The post-Christmas season can be a crazy time to grab some great deals. While Black Friday and its aftermath (Black Saturday and Cyber Monday) are one of the biggest shopping times in America, the post-Christmas period can be a great time to land on some post holiday sales.
Last year, mobile orders rose to 50 percent on Christmas Day. Which simply goes to show that a lot of people wait until after the holidays are over to start spending money. And while you can get lost in all of the post holiday sales, it’s important you make sure not to blow your budget! Here’s how.
Have a Plan
One of the best pieces of advice, in my experience, is to not step into holiday sales guns-blazing. While you can find some great deals, if you’re not careful those great deals can absolutely break your yearly budget. And, if you’re shopping online, it can happen in mere minutes.
With that in mind, decide beforehand what you’re going to purchase. If your post-holiday list is pages long you can easily rack up a bill of hundreds of dollars or more. Pick a few items that you know you need (or want) and you can find a good deal on to go after.
Do Some Holiday Sales Research
Gross, research. You’re probably rolling your eyes thinking, I thought was done with that when I finished university… but when it comes to holiday sales research can be a great money saver!
Take some time before the holiday sales start (or during but before you shop) to do a little research and find out where the best place to find deals for your chosen items is. A little research can save you time and money!
Only Shop Sales
This seems like run-of-the-mill advice, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to get caught up in the shopping extravaganza and add a few extra I need this now items to your purchase even though they’re not on sale. Go big or go home, right?
No! Make sure you stick to your pre-picked purchases and keep your purchases within your ideal budget range.
Shop in Canada and the UK
If you happen to be doing some holiday travel and you’re still kicking around in Canada or the UK post-Christmas, shop there! Boxing Day sales (and by extension Boxing Week sales) are huge. The kind of holiday sales you find on Black Friday in America, you’ll find on Boxing Day in the UK and Canada, as its one of the busiest times to find the best deals.
Plus, as an added bonus, if you find yourself in Canada, the American dollar goes a long way further due to the fact that it’s worth a decent amount more. If you have $100, it’s worth about $136 in Canada, so get your shop on! And if you find yourself skiing in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, places in Alberta have low taxes with only a 5 percent federal tax on goods and services.
What do you do to keep your post holiday spending in check? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below!
Looking For More Shopping Tips?
- Do You Really Need That Designer Bag? Shopping Rules You Need in Your Life
- Attention, Shoppers: Plan Ahead For Sales Tax Holiday
- Buying Used Furniture Vs New – Worth It Or Gross
Tae started out as a journalist before following the money into the corporate world. But it turns out that the grass isn’t always greener and now you can find her spending most of her time writing about all the things she loves. Namely, money, travel and business with a hefty dose of self-deprecating humor. She is a podcast fanatic, blogging aficionado and loves to find new ways to turn passions into cold hard cash!