Anybody who has gone into a store the week after Christmas knows that retailers have a ton of stock leftover from the holidays. It’s also common knowledge that stores will offer some amazing discounts in order to move this product off their shelves before the year ends.

What you may not know, however, is that this is the time of season retailers also like to put out fresh new merchandise on the floor in hopes of enticing their customer, and those might be discounted as well. This can confuse a lot of shoppers. 

Which items will you get the best deals on after the holidays are over? What can you buy that will save you not just money immediately, but might even help you save money next holiday season? 

What are the best items to buy after Christmas? 

Wrapping Paper

Much like Halloween decorations, retailers are eager to get rid of extra wrapping paper. While most of this wrapping paper will be holiday or winter themed, you’ll also find a ton of generic wrapping paper you can use for almost any other occasion throughout the year.

Holiday Greeting Cards

Another seasonal item you’ll want to snatch up after the holidays is holiday greeting cards. Greeting cards have the advantage of being pretty much timeless, so you can pick up multiple boxes for a fraction of what you would pay for them in early December.

Got questions about how to save money once the holidays are over? Ask us! 

Candy

If you don’t mind a few snowflake designs on your candy wrappers, you can pick up a lot of holiday-themed candy at discounts similar to the ones retailers offer after Halloween and Valentine’s Day. They’re ideal for parties, candy bowls at the office or classroom treats, but you might also be tempted to keep some around for snacking when the temperature plunges below zero.

Clothes

Retailers will almost always slash prices on cold weather clothes after the holidays are done. By this time, most people have already bought clothes for the winter, either for themselves or as gifts. You’ll probably also be able to find some discounts on nicer clothes, especially at retailers like Macy's and Nordstrom.

Gift Sets

You’ll be able to find gift sets for almost any occasion on retailers’ shelves during the holidays. The most popular ones contain toiletries and grooming products, but you can also find gift sets that contain makeup, food and pet products. You can stock up on these to hand out as gifts, or keep a few for yourself as a way to try out some new products at a very low cost.

Toys and Games

After Santa Claus had made his annual rounds and relatives have bought all gifts for their children, you’ll find there are plenty of toys left over on the shelves, many of which are heavily discounted. You can stock up on these as gifts, donate them to charities, or just keep a game or two around for yourself and your family.

Cars

Auto dealers need to move their cars out of the door in order to make room for the year’s newest models. As a result, they will offer some fantastic prices to convince customers to buy. They might even offer incentives just for walking in the door.

This doesn’t just apply to new cars. Used car dealers need to move product off their lots, too, and they’ll also be offering discounts to entice customers to buy.

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Make Good Money Moves in the New Year

One of the best ways to save money is to know when to buy things, and after the holidays is one of the best times to find some incredible discounts. 

While you're spending all this money, though, you'll want to make sure you're staying within your budget. If you don't have the necessary funds to buy an item, make sure you actually need it. If not, make sure you'll be able to pay off the amount you charged to your credit card. 

If you want to make sure you're ready for the after-holiday sales, become a member of First Alliance Credit Union today. In addition to being able to transfer money to a savings account or club account to prepare yourself for holiday expenses, you'll also be able to use our SMART Goal packet to help you figure out how much you'll need for the holidays. If you need additional help funding the holidays, you can even apply for a uChoose rewards credit card.