One of the ways that I save money on gifts (for both Christmas and birthdays) is to shop for gifts throughout the entire year. When I find a deal on an item that I'm sure someone on my gift list is going to love, I'll purchase it and keep it until their birthday or Christmas.
Why Shop Year-Round?
- I save money on the items that I'm purchasing, since I'll only buy early if it's a great sale.
- When the holiday arrives, I'm not stressed about purchasing a gift, because I already bought it long ago.
Shop Clearance Sales
For my younger nieces and nephews, I've found some great deals by shopping the summer toy clearance sales. Toys R Us had a clearance sale earlier this summer with an additional 20% off the clearance price. Target had many toys on clearance two weeks ago for up to 50% off. As time goes on, the price decreases (as does the selection). Kmart also had clearance toy items a couple of weeks ago, plus an additional 50% off. Kmart had a really large toy clearance sale in September last year, so they'll likely have more sales.
Check my Blog for Deals
I post many deals that come up throughout the year. Take advantage of some of them and save the item for Christmas. I posted last week about the Bushnell Weather Forecaster at Walmart. I checked 2 Walmarts in my area and was unable to find any, but if I had, it was going to be a great Christmas gift for my in-laws.
Keep a Gift List
The goal of purchasing items throughout the year is to save money, right? You don't want to blow it by forgetting your already bought for someone and buying more than you need.
Keep a list of the people that you're purchasing for, some ideas, and what you have purchased for them already (with the price). Organized Christmas has a printable list that you can use.
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