Frugal Living: Time to shop Clearance

For those of you with tight budgets and who are deal hunters like myself, this time of year is prime shopping time. During the first few weeks after Christmas stores are trying hard to push out their winter merchandise, so they can begin stocking spring items. For costumers this means deals, BIG DEALS. It's a great time to get a winter coat, sweaters, heavy pants, winter boots, and Christmas decorations. In anticipation of this time of year, I prepare by taking stock of what everyone in the house needs and any gift giving occasions that may arise. Then I head to the store to get stuff dirt cheap.

My all-time favorite store is TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Homegoods (they are all owned by the same company and carry the same merchandise so I think of them as one), and right now they're offering super savings. The hubs' wardrobe was in need of a little revamping, he's very hard on his clothes and ruins things fairly easy. For this reason I'm a stickler on getting a good deal, since his stuff may not make it through more than one season. My latest trip to TJ Maxx did not disappoint. I found several nice items ALL for $10 or less, one shirt was even $5!

When hunting be sure to stick to a predetermined list of things you need. It's easy to impulse shop when things are cheap. But if you buy a bunch of junk you don't need,  it cancels out all your discounts.

"A bargain ain't a bargain unless it's something you need." ~Sidney Carroll