Clearance Holdouts

You might feel like you are always going to the store and spending money on necessities for your family. If this is the case, you might consider discount stores and clearance areas. Instead of going to mainstream stores for everything that you need, see if there is a store that might have the item that you want in a generic brand or for a lower price.
There are several dollar stores that have basic necessities like light bulbs, batteries, trash bags, dishes, and holiday decorations for a little over a dollar. Not only can this help you get the items that you need for the house, but it might help you when you have an unexpected birthday or holiday purchase that you need to make. Try going to the dollar store for your utilities before you hit a big name store. This can help you cut the money that you are spending on supplies so you can save it for bills and other expenses that you need to pay.
You might also want to check the dollar stores if you are decorating your house or redecorating a room. A lot of the time, you will find that they carry soap holders, trash cans, and even cute little signs that you can put up in your house. Compare prices to where you would normally go for these items. You might find that you were spending more money than you needed to on items for your home.
If you have children, you might find yourself in a predicament when it comes to buying clothing. Kids always seem to be outgrowing the clothes that they are in and it can be difficult to keep up. However, if you check out thrift shops and cosignment stores, you might be able to find clothing that has only been worn a few times for a great price. This could save you hundreds of dollars over the year while still keeping your children in fresh threads, and many of these stores even have brand name clothing. Also, if you have clothing that you need to get rid of, some of these stores will offer you store credit to sell the clothing to them. This might help you cut your costs even more.
But what about shoes and other items that you might need? Easy. These are usually found on clearance racks in the brand name stores a month or so before school starts. Stores need to filter through their inventory every once in a while so they can bring new inventory in, so when a season ends, a lot of stores will put their old products on clearance so they can make room for their new products.
Clearance items can also be found after holidays. Several stores will get rid of holiday items right after the holiday. So, if you check out these sales, you might find a discount on a body wash set or a present that you can give to the kids later on in the year. It is important to check these sales because even regular products end up in them. You might find a stack of paper plates for a few cents or a box of chocolates for less than a dollar. Analyze what you would already be buying and see if any of the clearance items fit an item that might already be on your list.
Sometimes, it might be difficult to find the clearance area in a store, so it is imperative to ask associates where these areas are. Even hardware stores carry clearance, and some stores will lower the prices of the items until they get down to a penny before getting rid of them. Check the stores that you regularly frequent to see where this aisle is. It can help you save money while still getting items that you need.