Gift Giving 2011: Clearance Sales
Note: Project Life Tuesday will be up later this morning!
I have always loved a good deal.
Clearance sales are how I got started on shopping year-round. When I was growing up, we always went shopping the day after Christmas at Target and would often stock up on gifts for the following year. It was such a thrill to find items at 50% off (and it honestly still is!).
Lesson 1: Look for big mark-downs!
Since you are shopping all year, there is no rush to buy something just to have it. Instead, you can take your time to find the perfect gift at a GREAT price.
I generally like to buy clearance items when they are 75% off, though I will buy at 50% off it is the perfect gift.
I always go to the clearance section of a store first (usually in the back, or on an endcap in a store like Target). You can score some GREAT deals in these sections.
Lesson 2: Learn when the sales are
Learning when big sales are will maximize your chances of scoring great deals.
Of course, there are the obvious ones – Black Friday, the day after Christmas – but seasonal sales are also great opportunities for finding gifts at great prices. For instance, I always score great summer gifts in September. Baby Cheapskate posts forecasts for sales each month, which is a great resource.
Lesson 3: Monitor frugal blogs for sales
Many frugal blogs post when there are big sales both in stores and online. Some of my favorite frugal blogs are Faithful Provisions, Savings Lifestyle, Bargain Briana, Money Saving Mom, Mama Cheaps, Savings and Stewardship, and Freebies4Mom.
I have found many fabulous online sales/clearance prices because of monitoring frugal blogs. Without these blogs, I never would have found those deals!
For instance, yesterday, I read on a blog that She Said Yes Barbie and Ken
Tomorrow’s topic: Flash deal sites!
Disclosure: compensated affiliate link used