If you’re a frugal shopper like me, then you know about the trick of day-after sales to stock up on supplies for the following year. For instance, every roll of wrapping paper I have in my house was purchased on Dec. 26 or later.
What you may not realize is that after-Valentine’s Day sales are not only great ways to save for next Valentine’s Day — yes, Valentine’s Day 2016 — but also in other areas of life.
Here are five ideas on how post-Valentine’s Day sales can save you money:
- Red candies. Who says that chocolate candies in red coatings have to be for February only? Stash them in your freezer; come Christmas, you’ll have all the red goodies you need for holiday baking, and you will have purchased them at a discount. Similarly, you can put those candies out in party dishes in December. No one will know that they were purchased months earlier.
- Red decor. I’ve seen plenty of interior design pictures featuring heart-shaped pillows or blankets and throws with hearts on them. These are especially great to use in a girl’s bedroom or in a kids’ playroom. Even home stores that were pushing red linens might have them on sale now. Use this opportunity to replace worn-out sheets, blankets or tablecloths with new red ones that you can purchase on the cheap.
- Red wrapping paper. Some stores marketed red wrapping paper as a must-have for Valentine gift giving and will now be marking them down to move them out. If you happen to stumble upon cheap, solid red wrapping paper, snap it up — it will do nicely for Christmas or, frankly, any other gift-giving occasion for which you need wrapping paper.
- Clothing with hearts on them. My teenagers don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to wear sock or undergarments with hearts on them. They think they’re cute all year long. If you have young ladies in your life who might enjoy heart-covered socks as a stocking stuffer in December, pick them up now.
- Heart-shaped items. If you’d always wanted to invest in a heart-shaped cake pan or muffin tin, be on the look out for those items to be marked down in the coming days. Rather than wait till next February to finally buy them, do it now when they’re dirt cheap. Are you planning a wedding in the near future? Post-Valentine’s Day sales are ideal for purchasing items that you could use as favors, centerpieces, decorations and other things you might want to use at a wedding or bridal shower. No one would find it weird that in the middle of a June wedding you have heart-shaped candy dishes out, filled with pink and red candies (also purchased on sale after Valentine’s Day).
