Tips to keep Christmas cost down. Have additional ideas?

[suedavids]

I am looking year round for Christmas gifts. I search clearnace sales and garage sales.
This year:

Kohl's: bought 2 kitchen aide blenders (these will be for my 2 adult girls). They were 70% off plus I had $50 gift certificates given for past spending and each had a $20 rebate from kitchen aide. The original cost were $119. Final cost was $10.

Dillards: Crystal candlesticks (they are beautiful) Original $60 were on clearance for $6.


Garage sale: I bought some beautiful cook books. .50 cents each. When I looked them up on amazon, I can sell these each for about $18-$20 on the internet. Instead they are gifts.

I also bought a large garden pot for $10. The person had the receipt on the pot from lowes but she said it was too late to bring it back. I just brought it back and got a gift card for $31.50 refund. I am giving this to my son in law in his stocking.

I bought a almost new wood sled (eddie bauer) for $5. This is for my new grandson. The original price is $125

I also bought in original box a rocking horse from bloomingdales. Never used or assembled. Bought for $5 Not sure of the price but I am sure quite expensive.

Remember that there is no sales tax on garages sales and if you buy merchandise for 70-80% off this lowers the sales tax by the same amount.

[elcheapo]

good job and remember after christmas is a great time to buy things for birthdays and other holidays. For example I buy the beautiful red paper to use for valentines day I buy expensive perfume and cologne kits for 75% of and give them as birthday and christmas gifts.

[Lori63]

I'm giving my teenagers gift cards for clothes-we'll go shopping after Christmas and hit the sales.

[Snoopy2645]

I try to go out the day after thanksgiving & get the $10 gc that stores giveaway & I also use the coupons they have out some have 10 off 10 coupons that day & other stores give small things away I go out that day & get a ton of stuff for very little. Thats the only way I can afford xmas anymore with 3 kids!! I also do different deals for ex last year I got a power wheels on sale really cheap plus I had a $25 off coupon plus I had a $20 rebate plus I got a $10 gc for spending over $75 so I got a power wheels the big 2 seater for about $100 . SO I just try to combine also if I see the opportunity.

[flash]

Great savings!

I did the Labor Sales at the outlets and got the 75%off already 75% off, and got some great deals. There are supposed to be great outlet deals on Black Friday, but I can't imagine dealing with the crowds.

[sweeps]

This idea is a bit out of left field, but... Do you have a Steve and Barry's University Sportswear near you? One just opened by me. Even though the name sounds like they only sell university sportswear, they sell all kinds of things. Jeans, shirts, sweaters, coats, jackets, hats and gloves. And here's the good part. Everything in the store is $9.95 or less. You can buy a lot of nice gifts for people. And I've already bought a wool coat and 4 pairs of pants for myself for $50.

[Lori63]

Originally Posted by Sweepsplayer

This idea is a bit out of left field, but... Do you have a Steve and Barry's University Sportswear near you? One just opened by me. Even though the name sounds like they only sell university sportswear, they sell all kinds of things. Jeans, shirts, sweaters, coats, jackets, hats and gloves. And here's the good part. Everything in the store is $9.95 or less. You can buy a lot of nice gifts for people. And I've already bought a wool coat and 4 pairs of pants for myself for $50.

I've also found that the quality of S&B is okay.When it first opened everything was $7.95 and then went to $9.95, but jeans for my boys at that price-can't beat it.

[shelbylovesmelby]

sue-- what a deal on the kitchen aide's!

I do as others do I buy things off season. Usually everyone but dh is pretty easy to do. I usually have my best finds @ k-mart. This fall when they were clearing out their summer things, I got about $425 in stuff for $55. I spent under a $1 for every item. I got LEVI's shorts for my nb for next summer for .50 reg $11! A pair of shorts for my 3yr old for .35! I just find something marked down to next to nothing or things on clearence I like scan it & if it comes up unbeleaveably cheap I look @ the season # on the tag & most of the items with that same season # are just as cheap. HTH any other k-mart shoppers