$11.97 Worth of Christmas Cards for $1.17: How Buying Off Season Can Save you Boatloads of Cash

Every year after Christmas, I look at the Christmas sales. As you can see from the photo above, this can save boatloads of cash rather than waiting to buy items at Christmastime. The cards above were $3.99 each which amounts to $11.97. I bought them at 90% off so they were .39 each or a total of $1.17.

I do this with wrapping paper, wrapping bags, ornaments, decorations, anything you can think of that a person might need for the next year. You can see how at 75%-90% off of these items it definitely adds up to quite a hefty amount. The only peril in this is buying too much stuff. In that case, you can easily give it to a thrift shop and feel good for doing that!

Sometimes people think this won't work because they think the items they want won't be available. This can be true if you want things that are very specific. Otherwise, if you can be flexible and patient, you can find items that you will both like and will work for you.

I find the best time for excellent clearance is not immediately after Christmas but more like a week or two afterwards. For me, since I don't really need too many specific items anymore, I sometimes don't even buy anything. So, I just keep my eyes out for what might interest me. If you are just starting your household and you definitely need specific items, going the day (or two) after Christmas is probably best.

I remember when I first started doing this, the hardest part was having enough money for that first Christmas plus buying the clearance items afterwards. It was hard because we were very poor, but the next year I was very much rewarded with not having to buy things! I buy Christmas presents all year long too, looking for buys. After getting over that first year hump, it has been a pay off ever since!