September is one of my favorite months to get ahead on Christmas without putting a big strain on the holiday budget. The change of seasons creates clearance opportunities, back-to-school items are being marked down, and stores are making room for new fall and winter merchandise.

Instead of waiting until November or December and paying whatever the current price happens to be, I use September to check my gift closet, fill in a few gaps, and start preparing for holiday expenses a little at a time. In this guide, I’ll show you what I look for in September, what is worth buying ahead, and how a little preparation now can make Christmas much easier later.

What to Look for on September Clearance Racks

September is a transition month, and that can create some of the best clearance opportunities of the season. Stores need space for fall and winter merchandise, so I always take a few minutes to check the clearance aisles before shopping the regular shelves.

Some of the things I watch for include:

• Summer clothing such as T-shirts, shorts, tank tops, and pajamas
• Sandals, sneakers, and other seasonal footwear
• Outdoor toys, water toys, and sports items
• Picnic and outdoor entertaining supplies
• Backpacks, lunch bags, notebooks, crayons, markers, and other school supplies
• Last year’s winter merchandise that may still be hiding on clearance racks

One of my favorite Strategic Shopping tricks is to think one season ahead. A pair of winter boots may not look like a Christmas bargain when you’re shopping in September, but if they are last year’s style and deeply discounted, they can become a very practical gift at a fraction of what you might pay in December.

Before buying anything, though, ask yourself three questions: Do I already have something similar? Do I know who I would give this to? Is the price low enough to make buying ahead worthwhile?

A clearance sticker alone doesn’t make something a bargain. The goal is to fill the gift closet with things you will actually use or give—not simply collect inexpensive stuff.

Turn Back-to-School Clearance Into Christmas Gifts

September is also a good time to take one last look at the back-to-school clearance. By now, many stores are trying to move the remaining school supplies out of the way, and that can mean excellent prices on practical items.

Before I buy anything, I check my gift closet to see what I already have. Then I look for useful things I know will actually be given.

Some of my favorite items to watch for are:

• Backpacks and lunch bags
• Notebooks and folders
• Crayons, markers, and colored pencils
• Pens, pencils, and other office supplies
• Art and craft supplies
• Socks and other practical basics

These don’t have to be boring gifts. A few inexpensive school or art supplies can be grouped together to make a fun activity gift for a child. A notebook, pens, and a few office supplies can become a useful gift for a teenager, college student, teacher, or someone who loves to stay organized.

The important part is to shop with a person or purpose in mind. I don’t want a gift closet filled with random bargains. I want it filled with things that save me from making an expensive last-minute purchase later.

After shopping, I take a quick inventory of the gift closet so I know what I have, who I may use it for, and what is still missing from my Christmas list.

Start a Holiday Food Box in September

One of the best things I can do for my holiday budget in September is start a Holiday Food Box.

Instead of waiting until Thanksgiving or Christmas week and buying everything for our holiday meals at once, I begin picking up nonperishable items a little at a time. I already know many of the foods I make every year, so I can start with my Thanksgiving and Christmas menus and make a list.

Then, when I am grocery shopping, I watch for a good price on something from that list. If the price is right and the item will keep until the holidays, I buy it, put it into my Holiday Food Box, and cross it off the list.

The important part is that I am not simply buying extra groceries. I am buying food I already know my family will use for the holidays.

How I Use My Holiday Food Box

1. I write down the meals, baking, treats, and traditions I know we will have for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
2. I make a shopping list of the nonperishable ingredients those plans will require.
3. I check my pantry first so I don’t buy something I already have.
4. I watch the sales and buy an item when I find a price I am happy with.
5. I put the holiday item aside and cross it off my list.
6. I keep doing this throughout the fall.

By November, I can look through the box and see how much of Thanksgiving dinner is already purchased. Then I continue filling the gaps for Christmas.

Buying one or two things here and there may not seem like much, but that is the whole idea behind Strategic Shopping. I would rather spread those holiday expenses over several grocery trips than walk into the store right before Christmas with a huge list and have to pay whatever the prices happen to be that week.

Candy’s Strategic Shopping Rule: Don’t buy something just because it might be useful for Christmas. Start with the holiday plan, check what you already have, and then buy ahead when the right price comes along.

Your September Christmas Checklist

Before September ends, take a few minutes to see how much you can accomplish:

• Check your gift closet before buying anything else.

• Shop the change-of-season clearance racks.

• Look for useful summer items at final-clearance prices.

• Check remaining back-to-school and office-supply clearance.

• Watch for last year’s winter merchandise, especially practical gifts.

• Update your Christmas gift list with what you have already purchased.

• Make your Thanksgiving and Christmas food lists.

• Start or add to your Holiday Food Box.

• Cross off each holiday item you purchase ahead.

• Write down the few things you still need so you can watch for the right price instead of buying them at the last minute.

You do not have to finish Christmas in September. The goal is simply to make December easier, one smart purchase and one small task at a time.

Want to Keep Going Month by Month?

September is only one piece of the way I prepare for Christmas.

My approach to Strategic Shopping is to spread the planning, shopping, and preparation throughout the entire year so that December does not become one giant rush of spending and last-minute decisions.

In Christmas with Strategic Shopping: The Twelve Months of Christmas, I walk through the year month by month, sharing what I watch for, what I buy ahead, how I build the gift closet, and the traditions that have become part of Christmas in our family.

If this September plan helped you, the complete book will help you keep going all year long.

Be prepared. Shop smart. Save more — and leave room in the budget for the people and traditions you love.