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Christmas with Strategic Shopping E-book - Chapter One Preview
I always start out my January Christmas shopping by making a list of do’s and don’ts.
Since Christmas is so fresh in my mind, it is easy to remember what I liked and what I didn’t like about Christmas.
It’s the perfect time of the year to write down what I wish I could have accomplished.
I fill up a notebook with decoration ideas, gift ideas, and baking ideas.
I write down the projects I want to do with the children, and the crafts and homemade gifts I want to make.
It’s pretty easy to start my Christmas shopping list since there are certain gifts that I buy every single year.
Clearance Racks
I like to make a beeline straight for the clearance racks and absolutely love it when I find a coupon to match up to those items, which in many cases, makes those items free.
I like to pay ten cents per roll of wrapping paper, but I will pay fifty cents a roll if there isn’t enough paper left to last until the 90% off prices hit.
I love to get each one of my children, and now grandchildren, a Christmasy mug each year.
I actually buy 24 of them because they are such neat and inexpensive gifts.
Even if I were to purchase them at the Dollar Tree for a buck a piece, I would still have to pay $24.00 and that’s not even including tax!
Instead, I wait for them to be marked down to 10 cents a piece, then just pay $2.40 for all twenty-four of them.
90% off is a Stock-up Price
You may find things marked down on the clearance rack that you weren’t expecting.
If it has packaging with a Christmas theme or was even just sold in the Christmas
section, then it will be marked down.
The clearance sales normally follow a pattern of being marked down by 50% off as soon as Christmas, or any other holiday for that matter, is over.
The following week usually brings 75% off followed by 90%.
When the 50% sales hit I look around to see if there is anything that I really want. If there aren’t very many of them, or if I think they won’t last to see the next cut, then I buy them.
75% off is a good buying price, but 90% off is a stock-up price! 90% off is the goal we are after.
We want to pay a dime for a dollar item and a dollar for ten dollar items.
Special Stockings
You know the let down that you can feel after preparing for something for a long time, then it’s over within a few minutes?
In order to not experience that feeling, I like to spread Christmas out throughout the whole month with some sort of activity almost every day.
I also like to keep the fun going on the actual day of Christmas.
That’s where the special stockings come into play.
Sometimes I make these stockings.
Sometimes I use something other than a stocking, like a cowboy hat.
But other times I just pick up enough Christmas stockings when they go on sale for a dime apiece.
I collect little goodies throughout the year to fill up each stocking.
This has become a fun tradition with my children, and now grandchildren.
I like to check the things off my list by only paying a dime.
I really like to check off the list with items I get for free!
Swagbucks
Swagbucks helps me to do just that.
Since movies and books are on my list I just use the points I accumulate through Swagbucks to buy Amazon.com cards each month.
I’m able to use these cards to order some books and movies.
The gift card even covers the cost of shipping, so these things are totally free!
I love my gift closet. I continually add things to it throughout the year.
The gift closet enables me to celebrate in the extravagant way that I enjoy without spending very much money.
This shouldn’t just include Christmas shopping.
When an unexpected birthday or other event comes up I can easily
pull out a gift from the closet rather than dropping a bunch of money.
Being prepared can save you a TON of money!
Prepare Ahead of Time
I keep a list of things that I know I will be purchasing for certain occasions, like movies for Christmas and streamers for birthdays.
I keep this list handy and purchase these things when they are at rock bottom prices.
I keep an eye on weekly sales and monthly sale cycles and buy at the lowest prices, again matching up coupons when possible.
I buy things that aren’t necessarily on my list. I shop the clearance racks to find awesome deals for the gift closet.
I apply these same principles when shopping at thrift shops.
I find much of my gift closet treasures through these two avenues.
Yes, I do give gifts that come from thrift shops.
Don’t cringe!
Much of the stuff found in these shops is in excellent condition, and may even still have price tags hanging right on them!
Of course, if it isn’t in good shape I wouldn’t gift it.
Preparation is the Key
Preparation is the key to saving money. Waiting until the last minute will almost always cost you way more. Once you start implementing a gift closet you won’t ever want to be without one!
It doesn’t have to be a closet. It could be as simple as a box under your bed, an unused dresser drawer, or a tote stored out of the way.
Christmas Shopping in January
Christmas shopping in January is really the hardest time to get through. Christmas was just getting over and you really had to push yourself to buy gifts in January.
If you manage to get all of those awesome deals in January, then you are probably pretty excited about saving up to 90% on this year’s Christmas already!
Our January Christmas Goals
Our January Christmas goals:
Step #1 – Write down the things you buy every year.
Step #2 – Decide that you won’t pay full price for that stuff.
Step #3 – Hit those clearance racks!
Step #4 – Sign up for Swagbucks
Christmas at the Foote House
My children are required to earn money in order to give gifts to each one of their eleven siblings, their siblings’ spouses, their siblings’ children, their parents, and their grandparents, then they can add anyone else they desire to their giving list.
When most people hear about this they normally ask why I don’t just have them draw names.
That way everyone would still get a gift, but they wouldn’t be burdened down with so much gift giving.
I don’t consider giving to be a burden, and I don’t want my
children to portray it as such either.
I want them to be more focused on giving rather than receiving.
I make sure that they spend most of their Christmas planning focusing on others.
They get super excited about Christmas time and can’t wait until the receiver of their gifts gets to open them up.
They truly learn that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Christmas with Strategic Shopping E-book - Chapter One Preview
I hope you enjoyed this peek into my book, Christmas with Strategic Shopping – The Twelve Months of Christmas.
If you want to read more about what you can buy each month of the year at rock-bottom prices, then make sure you get a copy of my e-book, Christmas with Strategic Shopping – The Twelve Months of Christmas.
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