Each year retailers set out millions of dollars’ worth of holiday presents, décor, cards, wrapping paper and foods. And each year there’s always some (or a lot) left over. Hence the annual post-holiday sales, where we can save some (or a lot) of money.

I wish I’d written this for Dec. 26, when stores were fairly bursting with red and green bargains. But it’s not too late. While holiday retail inventory is down, it’s not out: Sales are still happening both online and in-store. The discounts are deeper, too.

Sure, some of what you’ll see went unsold for a reason. It was tacky. It was garish. It was expensive. It was mystifying (see “corgi-butt bottle opener”). But plenty of perfectly good stuff simply doesn’t get bought, and post-holiday sales can stretch next year’s holiday budget and certain year-round needs as well.

For example, if your winter boots have started to let in snow at every step, you’ll likely find screamin’ deals on replacement footwear at this point. Or if someone you know is going to graduate from college, get married, move into a new home or have a baby in the coming year, now is the time to go shopping.

As always: If you don’t need it, it’s no bargain. Why buy another 10 rolls of wrapping paper when you’ve already got two dozen? Or extra holiday ornaments when every inch of the tree is already crowded? And you can display only so many nutcrackers or old-time Santas before your family stages an intervention.

Shop with a buddy if you’re afraid you’ll go overboard. But do shop, if any of the following reasons resonate.

 

Get ready for 2021 holidays

 

The obvious items are wrapping supplies, lights, garland, cards and maybe even a new prelit tree at 50 to 75 percent off. Crafty types will scoop up raw materials for making holiday décor and/or gifts.

Some people are really good at buying some or most of next year’s gifts starting the day after Christmas. If you are one of those folks, have at it. Some categories are easier than others. For example, if your sibling just had a baby then you can buy a toy good for 12 months and up to gift to the nibling next year.

Or if your partner is a diehard sports fan, buy tailgate apparel at a deep discount; after all, a true fan is unlikely to give up on their team of choice even if they stink on ice. (As someone who grew up watching the Phillies on the UHF station, I can attest.)

If you’re one of those parents who gets an ornament for each kid each year, you’ll pay a lot less by purchasing now. The result: When those offspring launch, they’ll take with them a goodly number of ornaments for their own holiday trees.

And speaking of gifts, post-holiday sales also let you….

 

Build an evergreen gift closet

 

Picture frames, candles, slippers, scarves, gloves, and classic toys and games are good things to have on hand. Whenever birthdays approach, you’ll be ready and frugal. Ditto if your kids get invited to birthday parties.

Incidentally, “evergreen” could also include “birthday gifts for specific people this year.” Toys are an obvious match for small fry, and hoodies and tees make good gifts for teens. Then again, hoodies can be a nice gift for grownups, too; if you’ve never nestled inside a warm sweatshirt, you’re missing out. (Bonus points for oversized, fleecy ones.) Funny graphic T-shirts are a good bet for youths, and for certain adults.

One woman I know bought a couple of super-discounted microwave ovens in late December, and gifted them as off-to-college presents for family members. Other small appliances tend to be cheap at this time of year, as do certain specialty tools and tool sets (which make very good housewarming gifts).

Try to improve those hot deals with online or real-life coupons. For example, finding some Kohls coupons would further reduce those end-of-year prices at Kohls. Before you shop anywhere, look for additional discounts. Best-case scenario: You find some. And if no? You’ll still be getting a darned good price.

 

Donate some warmth

 

Those slippers might be welcomed by someone in a nursing home or the veterans’ hospital. Gloves, mittens, scarves and hats are pretty much always needed at shelters. Ditto warm socks.

 

Treat yourself

 

Spa or skincare sets. Gourmet food baskets (especially those with fancy spices). Coffee and tea collections. Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate.

Or you could always…

 

Treat someone else

 

Got a brother-in-law who’s all about the barbecue? A coworker fond of fancy cheese? A best friend who’s a huge Anne Taintor fan? (As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small fee on items purchased through my links.)

 

 

Specialty baskets, great calendars (my daughter is fond of the Anti-Affirmation calendar) and other giftables are darned cheap this time of year. Be aware that certain shelf-stable items might be best enjoyed relatively soon; for example, I wouldn’t hang on to a Hickory Farms gift basket for a July birthday but would happily wrap it for a March one.

 

 

Restock your wardrobe

 

Again, this is a good time to buy boots. Or any warm apparel, pretty much. Although winter will go on for months, retailers are looking at making space for spring fashions.

So yes: Get those jeans or sweaters or whatever you need, and pay less. The focus being on what you need, of course, because buying things you probably won’t wear right away (or maybe ever) is not a good use of your funds.

If you’ve got kids (or grandkids), buy a size or two “up” for later use. Note that the younger the kiddo, the less the timing matters. Plenty of 3-year-olds would be delighted to wear “The Nightmare Before Christmas” socks at any time of the year. (So would plenty of adults.)

Incidentally, the same woman who bought the microwave ovens once paid less than $4 for a dress from the post-holiday sale rack. Not because she loved the dress, but because it came with a great belt – and buying a belt from the accessories department would have cost more.

 

Restock your home

 

Towels, blankets, throws, candles, bakeware, dishes, linens…And so on.

I have bought holiday-printed Ziploc bags at very deep discounts. (Bonus points if you have a coupon.) Ditto paper towels, plastic wrap and food storage containers. Watch for stuff like holiday cake mixes, holiday sprinkles, holiday-flavored coffee and holiday cereal (not making that up), cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin and eggnog-flavored pudding mix (not making that up, either).

Storage tubs and containers go on sale at this time of year, ostensibly as part of the New Year’s resolution to organize. But “ornament storage bins” are half-price or more starting Dec. 26 – and so what if they’re garish green or red? They’re going to be in the crawlspace, attic or garage.

 

A few post-holiday sales tactics

 

Start with a list. If you know you’ve already got eleven thousand feet of garland and three big bags of gift ribbon, you’ll walk away from those deals.

Not sure you can walk away? Bring cash and leave the credit/debit at home. Match the money  against your list and make the smartest choices.

Shop more than once. As noted, it’s a bit late to be starting this year. But check in anyway – and check again next week if you can. Desperation pricing may have set in; I’ve seen 90-percent-off holiday items.

Scout open-box items. Not every gift is a hit, which is why the lines at customer service are so darned long. Some of these returned presents are resold as “open-box” items, with a price less than full retail.This one’s a bit of a crapshoot but then again, a lot of post-holiday shopping is hit-or-miss. Some years you score, other years you leave with one or two things. Think of it as a treasure hunt – a treasure hunt that might include discounted electronics.

Watch those prices. Some items are marked up before the holiday. Fifty percent of too much might still be…too much.

Use store coupons/deals. For example, Walgreens had printed me a $7-off-$20 coupon last week. On the way home from the dentist yesterday I stopped in and found holiday M&Ms for $2.14 a bag (a good price for up here). I like cookies made with M&Ms, and when I want just a bit of chocolate all by itself I find M&Ms impossible to overdo them. After a handful, I just don’t want any more. (Hershey’s Kisses, on the other hand…Well, mistakes have been made.)

While I didn’t want to buy $20 worth of the treats, I figured to store a few bags. Then I noticed the clearance-section sign: “Buy four half-price holiday items, get the fifth free.” Immediately after that, I saw an item that would be perfect for my daughter’s holiday stocking next year. (Can’t say more because she reads this blog.)

Thus I bought four bags of M&Ms (rationalizing that DF’s grandkids would help me eat them) andthe fifth item. At the cash register another truly Christmas miracle was revealed: Even though the fifth item cost more than the candy, it wound up being free. Frugal gifting FTW!

Readers: Have you hit any post-holiday sales? Feel free to brag about your finds.