Now, some of you may think I am nuts… but I do know some families who practice this tradition. The idea is to have your Christmas after Christmas… usually a couple days later. The advantage is the HUGE savings on Christmas gifts.
Retailers know that if it doesn’t get bought before Christmas it may not get bought at all. So, once Christmas is done… the real heavy duty markdowns come. It is almost guaranteed to find at least 50% off the price within the couple days after Christmas on “gifty” items.
Now, if having Christmas late is not such a good plan for your family, there are still ways to make the most of these great days of shopping. The first is to get out there and return any items you received that didn’t fit or you didn’t want. Exchange these items for different ones at these new markdown prices.
Another is to do next years shopping early! This is particularly good for Christmas-specific items like decorations and ornaments. These items are ALWAYS heavily reduced in price the week after Christmas.
The third is to use all those gift cards. Most likely you received at least one! They are one of the hottest gifts this year. Use these cards during the massive after Christmas sales and get the most impact per dollar.
The fourth way is to get birthday gifts early. Whatever they wanted but didn’t get will be top of mind and the price offerings will be good.
The final way (at least that I can think of!) is to buy the things that YOU want. Why not, you know they won’t be coming your way for Christmas. This is especially true for items you know you need anyway, but it is also easier to justify a splurge when prices are down and dirty. As the days move into January often you will continue to see price reductions on necessities like coats, boots, even underwear. January is one of the slowest retail shopping months of the year… thus the stores are less crowded and the prices are right.
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