Saving Money this Holiday Season

You have probably seen your local retailers starting to put up holiday decorations already.  It seems like every year they put them up earlier and earlier in the season!  I don’t really mind as I love this time of year but it was surprising when we hit our local Marshall’s last week to get a few last minute Halloween decorations only to find the shelves filled only with Christmas and Hanukah knickknacks and really nothing left to buy for Halloween!  But as this year, Hanukah is coming early (the day after Thanksgiving) so I have to get on it and start shopping.  Every year I try to take advantage of sales at stores over the summer and take care of Christmas and Hanukah presents for family and friends, but this year it didn’t quite work out that way!  So, in pursuit of not breaking the bank, I have found some retailers to help save you and me some money this holiday season.  I try to make a list of what my family likes and then go in search of finding it at a discount.  It is sort of like a treasure hunt but worth the extra time and effort if it will save you some hard-earned cash!

Outlet Stores:

Check your local outlets for clothing, accessories and knick knacks. Outlets first appeared in the Eastern United States in the 1930s and the father of outlets is credited with Harold Alfond, founder of the Dexter Shoe Company. Factory stores started to offer damaged or excess goods to employees at a low price. After some time, the audience expanded to non-employees as well.  Until the 1970s, the primary purpose of outlet stores was to dispose of excess or damaged goods. But now, many stores make clothing and accessories specifically to sell through their outlet stores. Though outlets tend to be second-hand or sometimes last seasons style, you can still find some great pieces!  If you aren’t located near an outlet you can always go online to check out your favorite brands.  Ultimate Outlet is the official outlet for Spiegel’s, Shape FX and  and Newport News and offer some basics that you can’t really go wrong with.  Whether you are looking for a holiday dress for yourself (like this fun red dress from Shape FX on Ultimate Outlet), or something nice for your sister, mother or friend, they have several discounted pieces.

Discounted Retailers:

I love hitting our local Marshalls and TJ Maxx. By buying up manufacturers’ post-season, overrun, and close-out stock, they are able to offer fashionable, high-quality “designer” items at prices 20 to 60 percent less than those of the department stores. They offer anything from food to kitchen ware to designer clothing that can be found at a discount.  We usually purchase my daughter’s shoes at Marshalls because she is growing so quickly it isn’t worth it to buy expensive shoes that she will only grow out of in a week!  I also find really great linens there at a discount as well.  These stores tend to get items from the higher-end retailers as well so make sure to check out their linen section if you know someone in your family is looking for a comfy blanket as a gift.  And the toy section is great to get some inexpensive stocking stuffers.

Discounted Stores:

Recently,  a Walmart opened up in our neighborhood and after taking a tour through the store I can see what all the hype is about!  You can find some great deals at these types of discount stores that include Walmart, Target and Kmart all of which opened their first locations in 1962.   In the United States, discount stores had 42% of overall retail market share in 1987; in 2010, they had 87%.    We tend to purchase our electronics there or at Costco as they really do offer the best deals in town.  Costco is worth the membership fee to join so if you have a large family, you definitely want to check out your local Costco or Walmart.  And just about every mom I know loves their Target!  Great place to purchase toys as they have such a large selection.  But check for sales as they offer many through the holidays.

Take Advantage of  Sales:

Check your local newspaper for upcoming sales.  I know Macy’s is famous for their great sales, and usually will offer coupons that you can use on their already discounted sale items.  Last year I was able to deck out all the men in the family with some great sweaters during one of these sales and got them at a fraction of their usual prices.  Again, make your list ahead of time, ask around to see what folks might be needing or wanting this holiday season, and hit your favorite retailers when they are having sales. If you are in need of some electronics, Best Buy and Fry’s have great sales.  Just make sure to check the paper or their websites to check when they are going on.  You can always google your favorite store with COUPON next to it and sometimes they will offer coupons online that you can use as well. And if you are brave enough to hit the stores on Black Friday I have heard you can get some great deals, but I am not a fan of huge crowds who tend to be grumpy, so I would rather look for the offbeat sales instead to get my deals.

Try to have fun shopping this holiday season by giving yourself plenty of time to find the best deals at great prices.

Thank you to Ultimate Outlet for sponsoring today’s post.

Photo courtesy of Flickr:

Photo courtesy of Flickr:

Photo courtesy of Flickr: