Some of the mass retailers hold special after Christmas sales so you might want to scan the sales ads before shopping. Department stores such as Macy's, JC Penny, and the Bon Ton often have coupons that are valid on items that are already on sale so you can add up the savings. Some sales only run for a limited time so make sure you do your research so you're shopping at the right time. Also, the best items are going to be snatched up fast so you're going to need to fight your fellow shoppers for the best bargains.
A great way to get some really nice items for a really low price is to shop the clearance racks. What happens is, people bring the gifts they got for Christmas back to either receive money or store credit and do some shopping of their own. Many of those items were purchased a month or two prior to the holidays so now, they're not selling for the price they were at one time. Stores often end up taking those items, pricing them at their value months later, and slapping them on the clearance racks.
An item that was purchased full price 2 months ago for $40 might now be selling for 60-70% off. If you have coupons make sure you read the fine print however, because often times coupons are not valid on clearance items. This is the best way to score a ton of merchandise for very little money. One year I braved the crowds the day after Christmas and went to Old Navy. The clearance racks were stuffed full and I walked away with two full bags of clothes for under $100. For example, a hooded sweatshirt that originally retailed for $30 was on the clearance rack for around $7. T-shirts were selling for $3 each when they were originally priced at around $15 each. You have to be willing to dig through the chaos, but it's well worth it, believe me.
Another thing you might want to consider is buying your Christmas decorations, wrapping paper, gift bags, and bows for next year. Not many stores want to hang on to those small items for a whole year so they'll drop the seasonal items in their store down to as much as 85% off. A great place to go for these sales is Joann Fabrics. You can wander through their holiday isles and walk away with $1 rolls of gorgeous wrapping paper, candy dishes for $3, and decorations for your home that are well under $10.
You'll find that most stores you go to after Christmas have some sort of sale going on even if it's just holiday items that are marked down to make more room. Last year I went to Walmart to scope out the sales and wandered over to the Christmas section. I ended up buying an 8 foot artificial Christmas tree for 50% off, boxes of ornaments that were also 50% off and 4 boxes of multicolored lights that were 50% off. Walmart also carries a lot of really cute gift sets for the holidays that they mark down after the season is over. This includes perfume sets, bath sets, and novelty food sets that include coffees, cocoas and snacks. None of those items can be kept long term so once again they're set to clearance prices.
Bring your patience with you and be prepared to do some searching through the racks. The return lines at all stores tend to be a little crazy after the holiday is over, and the employees just can't keep up with putting the items back on the shelves. You might have to spend some time searching through a bit of a mess, but if you have the time and you're determined to come away with a deal you'll have no problem making purchases. Stop by any and all of your favorite stores and see what they have to offer this year. Also, start shopping early in the day, and for the best deals always shop the day immediately following Christmas. Call around and see what time stores will be opening. Stores don't always revert back to their normal hours until the new year so you can get an early start to your day of bargains.
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