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If you didn’t snag all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals you were hoping for — or if you didn’t receive everything on your own wish list over the holidays — don’t worry. There are a ton of awesome shopping deals to be had after Christmas. With some planning, patience, and strategic shopping, you can score deep discounts from both big-box stores and mom-and-pop businesses trying to reduce their inventory and make room for new items in the new year. Here are some savings you can look forward to after Santa returns to the North Pole.

1. Holiday Supplies

Waiting until after the holidays to purchase Christmas cards, wrapping paper, artificial trees, ornaments, and other decorations means you’ll get these items for a fraction of the price that you’d pay if you bought them before December 25. Hit the clearance aisles in your favorite stores to stock up for next year’s holiday season.

2. Toys and Gifts

To make room for new merchandise, many stores offer massive discounts on toys after the holidays. Wait until early January and check out the clearance selection to save 70% or more on toys, action figures, dolls, and other kid-approved products. You can buy items in advance for your children’s birthdays or give them as presents to other little ones in your life.

January is also a good time to pick up discounted gifts for adults, including makeup sets, gift baskets, kitchen appliances, and more. You can create a supply of items to keep on hand to use as wedding gifts, welcome gifts for new neighbors, or thank-you gifts for teachers throughout the year.

3. Winter Clothing

The post-Christmas clearance sales are a great time to buy cold-weather apparel, including winter coats, sweaters, and accessories such as gloves and hats. Stores may mark down their items as much as 90% as they prepare to stock their shelves with incoming spring attire. If you have growing children, purchase their coats, snowsuits, and boots one or two sizes up to get a head start on the following year’s winter wardrobe needs.

4. Fitness Apparel and Equipment

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight and get in shape. As a result, many stores and gyms run specials in January to profit from people’s good intentions. With discounted membership fees, reduced prices on workout apparel, and sales on home exercise equipment, you can save big on your fitness goals.

5. Seasonal Foods

Grocery stores know that the demand for baking supplies, fancy cheeses and chocolates, holiday candy, and seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice and peppermint typically go down after the holidays as people commit to eating healthier foods come January. Take advantage of the opportunity to grab some of your favorites for way less.

6. Electronics

Whether you prefer to shop in stores or online, you can score amazing deals on video games, phones, laptops, TVs, and other electronics during the after-Christmas sales. New items are usually rolled out in January, so retailers offer big discounts to unload their leftover inventory. Make a list of your tech-loving friends and family and plan to hit the sales to purchase next year’s birthday and Christmas gifts at great prices.

Keep In Mind

Although bargain shopping for deals and scoring huge savings can be exciting, remember:

• Just because something is deeply discounted doesn’t mean you should buy it. If it’s not something you really want, need, or were already planning to purchase, leave it on the shelf!
• Don’t bust your budget buying items you can’t comfortably afford, even if they’re on clearance. Going into debt isn’t the best way to start the new year. Try to pay with money you already have in your checking account or use a low-rate credit card to make your purchases (and pay off your card balance in full when you get the bill, if possible).
• Use the money you’ve saved on your post-holiday sales to boost your savings account balance, or open a special holiday club account to get a head start on saving for next year’s holiday shopping.

At American Heritage, we’re always looking for ways to help our members make the most of their money. From our family to yours, we wish you and your loved ones a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!