Buying Throughout the year-Good Times, Prices and Stores Advice

I buy after the holiday for the next year.
I buy everything on sale or from the clearance rack. I never buy anything unless it's on sale or clearance - once I got Lands End Socks for 50 cents a pair in the clearance bin at Sears. They were red and green, but I saved them until Christmas and gave them to my husband then. He loves them!
Birthday presents - I used to get stuff from the clearance aisle for 75% off or more and store it until I needed a present. It works well!
YMMV
LBC

I "buy in bulk" sort of. I wait until huge clearance deals like right now and buy up really cool boy and girl toys and hide them in my bedroom closet. If the price is right I even get next years christmas presents for the extended family as well. In the clearances you have to watch the prices, because sometimes it is really not worth it...say 50 cents off. That is a huge Walmart trick. Anyway, I do not pay more than 5 to 7 dollars for a gift and if I am buying a lot of them I like to stay in in 1-3 dollar range in the clearance. I have been able to get 100.00 toys for 5 dollars and then give them out as presents throughout the year.

Same thing with clothes. I wait for the season end clearance sales and then stock up on the next size of clothes. You can get to where you know what size your child will be the next season. We went to Sears in February and spent $20 and got my daughter's entire wardrobe, including very fancy dresses for winter this year.

Sometimes I watch to see if post-seasonal sales have a REALLY good deal on something that I can buy for NEXT year for the kids. Like a good winter coat that is discounted to $10... then if it doesn't fit just right (trying to predict growth sometimes is hit or miss) I don't feel bad for spending a lot.

As for the rest, I just make an estimate of how many things/how much $ I anticipate spending on those items and include it in my monthly budget. X amount of $ goes directly into our savings account for irregular expenses like Xmas, birthdays, Homeowner's Assoc dues, new tires, etc. Then, when it is needed, I just transfer that amount (for the month) to checking to access it. When the kids were smaller, it was easier to buy toys in advance, but now that they are older, so many kids already have things that it is hard to "pre-buy".

Oh... and I buy wrapping paper this week. I just got back from Walmart earlier today. Got 3 NICE rolls of foil wrapping paper for 62cents each. If you look, you can buy solid colors without Xmas prints, and solid color or polka dot gift bags that don't look Xmas-y for cents on the dollar right now. Then, when it is time to wrap those gifts, I don't have to go spend $$ on the wrapping as well.

Here is what we do, I am sure there is a lot more but I am all about easy.

- For friends birthday gifts, I figure $30 per month. That works out to give up to two gifts per month at $15 each. This price needs to include tax and wrapping. I we don't have any birthdays that month we just keep the money and use it for another month. At the end of the year if we did not use it all we put it in the family savings for fun money. Our gifts for family members are limited per the agreement of the entire family so we get away with one other kid we buy for outside of friends. We can usually get by with one of the months $30 for his present.

- For clothes, I have had wonderful luck with consignment stores, I can turn in old clothes, and get credit for new clothes. I can usually keep my budget pretty low here, around $100 per kid per season with a little additional for coats and boots for winter if need be. We have three kids and one on the way so we do a lot of hand-me-downs too. I very rarely go over this budget

- For family necessities, I do buy a bit in bulk but not for the whole year. Usually paper products and canned goods I get in bulk at Sam's Club and buy for one month, The price each month then stays the same. For toothpaste, tooth brushes and some other toiletries, I get at the Dollar Store, the rest of the food, etc. I go to the grocery store.

- Grocery Store runs - I am very strict to a list and specific eating needs. I plan meals that can go two nights and lunches that I need to pack plus snacks and breakfasts. The biggest deal here is to stick to a list and do not do pre-prepared foods as much as possible, they are more expensive and not as good for you anyways.

- I very rarely buy online due to shipping costs. I come from the direct mail industry and can assure you there is a lot of extra cost here.

That is all I can think of for now, hope that helps.

Good luck!

I look for sales. I bought a few outfits for my dd for summer yesterday, because they were a set of shirt, tank top, and skirt for a dollar at walmart. You just have to keep your eyes open.

CLEARANCE!! It's a great way to shop. I just paid 12cents for poofies (those mesh body wash things). I can add a nice body wash and lotion and I have a quick gift. I also picked up 2 pairs of Christmas socks that'll go in the stockings next year.

The only thing I really budget for is Christmas. I just pick up items here and there when I find a really good sale or great value.

Now is a great time to pick up hats, scarfs and gloves. You may also find some good deals on coats and boots within the next month, as long as you can easily predict sizes for next year.

As far as clothing, typically the only time I realy go clothes shopping for kids is in Sept or Oct for some new outfits. Otherwise, I just pick up an item here or there.

I have an old dresser in the basement filled with school/office supplies. I stock up during the back to school sales and clearance. That way I'm not paying top dollar this time of year when the kids need some new notebooks or folders. I've also used the supplies (crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc) for gifts and grab bags.

I also stock up when things are on super sale. Our favorite grocery store has an annual sale on canned goods and packaged foods every January, it's a great time to stock up.

My biggest piece of advise is know your prices when it comes to things like beauty supplies (shampoos), paper products and food. That way when you out and about, or there's a coupon available, you'll know if your getting a good buy.

On key items you are looking for pay attention to advertisements and look online (sometimes you have to wait a little while). Amazon.com often has the best deals on items and you can get free shipping by signing up for Amazon Prime, it's free for 2 months if you sign up for their mom's group. I also put things on a wish list on Amazon and then wait for prices to go down. I very rarely pay for shipping and if I do I make sure it's cheap (especially on ebay). I always factor shipping into the price to make sure it's still a good deal.
Non online items, I have learned to figure out sales, coupons, who doubles coupons, etc at the stores around me and find stores that are not as busy as others. I also buy stuff after the season or holidays and buy stuff ahead of time for my children. Even if it's like 4 sizes too big but is a great price. The dollar store also has a lot more stuff then you think. We now buy low calorie syrup, garlic bread, hash browns, flavoring packets for water, etc at the dollar store.
I also buy things for others and store them until an even comes up. Mostly I try not to buy unless it's something I know we will use in the future.

I buy my daughters clothing at either TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory or Marshalls. I will buy her clothes from the mall, but only if they are on clearance. I stock up for the next year if its a killer price.

I buy lots in bulk. When I get my tax return back, I typically spend about 500$ at Sams Club. I buy toliet paper for the year, dog food for a few months, cleaning supplies, diapers, toothpaste, etc. Just so I don't have to buy it for awhile again, and it's cheaper to buy it in bulk then at the grocery store.

Once I get all that out of the way, I put $20 a week away and don't touch it unless I absolutely need too. I figure I would have spent $20 on something that I had already bought through out the week.

Hope that makes sense and it helps.

I will never pay for razors, shampoo, conditioner, oral care (toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss), body wash, or facial cleanser again now that I have discovered couponing. (No, I do not go to the extremes as they made it look on the show the other day!)

Buy on sale or on clearance for gifts. A couple times a year Target has toys on clearance (75% off) to make room for the next season's toys. Young kids don't know or care that the Spiderman or Barbie is six months old if it is in a new box! I got two Strawberry Shortcake sets on clearance at Target for under $6 (one was originally $14.99 and the other was originally $7.99) and gave them to a girl for her birthday a few months later and she LOVED THEM!!

I get school and office supplies during the back to school sales. I get plenty to last...in fact I still have some from two years ago that I got at CVS for free after Extra Care Bucks when they had sales on scissors, notebook paper, printer paper, pens/pencils, rulers, etc. Which brings me to my next point: shop drugstores! If you get to know their system, you can get tons of stuff free or super cheap!

Rebates are another way to save big. Get loyalty cards everywhere you shop and USE THEM!! Get a Upromise account and add all your cards to that account and save for college - for kids or for you!

Start a price book. Keep track of all things you buy regularly, know how much you use, and know your "buy" price. For example, if you bake a lot, keep track of how much flour or sugar you use each month. Then track the price in the stores you shop to see a pattern. (This can take a year or two to truly see the *best* time to buy.) For baking goods, there are two times when they hit very low prices: the 'baking seasons' around Christmas and Easter. If you know your buy price and it hits at those times, buy enough to last until the next sale. Most sales have cycles anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 months. I will not pay over $1 for a box of cereal, so when I see cereal go under a dollar, I buy then.

I buy clothes at thrift stores, garage sales, swap meets, consignment shops, discount stores, and at the end of the season (a size bigger for next year) when they go on clearance. You can also check Craigslist, freecycle, and eBay.

There should be few 'unexpected' expenses in those you listed, as birthdays come at the same time every year, as does Christmas (or Hanukkah, if that's what you celebrate). Gifts can be purchased at any time of the year. See something your brother would love but his birthday is not until October? Buy it anyway and hold onto it until then! (Just don't misplace it.) Keep a gift closet - or a shelf in a closet - where you have several things you have bought over the year for all ages. That way when your kiddo says there is a birthday party tomorrow, you can go there and choose a suitable gift. If you also keep wrapping paper, gift bags and tissue paper on hand then you are good to go! Buy Christmas cards, gift boxes, bags, tags, and wrap now when they are 50-75% off.

I follow some deal blogs that point out what is on sale at the best prices, and usually only buy what I feel is dirt cheap each week. I also use rebate sites when buying online so I can get back some of what I paid. PLEASE PM ME if you want to know more. I can send you my referral links so you can get bonuses for signing up! (There are several places you can get up to 10% back for shopping through them!)