When the Starbuck's Christmas cups go away and your neighbors begin to take down their decorations, the last thing in the world you probably want to do is to be thinking about shopping considering you've been fretting about it for the past month. While it may feel like we get deals galore thrown in front of our faces during the month of December, once Christmas season is over, you may be able to snag yourself a really good deal if you know what to buy. I've put together a quick your smart money moves guide on five items you might want to consider buying after December 25th (mind you that it's probably better about the second week of January).
- Electronics - While you can get a really good deal on video game consoles and cameras, the one electronic I would really keep my eye on are high definition televisions. Remember, each January the Consumer Electronics Show takes place in Las Vegas where hundreds of new electronic products are introduced into the marketplace. What you really want to look for is an "open box" sale, where someone has returned an open box with an HDTV, but the TV isn't even out of the plastic yet. If you do this in the second or third week of January, you can score yourself a deal.
- Exercise Equipment - January is the biggest month of the year for people to get on the exercise kick, so if the local fitness store didn't sell out during Christmas, you can best believe they are willing to make a deal to get their inventory out of the store. If you want to buy used equipment, this is also a great time as the families out there who just bought new equipment will be dying to sell their old stuff on eBay or Craigslist at rock bottom prices.
- Winter Gear - With sites like Amazon today, they typically have a small window where a sale for up to 75% off of selected winter coats will happen online. This is your best opportunity to snag a coat from a top brand company at a really low price. You might also want to hit the outlet stores at places including Old Navy where for less than $5 you can pick up mittens, scarves, or other winter accessories at a fraction of the cost.
- Holiday Paper Goods - This tip is for my savers that have some patience to make their investment work for them. When stores carry very expensive lines of cards such as Papyrus, the cards that normal cost $7 to $10 will be cut by 50% or more. This means it is a great time to buy a whole bunch of Christmas or Hanukkah cards at a good deal. More importantly, you know a year from now you'll need gift bags or wrapping paper, and the best time to get this is in the first week of January so stock up ahead of time.
- Gift Baskets - This is one of those money moves that most people simply don't consider. The local spas and kitchen stores who put together those amazing gift baskets for the holidays need to get them sold. You can get a really good discount on the soaps and shampoos baskets, or even the baskets that have spices and oils. Look for these to be 25% off or more.
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