Tips for after Christmas shopping

With Christmas now over, it's worthwhile to take a few minutes and go through the areas that caused problems or extra spending this holiday season while they are still fresh in your mind. By doing so you can greatly reduce the cost of Christmas 2006.

Once you know where you spent extra money this year, you can hit the after Christmas sales to stock up and save money. Retail stores usually have limited storage space and therefore they want to sell out their Christmas stock as quickly as possible. This means they have to discount it which results in great deals for you. Here are some after Christmas preparations tips that can help save money:

- Stock up on Christmas wrapping paper, bows and ribbons - most can be picked up for 50% - 80% off the retail price they were selling for the week before - and simply save them until next season. Also look for “generic” holiday paper that can be used at other times of the year besides Christmas.

- While switching all your holiday greetings to electronic cards would be the ultimate goal for card savings, there are still probably a few people on your list to whom you will want or need to send a real holiday greeting. After Christmas you can find boxed holiday cards at deep discounts which will save you significantly over individual cards.

- Take an inventory of Christmas lights to see if any of the strings needs to be replaced. When replacing them, opt for LED lights (they cost a bit more, but use significantly less energy and last much longer than standard holiday lights). These lights should be heavily discounted after Christmas.

- If any Christmas themed decorations need to be replaced, this is also a good time to get them at 50% or more off retail. This includes candles, small display items, etc.

- After Christmas is also a good time to pick up ornaments for the tree at great discounts.

- If you find something that a store has a large supply of and you don't feel will sell out quickly, you may want to wait an extra few days. Stores will often further reduce the price of goods not selling and discounts of 80% to 90% off retail can be found in the early days of the New Year on Christmas items not sold.

A little preparation now can save you quite a bit of money and frustration next Christmas

Source: www.savingadvice.com