Three Things To Shop For During Summer For Year-Long Savings
July 11, 2017Summer is a fun time. I love the warmer months and having a schedule that does not revolve around my kids’ school schedule. For me, summer is also prime-time for planning out my finances for the rest of the year. This is the season where I start planning for fall and even Christmas, by shopping for items most people are not thinking about such as:
- School Uniforms In the south where we live, the public schools in our area require uniforms. I learned a few years ago that a lot of parents sell their kids’ school uniforms to consignment shops shortly after the last day of school. To score the best deals, I wait a few weeks then start scouring nearby consignment shops for gently used uniforms in my girls’ next size up for next year. (I stopped buying brand new uniforms after observing the wonderful “art projects” my messy kids’ clothes become by the end of the school year.) To save money, I much prefer to buy gently used clothes from parents with either unusually neat kids or with amazing stain-fighting skills. Visit your local consignment stores and make friends with the owners and sales people — many stores have “membership programs” with great sales and some stores will even call you if an item you are looking for becomes available.
- Gifts I take full advantage of summer holidays to shop for birthdays and even Christmas gifts. Summer is full of big sale days: 4th of July, Amazon Prime Day, Labor Day and even Back to School can score you some early Christmas gifts for kids. I sign up for coupons at my favorite stores and can normally wrack up great discounts on potential gift items. I also use back to school sales to stock up on home office supplies like printer paper and cartridges. Consider striking up a conversation with the sales staff. You can get insider information about unadvertised sales as well as how to get extra coupons by doing things such as “liking” the store on Facebook, writing a favorable review on Yelp, etc.
- Food During the summer there are many local farmers markets that may shut down during the fall. If you are looking for inexpensive ways to eat healthier after the markets close down for the year, get to know your local farmers in the summer and find out which ones participate in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, which are food purchasing memberships that allow you to buy a “share” of veggies, sometimes meats or even dairy items from a regional farmer. The farmer typically drops your share off at a designated location and time for you to pick up during the program. The USDA can help you find a CSA near you. Look for farmers who participate in a local market so you can speak to them directly and even try some of their food before signing up.
Summer can be a lot fun, but it’s also a great time to start saving for the fall. With a little bit of planning, you can find some great buys.
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