Everyone knows that the day after Christmas is when the really great sales are, right?
Yes, but the shopper who is not discriminating can end up with junk and/or stuff that they don’t really need.
It’s really important to plan ahead for your day after Christmas shopping trip, instead of going willy nilly to stores with their newspaper sales page in hand buying whatever strikes your fancy at the moment.
Keep in mind, stores use day after Christmas sales primarily to:
- Unload overstock
- Get rid of items that are soon to be on clearance
- Sell old models that they’ve had on display
- Re-sell returns and exchanges that have been opened (or not)
Now, in many cases, these items can be truly good buys. But it is still important to be discriminating when you shop.
Here’s how you can best plan and prepare for your day after Christmas shopping trip…
Know ahead of time what you want to shop for.
Make a list, and stick to it. That way, you won’t overspend and you won’t wind up with stuff you don’t really need or won’t really use.
Eat breakfast before you leave.
Everything at the store or mall where you’re going is probably going to be packed. Eating ahead of time will not only give you energy, but will also give you the time to get in, get what you want and get out.
That is, unless you absolutely must do an exchange. The day after Christmas is one of the busiest days for returns, and you can expect to be in line for up to an hour. It’s best to look for bargains on this day and save your returns for later.
I did this one year with a TV and after 6 months it fell apart, literally. To even use the button to turn it on, I had to take the back off so I could reach it — because it had sunk too far into the front of the television for me to get to it.
When purchasing gifts for kids, remember that they will be a year older next year. Therefore, you should purchase gifts according to how old they’ll be, not how old they are now.
Get your whole family to work as a team.
Doing this can cut back on your shopping time considerably. Give everyone, except for the small children of course a list and send them off to get items. This can not only save you time, but a family member may actually find bargains that you would otherwise miss.
The holidays are such a crazy time of year and it is very easy to either buy too much, or buy the wrong thing because all the prices look so good. That’s why you’ll want to plan your trip ahead of time and involve others in your day after Christmas shopping trip. It can make a big difference!
