Your After-Christmas Shopping Checklist
A few days after Christmas, Sarah and I will usually head out to the store to stock up on post-Christmas sales. It’s often easy to find many items at bargain-basement prices in the days after Christmas – items which can easily be saved until next year.
We usually make a list of things to look for (as we do virtually every time we go shopping). I thought it might be worthwhile to share that list with you, to help you if you’re out and about the next few days and looking to shave some dollars off of next year’s Christmas budget (and maybe even net a few dollars right now).
Christmas lights If you need to replace some lights – or even just intend to hang more lights outdoors, as we do next year – now is the time to pick up Christmas lights, as many department stores deeply discount such lights. Even better, many energy companies will offer you a rebate for buying LED Christmas lights, so save your receipts and check with your energy company.
Wrapping paper and supplies Wrapping paper is an obvious thing that many people look for at after Christmas sales, but you can often find many other supplies on deep discount as well, such as gift wrapping tape and ribbon.
Cards We usually make our own Christmas cards (so if we see blank cards, we might pick them up), but for many people, Christmas cards can be a spectacular bargain right now as many stores are offloading them.
Non-perishable gift baskets Unsold gift baskets often go at a tremendous discount and if you can find ones that are non-perishable (like bath supplies and such), they can easily be stored for a year and given the following December. Many people often exchange such gift baskets with professional acquaintances and such, so this can be a tremendous savings. If you know you’ll be giving gift baskets of this kind for Christmas 2010, get them now and save yourself some cash.
Electronics – but only if you’re patient The Consumer Electronics Show takes place early each January. During that show, electronics companies unveil their product lines for the coming year and usually eliminate some product lines to replace them. Quite often, retailers know what lines are going to be cut and start trimming the prices on those lines to clear space for the new lines to be unveiled at CES. Thus, late December through January are great times to pick up home electronics.
Of course, you have to be careful with this type of sale. For starters, do not be afraid of the word “clearance” or other such words. Almost always, there’s nothing at all wrong with the model – it’s just being replaced by a different model in the coming year – one HDTV being replaced with a very similar HDTV with a higher price, for example. Also, different stores tend to handle such clearances differently, so you may want to simply shop around for a while to look for what you need. Don’t lock yourself into a particular brand or model – keep your eyes open. Write down clearance models, then research them at home.
Exercise equipment These items are usually on sale due to the upcoming New Year (and related New Year’s resolutions), but there are often spectacular bargains on basic exercise equipment in the week between Christmas and New Years.
The absolute most important thing to remember when considering sales is to focus only on stuff you actually need or have a direct use for. Buying things you don’t really want merely because they’re on sale is a sure way to put yourself in a worse financial position. If you’re intending to replace a flaky television, for example, now is the time to do it – but if you’re thinking of dumping thousands into upgrading your television by 4″, consider other uses for your money.
Continue reading Your After-Christmas Shopping Checklist …
From The Simple Dollar.
DetNews columnist shops at a dollar store
Brian J. O’Connor, columnist at the Detroit News, has a video clip of his Christmas shopping trip at a dollar store.
Brian has been writing the Save a Grand series in which he is cutting back on family budget category by category.
Continue reading DetNews columnist shops at a dollar store …
From Monroe on a Budget.
Don’t toss those sales fliers yet
The personal finance story that’s been making the national headlines last night and this morning includes statistics of how many people have not completed – in some cases have not started – their Christmas shopping.
Now the giggle factor is on those who procrastinate when Christmas is the same day every year. But behind the scenes …. some families have to wait for the next paycheck or a Christmas bonus check before they can finish up their shopping. Others hold off on errands until they go on Christmas break from work or college and have more time in their day.
If you are in those circumstances, don’t toss your sales fliers yet. I’ve been too busy with family matters this week to keep up with daily sales and deals reports for the blog …. but look in your newspapers and mail for the drugstore, grocery and toy store fliers before you go shopping. They aren’t just in the Sunday papers this time of year.
Rite Aid for example had a sales flier in the Wednesday edition of The Monroe Evening News. That’s not the normal sales flier cycle for that drugstore.
Continue reading Don’t toss those sales fliers yet …
From Monroe on a Budget.
Finding the Perfect Gift Without Spending Too Much
As I write this, I’ve spent about five hours online hunting down “perfect” gifts for various people on our Christmas shopping list.
In almost every case, I wound up spending less than our target dollar amount on our list. In almost every case, as well, I found a gift that I think is utterly perfect for the recipient.
Just a few years ago, I would have spent a crazy afternoon at a shopping mall taking care of my list in roughly the same time period. Two problems with that: I would have spent a lot more and the gifts would have been a lot worse.
What exactly did I do this year that was so different? This year, I tried an approach that I’ve been slowly building over the last few Christmases.
Instead of just coming up with gift ideas for each person right off the bat, I spent some time just thinking about each person on my list. What do they care about? What interests do they have? I used the internet to help me in this regard to research a few people and see what they were talking about.
If I didn’t know much of anything about them, I realized that (a) maybe I shouldn’t be buying them gifts in future years or (b) I should spend some time getting to know them better. After all, if you can’t come up with at least some framework of what the person is passionate about or interested in, what basis is there for the relationship? Why give a gift at all?
So, one result out of this is that I know a few gift exchanges I’m going to drop out of next year and I know a few relationships I need to work on in 2010.
Back to the main point.
For each person on my list, I tried to write down five to ten words that describe them in some fashion. I’ll list the eight words I came up with for someone on my list: funny, board games, video games, quiet, smart, chemistry, outdoors, bicycle, camping.
I dropped that list of words into Google and read the first few pages of links.
Virtually every time, one of those pages pointed me straight to an idea I hadn’t even considered before as a gift – something that just worked perfectly for that person. It worked on the order of 90% of the time. The best part was that, once I had that gift idea in mind, I was often able to find that gift for an amount less than I expected to spend on them.
On the occasions when it didn’t work, I just went back to the list of words again, eliminated half of them that didn’t seem to fit as well, and then worked on other ones. I would try different smaller sets of the words. Each time, within two or three tries, I found myself on some path towards a really great, surprisingly inexpensive gift.
Here’s the real truth: great gifts come from caring about people as individuals and thinking deeply about that person, not from just trying to find something so you can knock another person off of your Christmas list. Lead with the person, not with the gift, and let the tools we have at our fingertips lead you towards the right gift. Time and time again, you’ll find something perfect – and you’ll save money.
And no, I won’t mention the gift idea I found. That person is a Simple Dollar reader, after all.
Continue reading Finding the Perfect Gift Without Spending Too Much …
From The Simple Dollar.
CNNMoney: How to give when the giving gets tough
Are you wondering how to support your favorite causes and charities when your income has dropped?
CNNMoney has lots of tips in this report How to give when the giving gets tough.
The story includes a southeast Michigan angle. A snippet:
What makes the situation especially heart-rending is that charities need help more than ever. And nowhere is that truer than in Detroit.
As the metro area’s unemployment rate has soared to 17.8% vs. 9.8% nationally, the amount of money that most charities there collect has plunged. For example, contributions to United Way for Southeastern Michigan fell 21% in its latest fiscal year. (That compares to a 5% drop for the average United Way.)
Now here is my favorite charity donation tip for families on a budget, and I posted it on the CNN comment board: Let your regular household and Christmas shopping spin off into charity donations.
Link your grocery shopper cards to a participating charity so donations will be made to those causes (Kroger and Meijer will do that); and / or buy your local and national retail gift cards from a church or school that sells those gift cards as a fundraiser.
Continue reading CNNMoney: How to give when the giving gets tough …
From Monroe on a Budget.
Black Friday shopping etiquette
A couple of weeks ago, the Mall of Monroe hosted more than 2,000 people for a meet-and-greet with movie star Peter Facinelli of “Twilight” fame.
One of the things I noticed most about of that day was not just the size of the crowd – but the fact it was a cheerful and well-behaved crowd. That’s despite the fact that more than twice as many people showed up as the mall officials expected. (Here’s the photo gallery at monroenews.com.)
If you were in that celebrity meet-and-greet line, or heard about it, keep those good manners in mind when you go back to the mall and the other local retail stores on Black Friday.
BlackFriday.com has this piece: Shopping Etiquette – How to be Polite and Still Get a Good Deal on Black Friday.
A snippet:
Take only what you need. Many people grab up all of one item in the hopes to eBay it for more money. Remember that others are here trying to provide Christmas for their families and only take the number of the item you actually plan on giving to other people.
Seriously, people. This is not the year to hog the presents. A lot of families in southeast Michigan are on a budget right now – and not all of them qualify for the charity baskets or programs. Let everyone have a little Christmas.
Continue reading Black Friday shopping etiquette …
From Monroe on a Budget.
DetNews: Michigan retailers face chilly holiday season
The Detroit News focused on Michigan retailers in this Christmas shopping forecast story: Retailers face chilly holiday season.
A snippet:
Gift cards, free shipping deals on the Web and no-frills presents such as books and music are expected to see an upswing this holiday season.
But the steep markdowns on electronics, clothing, sporting goods and furnishings that shoppers enjoyed last year aren’t likely to be found. Saddled with extra merchandise after last year’s banking collapse, retailers have scaled back inventory dramatically.
The shift in merchandise specials toward lower-priced items is not entirely a bad thing.
For years, shoppers would be buzzing about expensive gifts that weren’t in my budget even with a Black Friday deal. But this year, I’ve noticed good prices and promotions for items that are usually on my Christmas shopping list or worth considering: Christmas cards, boxed chocolates, movies, books, Christmas tree ornaments and iTunes cards.
So if you are the frugal sort to begin with, it looks like the 2009 deals are made for you.
You’ll find the promotions I’ve found so far for stores in the Monroe, Mich., area under sales and deals and Black Friday 2009.
Continue reading DetNews: Michigan retailers face chilly holiday season …
From Monroe on a Budget.
Quote of the Day
This time of year is beyond busy for me. Besides all of the usually Thanksgiving and Christmas preps we also have one of our biggest books sales at this time and to make things even more interesting I normally bake any where from 3,000 to 5,000 gingerbread men between Nov. 1 and Christmas. No that isn’t a typo. To say I need to be organized and plan ahead is an understatement so I really need today’s quotes.
Be sure to plan ahead. Remember it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark. That goes for everything. Don’t wait until you have an emergency happen or get in a bind to start getting your debt under control or start saving. Do it now before it starts “raining”.
I had to stick in this next quote because I find this way to true in my life.
Lose an hour in the morning and you will spend the rest of the day looking for it.
Seriously though it really does pay to plan ahead. We expect our children to work hard in school preparing and planning for their future. We expect them to get their homework done on time and keep it organized and other things at school but we don’t do it ourselves in our own lives. ( And we wonder who they learned to procrastinate from and not to plan ahead from. Hummm???)
So start doing a little planning. Whether it is your meals, your Christmas shopping, Thanksgiving dinner or how much you are going to spend on gifts. Get an early start and plan ahead.
Jill
Continue reading Quote of the Day …
From Living On A Dime Blog » Living On A Dime Blog.
Start Planning Christmas Gift Shopping – Frugal Challenge
It may seem a bit early to be thinking about shopping for Christmas gifts, but, if you’re like me, trying to save as much money as I possibly can, you should probably start today. Planning a more affordable Christmas this year doesn’t have to mean cutting out all the gifts, decorations, food, and fun. You just need to start early, use your creativity, and base your shopping on good judgment.
Christmas time is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration. If you are burdened with debt because you overspent on gifts, your heart will not be light and full of good cheer. Those expensive gifts can become a burden that strips away the joy of the season.
Let’s look at some basic strategies for slashing the overspending that can occur at Christmas time.
Plan Your Gift Budget – This is so basic you would think that most people already do this, but many don’t, and that is where the trouble starts. Don’t start with a gift list, start with writing down exactly how much you can afford to spend on Christmas gifts this year. Don’t forget that you’ll need to budget for the rest of your Christmas expenses, too. Things like decorations and food need to be budgeted for, so keep the total expense in mind.
Make Your Gift Recipient List – Write down everyone you normally buy a Christmas gift for.
Remove Some People From That List – This may seem a bit difficult, but you are almost guaranteed that after you go through your list, you’ll find someone that you really don’t need to buy a gift for this year. If it makes you more comfortable, just move their names to the bottom of the list so you can remember to do something for them, even if that doesn’t involve buying a gift.
Plan Dollar Amount For Each Recipient – Write a dollar amount behind each name that you now have on your list, then add it up. Are you outside your budget for gifts? You’ll need to go back then and rethink each amount and adjust the figures until it fits within your gift budget.
Make Your Gift List – Now you can go through your list of names and start jotting down ideas for each person. Because you’ve created a budgeted dollar amount for each individual, your ideas now have a limit. The problem most people get into when they shop for gifts is that they create a gift list with gift ideas first instead of dollar amounts first. To save your budget, always start your gift list with the dollar amount to be spent for each gift recipient.
Start Your Shopping Early – Yes, there are some great bargains to be found as you get closer to Christmas, but the panic that sets in usually ends up costing us more than we planned. Last minute shopping narrows your choices.
Re-Think Gift Shopping – Consider more inventive options for at least some of the names on your list. Shop smart and thrifty by looking through bargain basements and resale shops. Yes, even a trip through the second-hand stores may prove to be rewarding. You’ll never know what kind of fun and funky finds you’ll come across. For instance, you might find great vintage jewelry that would be just right for a teenager. You may even stumble upon some antique books. And, what little princess wouldn’t like a big box of sparkly gowns to play dress-up in? You’ll find racks of bejeweled, lacy, and shimmery dresses on the bridal and special events racks in most larger thrift shops. Check it out before you head to the mall.
Homemade Gifts – If you are creative, if you can follow a pattern, if you can cook, or if you just have a desire to make something nice, put your skills to work and make a gift. Something as simple as a pretty jar filled with bath salts can be just the right gift to give a friend in need of a relaxing moment. Gifts made from the heart are always appreciated.
Leave Yourself Off Your Gift List – If you’re tempted to buy yourself stuff while you’re shopping for gifts, you’ll need to give yourself a stern talking to! There are so many lovely things out there in the store aisles and they all seem to be calling your name. That is what is called “marketing to the impulse shopper.” If you have no control, give your list to someone else who has more self-control and is willing to do your shopping for you. Know yourself and avoid this pitfall. Your budget can’t take it!
This is my frugal challenge to you. Hold onto the joy of Christmas gift giving by setting your gift budget within your means. Don’t go into debt in order to give gifts that you cannot afford. Your family and friends would not like it if they knew their gift caused you a hardship.
Continue reading Start Planning Christmas Gift Shopping – Frugal Challenge …
From Hillbilly Housewife Blog.
Do you get just the Sunday papers? It’s time to rethink that
My “day job” is that of a reporter at The Monroe Evening News, which is an employee-owned, independent, daily newspaper in Monroe, Mich.
So feel free to consider this tip as coming from a biased source.
But it’s also fact.
If you get only the Sunday edition of your local or regional newspaper, and newspaper circulation numbers across the country prove that many people do that, then you are missing the sales fliers that the advertisers deliberately schedule for other days.
Did you see the Toys R Us ad that was in the Friday newspaper? I didn’t blog about it because I didn’t have time – we had a family gathering last night. But the sale was only good last night and until 1 p.m. today.
Some of the Monroe, Mich., drugstore and grocery fliers also are distributed in my newspaper on Saturdays and Mondays – rather than in the big stack on Sundays.
The advertisers request their ads run on specific days for a variety of reasons. The newspapers accommodate the schedules as best as possible for their market. (Some newspapers have recently dropped publication days or delivery days, some newspapers don’t have their own Sunday editions, and my newspaper has long observed four holidays during the year when there is no print edition).
Now we are coming up on the Christmas shopping season and you’ll want to be able to reference those sales fliers as you make your holiday purchases decisions.
What can you do about that?
Get a home delivery subscription to a 7-day (or whatever is a full week for your local newspaper) as soon as possible. And then every day, you want to take a quick glance at the newspaper headlines and sales flier packets, even if you have to wait until later to read the content in detail.
Like I said, take this tip with a grain of salt if you want. A large part of any newspaper employee’s paycheck is based on paid subscription / newsstand circulation numbers — and the print advertising purchases that are based on those statistics. I don’t get extra money for page views on this blog.
Yes, you can look up the store sites on the web, and I do from time to time. But it takes a horrendous amount of time to look up every store you might shop at.
Yes, you can sign up for e-mail alerts, and I do have a few coming to my mailbox. But honestly, I’m looking for e-mails from my friends and family when I have the email on. (Delete, delete, delete. …)
And while I do post sales and deals on this blog, that is not my primary purpose for existing. In fact, I held off doing that for several months because I wanted my readers to be thinking about other ways to stretch their money. I was also annoyed at seeing how many web site forum members and bloggers post retail sales without saying which city or region that promotion is good for, or who “leak” unverified information.
But it’s a pretty quick task to pull apart a local newspaper’s ad sections and see what the sales of the day are in your community.
And when you have that newspaper arriving to your home on a daily basis, maybe you’ll notice the money-saving tips and public service announcements that reporters and columnists have been listing all along in the news, feature and community / neighbor sections.
Where do you think I get the local PSAs from that I post on this blog?
Continue reading Do you get just the Sunday papers? It’s time to rethink that …
From Monroe on a Budget.