There is one thing about the New Year that I love almost as much as hanging out with my friends and having a great time. It is the shopping that I get to enjoy as the holiday seasons end! I love gathering my good friends after our recovery from the parties and hitting some of the greatest sales of the year. Here are some sale tips I’ve learned over the year for saving money and finding the best items.
- Shop early for different holidays. Just because Christmas ended, it is not too early to shop for this year’s Christmas. Pick up the holiday decorations that you liked, but didn’t want to spend full price on at a huge discount. Simply do not remove the items from the box yet, and throw a sheet or towel over them during storage to keep the items looking brand new and beautiful for next year’s celebrations.
- Check the clearance items and racks. Sometimes the only reason these items are on clearance is because someone bought someone else the wrong size. This means that one can find stunning outfits for a true steal. Last year I was able to purchase petite jackets that typically cost $100+ for $5. I was so excited! Talk about a 95% sale.
- Try everything on. Do not assume that just because it is on the clearance rack and your size that it will fit. Remember, money is money and wasting money is never cool. Instead, make sure everything fits nicely when purchasing it and looks good on you. Do not purchase things with the intention of losing weight to make it fit.
- Look for sales that also allow for the use of coupons. I tout the use of coupons like nothing else. I firmly believe that coupons can help save a lot of money, especially when coupled with sales and clearance items. It sometimes is possible to save several times the amount of money that one actually pays for the item, making the purchases more cost effective.
- Do not purchase things just because they are cute or they are on sale. If you are not actually going to use it, do not buy it. If you are prone to this type of spending, the skipping the sales may be best for you. This way you are not spending money on things you don’t need and may not even really like.
This year I didn’t find anything major that I liked. I already have the decorations that I want and I have the clothing that I need. I have everything for the house, and had little need to even go shopping. However, I would not have missed our trip no matter what. I love being with my friends, even if we were just wandering around and looking at things that we’d never buy and do not need. That is, after all, the best reason to hit the sales, the time with your friends doing something silly and fun.