January and so if you want to get in shape this year you’ll want to buy what you need after Christmas.
BAKING SUPPLIES
Everyone is baking in December, but come January people are giving up their delicious baked goods for salads. That means baking supplies, especially seasonal ones are not selling. Many times you can find good deals on what you need in the baking department. It might be a great time to replace those old cookie sheets that have seen better days!
CANDLES
Candles are a big seller for Christmas. They are the gift that every woman loves and so many people buy them when they just don’t know what else to get for that hard to shop person. That means after Christmas sales of candles drop drastically. Add to your candle collection in January and save big.
THE BEST THINGS TO BUY AFTER CHRISTMAS
My husband has this crazy idea. He often suggests we do Christmas AFTER Christmas. So, we buy things on sale and celebrate Christmas after the 25th to save some good money.
Now, I just can’t bring myself to do that, and deep down I don’t know if he could do it as well. There’s something about celebrating on the 25th with our children, while the world is also doing the same. The stores are closed and all is quiet with the world. It’s peaceful and special.
But, it is an interesting concept, don’t you think? And even if we aren’t willing to postpone Christmas, there are things you an wait on till after the holidays.
My husband and I don’t do gifts for each other every year, but when we do sometimes we just decide to go shopping after the holidays and pick what we want at a reduced price. The kids still get all their presents under the tree and we get to score some really great deals for ourselves.
But, if you can’t see yourself doing that either, at least you can stock up on some of the items above for the next Christmas or other celebrations.
