How to Save HUGE on Post Holiday Clearance

It’s approaching: Christmas is NEXT week! 

And IMMEDIATELY after Christmas comes the post-holiday clearance. Stores will be BURSTING with shoppers returning mountains of items, and some stores will be packed full of post-holiday shoppers looking for the BEST clearance deals to grab…

Are you going to be one of them?

I’ll admit that I LOVE a great deal but I stay far far FAR away from holiday clearance. I don’t do crowds, and I find myself buying things that I just don’t need… so I try super hard to stay IN my house and avoid stores altogether!

But if YOU can’t resist the post-holiday savings, and you use that time to save on items that you would regularly buy all year long, check out some of our tips on shopping the Post-Holiday Clearance Sales.

Some of the BEST Clearance Items Include:

Paper Towels.  You’ll find some with Holiday prints that are JUST as useful as the regular paper towels – you can stock up your pantry after Christmas. Same with Kitchen Potholders or Holiday Baking Gloves – they work JUST as well and who cares if Christmas is over?

Holiday Themed Cookie or Cake Mix.  You can enjoy these well into the new year – so don’t pass those up!  Print your coupons for those BEFORE Christmas rolls up so you have added savings on those already reduced boxes!

Decorations including Trees and Ornaments.  The BEST time to buy a Tree is RIGHT after Christmas – but artificial trees don’t last long – once they hit clearance they tend to go quite fast!  Make sure you have storage for the tree & ornaments so they can go RIGHT in the bins and up in the attic (and your house can stay uncluttered!)

Wrapping paper .   Look for Silver and Gold … which you can use for ANY time of the year.  Tissue paper is something that you can also use all year long, too!  If you do any kind of crafting, Silver and Gold paper is SO useful to have in the craft cabinet!

Christmas Linens.  You will find everything from Sheets to Towels, and even Tablecloths – some of them may work well for any time of the year – especially those that are white or off-white.

Christmas Candy including Hershey’s Kisses, Miniatures, and even M&M’s. I don’t care what color they are, chocolate can be used ALL year. Hershey’s Kisses can be tossed in the freezer as can M&M’s, and used for cookies ALL year round!

Stretch your Giving Dollars

Right after the holidays, many of the holiday items that will go on sale include gift sets, toys, and more – think ahead. Gift closets are incredibly important to keep well stocked.

Bath & Body Gift Sets. These are so pre-fab (at least to me) but you CAN split up amidst individual gift baskets and distribute to family and friends for gifts into the new year.  Usually we have coupons in both inserts and to print for these items so you can sometimes save even MORE if you manage to hold out for 50-75% OFF sales.

Slippers & Gloves are GREAT for anyone – including shelters. You can gift those the next Christmas holiday or, you can donate your purchases to the shelter for the elderly or homeless. 

Candles are also one of those items you can find on markdown – who cares if they are holiday colored, pick up and save for next year, or you might even be able to use for other holidays.

Board Games MAY ALSO markdown – donate them to your child’s school or …. stock up your gift closet. They also make great donations to Children’s Crisis Centers. Check with your local Police Department as sometimes they do gather these items and distribute to children in the community all year long (who are in need).

Toys, Clothes, & Home Organization

Storage Bins are ALWAYS a necessity for folks – who cares if they are RED or GREEN? They are STILL a great way to organize things in your house or garage, and in most cases they are going in the attic, so they won’t even be seen.

Winter Fashion will be on it’s way out – use this to your advantage & pick up pajamas and clothes for the kids for the next year. Buying a size up or two means you will save that NEXT year when the weather gets cold, & you won’t have to look for a sale.

Things to Remember

Don’t get overzealous. The worst thing you can do is go overboard. Clearance is GREAT, but when you blow your entire budget on clearance items that can be a problem!

Know what things cost originally. It’s important that you have this benchmark because you’ll want to determine IF that clearance deal is really a GREAT one or just a mediocre deal.

Have a shopping buddy.  That buddy might help you keep your budget in order when he or she sees you throwing 50,000 rolls of wrap in the cart, when they know you already have 15 or 20 at home.

Be Familiar with the Return Policy. NOT all stores will allow returns on clearance!  So take note – if you are not 100% convinced your deal is amazing, then don’t get it!

Set a Budget and Stick to It.  You can’t go shopping without a set budget – you should be telling your money where to go, not vice versa.  

What are YOUR tips for saving BIG on Holiday Clearance?!