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I never really engaged in the shopper savvy tendency to buy clothes during the end-of-season sales, a full a year ahead of time of when I would actually need the clothing items. I often thought about doing so, but I could never seem to justify putting out a significant amount of money for clothes that would not be needed for many months. Last January, though, my attitude changed. Armed with some advice about which department stores were having really good after-Christmas sales, I decided to check out the sales for myself. I went to Strawbridges and Macys to shop for clothes for my daughter for the following year. I found incredible deals! I probably bought more clothes than I normally would have purchased. I am not sure how many red plaid seasonal dresses she will need, but she has holiday dresses and sweaters for nearly every day during the entire month of December.

Strawbridges sale was incredible. Merchandise was 75% off the original price, and I also had a coupon to take an additional 15% off the already drastically reduced prices. The advantage of shopping a year in advance is that I will not need to buy clothes this fall, so I will avoid paying full price at that time. Of course, I could have benefited further from the sales and only purchased exactly what I thought we would need. I could have purchased 5 pairs of leggings, just a few pairs of pants, a handful of sweaters, and three sweatshirts, and minimized the money I spent. However, I did spend less than I would have spent buying clothes at the beginning of the season, and I ended up getting four or five times the quantity of clothes. Admittedly, I will still probably buy a couple of in-season Gymboree outfits this fall because I simply cannot resist their adorable clothes.

Many of the clothes I stockpiled for the upcoming fall and winter seasons will end up being lightly worn and suitable for hand-me downs. I simply store the totes of fall and winter clothing in a rarely used closet, so retrieval will be easy. Some of the clothes I purchased also might even be able to be used for two years depending on how fast my daughter grows.

In addition to the good department store sales, Old Navy had incredible sales in January too. I bought several fleece sweatshirts for my daughter for less than $3 each. I'm not sure if she needs a sweatshirt in every pastel shade imaginable, but I could not resist getting 5 items for the price of one! Of course, I realize my daughter is at an age where I can get away with dressing her in the styles from the previous season. Face it, though, not much changes year to year with fashion staples such as fleece sweatshirts and denim, at least not for 4-year-olds. I figure the savings now can offset the inevitable marathon shopping sessions that I will experience once she hits the preteen and teen years. Then, of course, sales might be fun again, simply as a way of drastically increasing the quantity of clothes in her closet because there is a limit to the money one can spend on designer labels and the latest fashions. Clothing sales for teens become a way to make it through an entire month without repeating an outfit, a goal of many fashion conscious teenagers.

There are certain predictable times throughout the year when it is best to buy specific items. The following can be helpful for you when planning your seasonal shopping. January is a great time to stock up on towels and linens. (Think: January White Sale-most department stores have this type of sale) February is a great month to get bargains on dinnerware. March is traditionally a great time to get the best deals on luggage. July is the start of sales for stores to rid their summer clothes and swimwear inventory. August is also still a good time to scoop up the last of the summer clothing clearance items. November is great because of Black Friday, a notorious shopping day with the best sales occurring very early, around 6 a.m. in some stores. After-Christmas sales in December are a great time to stock up on wrapping paper and other decorations for the following year. Even though the after-Christmas sales literally begin on December 26th, the reductions are more heavily discounted into January.

If there is room in your budget, plan clothing and other purchases a year in advance by taking advantage of after-season sales.