Have you ever camped outside David Jones on a sweltering December 26th just waiting for the doors to fling open at 7am? Whilst we understand post-Chrissy sales are exciting, YMM has smarter tactics for taking advantage of the sales.
 
• Stock up on Christmas decorations: the price of delicate ornaments, beautiful greeting cards and colourful gift wrapping is always slashed once Christmas has passed, so buy them now to save money on preparing for Christmas 2012
 
• Pay with the gift cards: what better time to use the gift voucher you just received from your well-meaning Aunty? It’s better to use that gift card before it’s pushed to the back of your wallet waiting to be expired. Plus, your purchasing power with the gift card soars this time of year, since you’re able to buy more on-sale products.
 
• Don’t lose your head, or sense of fashion: you should treat your post-Christmas buys like any other purchase throughout the year by asking yourself ‘Do I want this?’ There’s no point in buying a skirt that you’re unlikely to wear, just because it’s now half-price; in that case, the biggest saving would be to not buy the dreadful skirt at all. The same thing goes for other kinds of goods: make sure whatever you buy is working properly, unless you’re willing to negotiate a lower price for a slightly damaged product. 
 
• Replenish yourself: just like an athlete never competes without water by their side, you should also re-fuel your batteries and sustain your energy levels throughout the day, to make the most out of your shopping marathon.
 
• Go online: don’t expect the best deals are only to be found at your bricks and mortar retailer. The post-Christmas discounts are online too, and often begin before 7am. In 2010, the sales on the Westfield website kicked off at 12.01am on Boxing Day.
 
• Stick to your budget: this may be a time when retailers go into frenzy, but you don’t need to. Don’t start off the year with a debt from your post-Christmas shopping adventures. Plan how much you want spend before you hit the clothes rack or the Internet.
 
• Plan for celebrations: Any birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or newborns coming up? Now’s your chance to take care of all those occasions, by purchasing gifts at a slashed price. Although you might have just recovered from playing Santa, you’ll thank yourself later for the forward planning.
 
-- By Stephanie Hanna

 

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