Save Money at after Christmas Sales
Stock up on Black Friday 2 at Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Sears
Dec 25, 2008
While the day after Thanksgiving ushers in the start of the holiday shopping season in the United States, the day after Christmas (a.k.a. Black Friday 2) gives families a chance to start the next year’s budget on track.
Frugal shoppers can use this deep discount season as a reason to purchase items that will be needed in the future. The day after Christmas, which is December 26th in 2008, marks the start of a six-day period when retailers must squeeze in the last sales of the year. Some items like Christmas decorations are often discounted up to 90% in an effort to clear inventory.
Save Money ataAfter Christmas Sales: Buy Only what’s Needed
The key to making after Christmas sales work for a budget is to only buy items that would be purchased anyway within the next year. Buying items at their lowest prices of the year is a simple way to cut annual household costs. Shoppers trying to adhere to a budget should not get carried away and just buy something because it’s is a good price; they should make sure each item is actually needed (or will be needed) first, then make a conscious decision to make the purchase.
Stores like Walmart, Target, The Home Depot, and Sears are good starting points for those looking to use the week after Christmas to save money on household items. Walmart’s discount prices are only magnified during year-end reductions. Target typically offers substantial discounts in increasing increments as the days pass after Christmas. Sears’ and The Home Depot’s advertised after Christmas sales may contain good deals for anyone who anticipates needing household appliances in the new year.
Tips for Saving Money the Day and Week after Christmas & All Year Long
For tips on adopting the shopping outlook of only buying what is going to be needed or what is going to be purchased anyway (in the case of more frivolous purchases), check out the following articles:
Frugal Shopper Spending Habits
Some of the questions from the article on shopping around can be applied to after Christmas purchases. Use these questions as guidelines for making purchasing decisions at year end sales:
- Is the item available for less somewhere else? For example, the Walmart sale might seem great, but is the same item available for less at Target?
- Is this the best value? This is a subjective evaluation, but a good starting point is to compare cost against quality.
- Will the item be at a lower price in the near future? If Christmas wrapping paper is the item in question, the answer to this is a resounding NO. The best time to buy Christmas décor at the lowest price is just after Christmas. If the item in question is a phone charger, the answer may not be no since that item could get year-round use and has year-round customer demand.
- Can the purchase wait until the off season when demand is low (or be purchased well in advance of the next in season)? Use the similar reasoning to number three to answer this question.
- Is a coupon available to offset the cost? Online coupon codes are sometimes available. See the shopping around article above for instructions on finding coupon codes.
After Christmas Sales – Walmart, Stein Mart, hhgregg, The Home Depot, & Others
The article Walmart After Christmas Sale – December 2008 discusses how to find Walmart’s online and in store deals from Black Friday 2 through the end of the year. A related article, After Christmas Sales – December 2008, discusses advertised after Christmas sales at the retailers Dick’s Sporting Goods, hhgregg, Stein Mart, The Home Depot, Macy’s, Toys-R-Us, Sears, and Bed Bath & Beyond. These 2008 sales primarily start on December 26th.
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