The following post is from Melissa Batai
Years ago, before I was a little bit more financially savvy, I used to replace a kitchen appliance or pot or pan when I needed one. I would often pay full price, and it was a hit my budget often couldn’t take.
However, a few years ago, I noticed that come November, much of what I need goes on sale. The holiday sales aren’t just for jewelry or toys. Come the weeks before Christmas, everything seems to go on sale.
The whole shopping season, and Black Friday in particular, I look to purchase things we need around the house at rock bottom prices.
Apparently, I’m not the only one who shops for myself during the holiday season. Many people “are turning the [Black Friday] convention on its head and snatching up the greater portion of Black Friday loot for [themselves]! In fact, in a recent DealNews survey, 44% of respondents said they’d mostly be purchasing goods for themselves on Black Friday” (Christian Science Monitor).
While the Christian Science Monitor takes a more negative slant of buying things for yourself on Black Friday, I say it just makes good financial sense. This year, my husband and I are planning on buying a new set of pots and pans, glass baking pans, and perhaps a new computer for my husband. Why should we pay full price when, if we exercise a bit of patience, we can get what we need at a much lower price during the holiday sales?
How to Save with the Holiday Sales
If you don’t already save by buying during holiday sales, here’s what I’d recommend:
Determine what you actually need. If you get sucked into the holiday buying frenzy, going over board and buying what you don’t really need is easy to do. Instead, determine now, before the sales start, what you need. Make a list and keep it somewhere safe. When you do your shopping, don’t deviate from this list. After all, if you buy more than you need, you really haven’t saved any money!
Learn what the prices are. Now, before the sales, take the time to shop around for the things that you need. Compare prices and become very familiar with both the product that you need and the price that it normally sells for. Be aware that cheaper versions of the product that you want will often be advertised for the holiday sales. Knowing the price and the quality that you want now will help you differentiate during the sales.
Follow deal blogs. My favorite way to keep track of the deals as they come fast and furious is to follow a handful of good deal blogs. They post the deal, and I snatch it up (assuming it’s for what I need). During the holiday season, you’ll want to check your favorite deal blogs at least once a day.
Do you buy items for yourself and your household during the holiday sales? Do you wait to buy items specifically for the holiday sales so you can get the cheapest price?
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