If you are frugal then the amount you spend each Christmas usually kind of feels like a kick in the gut. Giving into pressures to buy the latest toy for your kids, throw the best holiday party or have the nicest outdoor Christmas setup costs most families hundreds of dollars each year. Christmas is going to cost you, no matter what, but like any big expense, planning ahead can save you lots of money. Here are three ways to strategically shop for the holiday season in August that will save you a great deal of money.
1. Buy The Right Types Of Gifts Now
There are many great holiday related and Black Friday sales as the joyous season nears, and you can pick up some real deals during these sales. However, there are certain types of popular Christmas gifts that are always best bought during the summer – mainly off-season gifts. These types of gifts include any and all winter apparel like coats, boots, hats, scarves, etc. They also include winter fun related items like snowboards, bobsleds and skis and any winter must haves like snuggies, electric space heaters, flannel sheets and PJs and fleece throw blankets. You should be able to find these types of items that make great gifts drastically discounted in stores during the summer months, where as they are nearly always marked up during the winter.
2. Visit Christmas Shops And Warehouses For Miscellaneous Christmas Stuff
If there are any specialty holiday shops or Christmas warehouse type stores in your area, check them out this month. Many stay open year round and sell all sorts of miscellaneous Christmas items for a fraction of their normal cost. This often includes wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, stockings, stocking stuffers, wreaths, knick-knacks, etc. If you were to pick this stuff up next to the check out line during the busy holiday season like many people do, you’d pay top dollar.
3. Yard Sales Are Your Best Bet For Affordable Christmas Decorations
You can find nearly an endless amount of weekend yard sales during the summer, especially in cold weather climates. Homeowners clear out their attics and basements during the summer and you can find some real Christmas gems in these sales. You can find the oversized snowmen, reindeer and santa figures for your yard, bins and bins of decorations and lights and even fancy porcelain figurines, houses and Christmas themed china, platters and cookie jars at yard sales. You can often pick these things up for next to nothing at yard sales, as homeowners just want to unload them.
Shopping for Christmas in the dead of summer can save you hundreds. Once you have accumulated all your Christmas items this summer, just store them somewhere safe and think about how nice (and inexpensive!) this Christmas will turn out.
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written by: Jessica Drew
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