8 Lesser-Known Ways Retirees Can Save Money on Seasonal Purchases
You already know that end-of-season sales can help you score massive discounts on seasonal items, from holiday decorations to seasonal clothing to outdoor equipment.
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For example, the best time to buy Christmas decorations is the week or two after Christmas. The best time to buy summer clothes is late summer and early autumn. Stores need to clear their inventory to make room for the next batch of merchandise.
But how can retirees go beyond the obvious of post-season clearance sales? Try these ideas to save big on seasonal purchases on a retirement budget.
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Stock Up on Neutral Wrapping Paper
Many retailers hold huge sales to get rid of all their holiday wrapping paper — even rolls that don’t have obvious holiday patterns.
For example, you could buy rolls of solid red wrapping paper that you can use to wrap Valentine’s Day, anniversary, wedding, and birthday presents.
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Buy Reusable Items
According to the American Christmas Tree Association, the average live tree costs $80, while the average artificial tree costs $100.
By buying a reusable tree, you save money by your second Christmas. And that says nothing of the risk of future price hikes, inflation, or time spent driving around to Christmas tree lots.
Buy seasonal items that you can reuse year after year to “compound your return” on the purchase. Just make sure you don’t buy more than you can store and keep well enough organized to find each year.
Buy Classic, Not Trendy
This year’s “hot trend” is next year’s passé.
If you want to actually reuse those technically reusable items you buy, make sure you buy timeliness, classic items that won’t go stale by next year.
Get Creative with What You Already Own
My grandparents used to decorate an indoor potted tree each year at the holidays. They managed to skip even the initial artificial tree expense and create a quirky conversation piece for guests in the process.
Inventory the items you already own, and think outside the box in repurposing them for any holiday of the year.
Make Your Own Seasonal Decor
Who says you need — or even want — fancy store-bought decorations?
As a fun and frugal project with your grandkids, make your own seasonal decorations. From Halloween to Thanksgiving to the winter holidays, Easter or Passover and beyond, do a craft project with the kids. It will not only entertain them, but you’ll save money while they save memories of you that they’ll remember into adulthood.
Buy Used Seasonal Items
Sure, you could go to the mall or Amazon to buy new seasonal items. Or you could save 50-80% by buying used.
Keep an eye out at garage sales for seasonal decor or clothes. Scope out Facebook Marketplace or thrift shops for hidden gems. You can feel great about saving money — and sparing the environment from new manufacturing and shipping.
Stock Up at Major Wine Sales
There were two large wine stores in my hometown that each had a massive semi-annual sale, where bottles sold for 25% off.
I would buy enough wine at these events to last the entire year. It wasn’t going to go bad, after all.
When I needed a gift — whether a birthday, anniversary, wedding, or holiday gift — I went straight to the cellar to pluck a nice bottle.
Consider Reward Points
If you rack up more credit card rewards than you can use, consider giving trips as gifts (to people you really love).
But you can also come at reward points from the other side. Some reward credit cards offer reward multipliers for grocery purchases, such as the 4X multiplier offered by the American Express Gold Card. You could buy gift cards at the grocery store to give as holiday gifts and pocket the points to finance your next trip.
For that matter, you could even buy Amazon or Target gift cards at the grocery store for the reward points — and spend the gift card yourself on seasonal purchases.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 8 Lesser-Known Ways Retirees Can Save Money on Seasonal Purchases