7 essentials to grab at post-holiday sales.

Frugal folks have always known that post-holiday clearance sales are a great way to stock up on next year’s wrapping paper, holiday decorations and Christmas cards. But why stop there?

Birthday gifts, fun PJs and even everyday food items are just some of the budget-stretchers you can get for a song starting on Dec. 26. As soon as Christmas is over, retailers can’t get rid of holiday items quickly enough.

Discounts of 50% are the usual starting point, and rise as the end of the year approaches. I’ve seen 90%-off price tags.

Here’s how to work those post-holiday discounts for year-round savings.

 

 

1. Build a gift closet

Think of everyone you want to give presents to in the year to come, and start shopping. Specialty food sets. Spa collections. Luxurious lotions. Art kits. Journals. Three-packs of super-fluffy socks. Toys, toys, toys.

About that last: If you have elementary-aged kids, stash a few classic toys, such as board games or stuffed animals. They’ll be a big help if your child pulls the classic, “I’m invited to Caden’s birthday party” the day before the party happens.

Pro tip: If a relative or friend has a January birthday, hit the calendar section of the bookstore or one of those calendar kiosks at the shopping center. You could score up to 90% off a calendar that matches your giftee’s interests: baking, corgis, shirtless firefighters.

And yes, most folks do have calendars in their phones. But this way they get 12 wonderful illustrations! Besides: If typewriters can become retro chic, so can the idea of crossing out each day before you go to bed.

2. Go grocery shopping

Check the holiday aisles at retailers like Target as well as regular supermarkets. You’re likely to see gift sets for cheeses, sausage, pasta, nuts, salsa and other everyday food items. Sure, some of them are wildly overpriced. But some aren’t! Besides, up to 90% off “overpriced” can equal “affordable.”

In addition to the gift-y items, you’ll see annual holiday treats and ingredients like Italian panettone, specialty flours, fresh cranberries, fancy spices and dried fruits. If there’s a surplus, such goodies could be remaindered. Take advantage of the savings, either for year-round use or for next year’s holiday cooking.

Oh, and don’t forget the Christmas versions of ordinary items. After Dec. 25, who’s going to pay full price for something like a “Feast of Seven Tinned Fishes” gift set or a box of Pillsbury’s Funfetti Santaverse cake? You, maybe, if such things are 50% to 90% off.

3. Scout out housewares

Christmas flannel sheets keep you cozy long after the holiday has passed. A deeply discounted gnome-themed spatula works just as well in July as in December, and will make you grin every time you use it.

Holiday bath towels, napkins, potholders, tissues (yep, that’s real), muffin pan liners – you name it, they’ve probably got it, and it’s all on sale. Who cares whether it’s the “right” season to use these things? They do the job, and for less.

4. Buy candy

The price of cocoa – chocolate’s raw material – rose sharply in the past few years. Even after stabilizing in mid-2025, cocoa cost 300% more than it did in January 2024, according to the industry publication Chocolate Affairs Magazine.

Post-holiday clearance means a brief price break. So why not stock up on discounted sweets? Their sell-by dates are months down the road, after all, and many chocolate products freeze well.

Top a fresh-baked pan of blondies with miniature chocolate bars and spread them like icing as they melt. Substitute M&Ms for chocolate chips in cookies, or chop up fun-sized Snickers to turn ordinary brownies into a startlingly rich dessert.

Pack them in your children’s lunches. Or in your own.

5. Plan for Valentine’s Day

Stores will be unloading watches and jewelry, along with scarves, tea/coffee collections, and other giftable goodies. Hit the clearance wrapping paper for some solid red (or white) paper to wrap them.

Want to keep costs down? Capitalize on the “red” part of holiday colors for a Valentine gift that won’t break the bank:

• Buy a couple discounted bags of holiday M&Ms and/or red-and-green-wrapped candies like Hershey’s Kisses or Rolos.
• Sort out the red ones and put them into a decorative jar, or maybe a small red gift bag you bought at the half-price sale.
• Team the candy gift with another post-holiday clearance item, such as a stuffed animal or a small retro toy.

This combo might not fly with everyone. Some adults are very high-maintenance about Valentine’s Day. But those who appreciate the charm of a Squishmallow or a tavern puzzle might enjoy it.

6. Stock up on holiday décor/wraps

As mentioned earlier, it’s just smart to buy these things now. Wrapping supplies, decorations, ornaments, maybe a new tree if your old one is shedding.

Solid-color paper can be used for non-Christmas giving; be sure to compare roll sizes, since some hold only a dozen square feet and others twice or three times that much. When possible, choose reusable gift bags. (I tell recipients that these are “magic” bags: If I get them back, they’ll return next Christmas, full of presents.)

Pro tip: Got a Christmas-mad friend or relative? This is the perfect time to buy something for their collection, whether that’s a “Santa, I can explain…” cookie plate or a new item for their ceramic holiday village. The savings can be serious.

7. Buy “up” – and ignore motifs

A lot of clothing goes on sale at this time of year, too. Check out deeply discounted items that will fit your little ones in the year to come: jeans, T-shirts, blouses, hoodies. If you’re good at guesstimating how fast children grow, look for next year’s snowsuit or boots.

Remember that “Christmas” patterns may not matter. A typical two-year-old won’t mind  having Rudolph on their PJs or their underwear (yes, Christmas undies are a thing), and a 90%-off Santa Claus T-shirt might be just the garment you need for mowing the lawn or painting the fence next year. Saving money is always in season.