Tis the season to be jolly and I plan to be along with my loved ones. Thanksgiving is around the corner and I HAVE to complete my list of goodies and invites. I came from a long tradition of the more the merrier and always looking for happy surprise guests, while my husband and his family prefer knowing. Anyhow, one thing I am good at is getting the "hook up" but I found some tips recently and will add on throughout the holiday.
Post-holiday deals beckon
Stocking up after the big day can add up to serious savings
With Christmas around the corner and many of us pinching our pennies, it's time to start thinking about how to get a good deal on gifts. Not for this year, but for next year.I know it might be a bit overwhelming to consider buying gifts and holiday supplies for Christmas 2009 before you've even tackled this year's list, but planning ahead to take advantage of after-holiday sales can save you a lot of money. Retailers—who make roughly 10 percent of their holiday sales during the week after Christmas—typically mark down holiday items 30 percent to 50 percent on Dec. 26, according to the National Retail Federation. That means a little foresight and a lot of storage space can add up to big savings.
Judy Chaney, a friend's mother-in-law, is a master of after-holiday sales. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, you name the holiday, and she's there right after hunting for deals. So, I called Judy on Halloween and suggested that we go out the next day for a little tutorial. She shut down that idea right away.
"Oh, no. We have to go on Sunday," Judy said. "That's when you get the best deals."
Lesson No. 1: The longer you wait after the holiday, the deeper the discounts. But you don't want to wait too long because the stores might run out of the really good stuff. If you're looking for white Christmas lights, you can wait until the first week of January, according to Ellen Davis, vice president of the retail federation. But the rug you've been eyeing might be gone.
Judy and I met on Sunday afternoon at the Jewel grocery store at 75th Street and Stony Island Avenue. She surveyed the store for a few minutes before focusing on a cart near the photo shop stuffed with rubber spiders and pumpkin carvers. There were American flag bows from a couple of holidays back and items such as toothpaste and bandages.
"I don't need any of this, but look at this," Judy said as she picked up clearance hair conditioner and returned it to the cart.
Lesson No. 2: Don't buy it if you don't need it, just because it's on sale. It's best to buy with someone in mind. Putting your items to good use is the difference between getting a deal and wasting your money.
Her senses well-tuned to deals, Judy quickly realized there weren't many to be had at Jewel. A cashier told her that the staff hadn't gotten around to marking all of the Halloween merchandise down yet. She bought a few pumpkin-themed pencils and headed to Dominick's at 71st Street and Jeffrey Boulevard, where she hit pay dirt.
At the front of the store were two large displays of candy that had been reduced 50 percent. Judy loaded up the cart with jumbo-size bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, York Peppermint Patties and Snickers, enough to keep her seven grandkids in candy all year. Judy let me in on a little secret: Freeze the candy and it'll keep until next year. Or you can use it for Christmas stockings.
"Halloween candy as stocking stuffers?" I asked.
"It doesn't say Halloween anywhere on here," Judy said as she ran her hand across a bag of Whoppers. "You can throw it in there and they'll love it."
Lesson No. 3: When it comes to the gifts' recipients, information is on a need-to-know basis. If your items are in holiday packaging, open and rewrap. Or, better yet, look for items that don't have hints of the holiday.
Next up were Halloween decorations and knickknacks. There were half-price candy dishes and cookie cutter sets and a big "Happy Halloween" banner that had been marked down 75 percent. Still, Judy thought $2.50 was too much.
"It'll come down further," Judy said. "I'll come back."
She's right. Davis said retailers will keep slashing prices until they make a sale. And the gift wrap and other stuff they still can't move will be sold to a discount chain or stored.
Storing for next year is something Judy learned from her mom. With 12 kids in the family, her mother shopped for deals all year and kept the goods in the attic to pass out for holidays and birthdays. Judy keeps her stash in the "Nana box," a treasure chest of sorts for her grandkids. She also stocks her freezer with turkeys and hams that were reduced in after-Thanksgiving sales. She brags about barbecue utensils she got for a steal after Labor Day.
In one crash course, Judy taught me never to pass up a chance to save money.
Which brings me to Lesson No. 4: If you can, deliver a little discounted Christmas cheer this year. If there are relatives you're not going to see until after Christmas, wait until then to buy the gift. The old adage about it being the thought that counts is true. And I'm thinking, why spend more money than you have to?
kataiyero@tribune.com
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