Week 19: One more week about shopping.
Pool your gift money. Think group gift. Whether it be for a wedding, shower, graduation, a holiday, or for a family member’s birthday why not pool your money and get a nicer and often more needed gift than you could afford on your own.
Shop the sales. I never pay full price for anything. Be patient. Everything goes on sale eventually. There are times of the year when certain items are always on sale. Everyone knows eggs are cheapest the week before Easter. Storage boxes are on sale in January when everyone is cleaning up from the holidays. Summer clothes are on sale about 2 weeks into the summer season. Keep a journal of the sales at your local stores and see what their pattern is. Don’t be afraid to ask when an item will go on sale.
Become friends with a store clerk. If you have a favorite store develop a friendship with a clerk and ask them to let you know when items are being marked down. Some stores have a regular day of the week when they mark down items
Purchase gifts year-round. Take advantage of end of seasons sales and purchase items for Christmas in July. I purchased workout clothes for 70% off that are appropriate to wear year round and will be appreciated Christmas morning but they cost me much less than if I had waited to purchase them in November. The same is true of home decor items, linens, photo albums, and year-round clothing such as belts and jeans. Other added advantages of this approach is that you will spread out your purchases thus preserving your budget and you can avoid all the hassles of the crowds in November. Consider doing this for wedding and shower gifts and for baby gift.