5 Holiday Clearance Items to Buy and Use All Year

Clearance Shopping is not for the instant gratification shopper!

Holiday clearance items just excite me! I love a good sale, You know, the kind you want to tell everyone about!.   We’ve all got that story of the best clearance deaIs. Most of us can’t say no to the clearance racks, and I beeline for them almost immediately when I go to any store to see what goodies I may stumble upon. 

There is just something about finding an item that you need, or want, on sale. Knowing that you waited “just long enough” to be able to save enough money to validate its purchase. 

That leaf blower that used to be $99?  Clearanced out in the winter for $49.  Done.  Instant $50 savings for an item that you were going to be purchasing in the upcoming spring months.  I love to search the aisles planning for our future household needs. 

Some items are super easy to buy on sale because it is obvious that they will get used at some point in time or another.  Toilet paper, Kleenexes…those are a given.  When one finds standard household necessities on sale, it’s time to stock up.

Holiday time is an extra special time for finding the best clearance deals.  After every major holiday such as Christmas, Halloween, Valentines Day, St. Patrick’s Day, etc….there are sales galore. Even end of season sales like end of summer is great for lawn furniture!  The stores need to move the product off their shelves to make room for the next big upcoming holiday. 

I kid you not that ‘before’ Christmas this even happens, they start stocking their shelves for Valentines Day!  It was 90 degrees here the other day and Cracker Barrel had full blown Christmas Decor going!  Best part was i found some of the best clearance deals on other items!  

Before you glance at the holiday items and move on thinking there isn’t anything on sale that you need, think again.  There are some items that are clearanced out each and every time after the holiday is over that one should ABSOLUTELY grab up for future use.  Some of those awesome items include:

 1. Wrapping Paper, Gift Bags and Ribbon

Stock up for next year, and the next and the next!!!  You will always have a need for wrapping paper at some point in time during the year.  Some are theme focused, while some are just plain one-colored which means that you can use red wrapping paper at Valentine’s day and Christmas and green wrapping paper at Christmas and birthdays and St. Patrick’s day. 

Use your imagination.  But buying rolls of wrapping paper clearanced down to .50 versus the normal $4-$6 plus is a HUGE money saver!!  Plus, you won’t be scrambling to get out the door for it the next time you need it! 

2. Gifts and Toys for other occasions

Now is the time to stockpile your gifts that you have on hand for birthdays and other occasions.  Many places discount gift baskets full of candles and lotions to rock-bottom prices after each holiday as well as a lot of toys, too.

Look at each item carefully and see if you have a use for it for the upcoming events in your life.

tip: Keep a list in your purse, wallet or on your phone or everyone on a master gift list (sizes, favorite scents, colors) 

3. Check out the candy aisle

Not that I think anyone needs any more candy in their life, but if you are a baker, you can snag some pretty cheap holiday themed candies to use for later in your baking at home.  I do this all the time, and it is a huge money saver for me.

Brownies with those mini candy bars in the center …  heaven in a bite!

My grandmother taught me this one; buy bags of chocolate and melt down into candy shapes for favors or holiday goodies.  

4. Outdoor/indoor lights

Using Christmas lights year-round is actually quite fun and trendy lately.  It is super easy to get them for dirt cheap after the holiday as well.  Stock up on pinks and reds and have a few of those lights hung up for some much needed winter color during Valentines Day. 

Go with the greens and use them during St. Patrick’s day, too.  White lights can be used anytime, even as a fun decorating idea in your kids room or on your outside patio.  If you are an outdoors lover, buying lights to then hang off your camper or tent are also a fun way to showcase and add some character. 

Who doesn’t love bright colors and lights??  Stock up while you can and enjoy them all year round!

Think pretty white lights hanging on a tree outside in the summer, magical, right? and romantic.  or some pretty lights hanging on your patio umbrella.  If you can score some battery lights on clearance, score! Drop those little gems in a glass jar or bowl and instant ambiance! 

5. Napkins and paper plates

I don’t know about you, but as long as I’m not the one doing the dishes at the end of the night and we can use paper plates instead, I’m not picky about what is written on them!  Numerous times we have used Christmas paper plates in July during a BBQ because we were able to buy them super cheap and they were awesome and handy to use.

While you may not want to use Happy New Years Eve napkins for your guests in April, having them in your home for yourself seems like a fine idea to me.  Plus, you can get them for a huge discount!  Win, win!

tip:  if you’re a crafter or have kids who you need to keep busy, these items make for super affordable craft supplies.  Decoupage, painting, paper flowers, etc… 

Final Thoughts

Make shopping after the holidays fun.  There are a TON of items that are cleared out each and every holiday.  Take the time to hit the stores and see what you need.  Save yourself a ton of money and the headache of going back out to buy the items in the future! 

Clear a little space in your closet or under your bed and put them away for their next use.  You will be amazed at how many items on holiday clearance actually have a great purpose to be able to be used year-round!  Happy Saving!