Shopping for new Pesach appliances in August? Buying (and freezing) a turkey in September? Picking out Chanukah presents in March? Purchasing school supplies in July? Buying different types of honey for Rosh Hashana in June?
Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. The other day, I was in Bed Bath & Beyond and scored a large blue cotton tablecloth with dreidels all over it on clearance for $3 (after my coupon). I put it away in my linen closet, and come December, when that same tablecloth will sell for $48 again, I'll be one happy camper. I've also got my $4 blue fright wig that I bought from Party City the week after Halloween, which will be fun to wear on Purim. I already bought and stowed away some hostess gifts for when we get invited out for meals next year on Passover (pewter and glass matzoh platters on clearance in May at Eichlers), my Reflections plasticware for Succot is piled up on the shelves in my garage, and today I bought American flag napkins for $0.25 for a pack of 100, perfect for next year's Independence Day barbecue.
Get the idea? Here are some great reasons and tips for buying seasonal items off-season:
- If you buy when the demand is lower, you'll save money. Simple economics. Although some stores do have great buys specifically around holidays, most good seasonal clearance sales take place immediately after holidays, or just at sporadic dates around the year when stores are unloading merchandise. Sometimes seasonal items are inadvertently included in a great sale. It's basically the same principle as stockpiling; you don't buy stuff when you need it, you buy it when it's on sale, and you've got stacked coupons and cash back, and put it away until you do need it.
- If you buy things you will need in advance of needing them, it will be a major load off your mind, and alleviate the pressure of the holiday or occasion. I ended Passover this year knowing that our hot water urn was on its last legs, and we could use another set of silverware and wineglasses for extra guests. There is no way that I will wait until next April to purchase these things. I will watch the sales and strike when great bargains come my way, so that by the time Passover hits, I won't be panicked and I certainly won't be rushed into buying more expensive items because of the stress of the impending holiday.
- Remember where you store things. This is probably my own personal, weakest link in my advance-buying strategy, because I need to work on my home organization. Last year, early on, I bought three stainless steel 6-quart Rival crockpots for $15 each. Two weeks before Passover, I tore my garage and basement apart looking for them, and calling myself all sorts of self-effacing, nasty names. The same day that I caved and bought another 6-quart crockpot for Passover (an ugly color, off-brand and $40, because that was all I could find), I found the missing stainless steel ones. They were way in the back of the trunk of my car. I returned the $40 crockpot and when I got home, I reorganized the section of my basement where those crockpots should have been stored to begin with. Remember, storage disorganization costs money. Your storage system doesn't need to be perfect, but it should be workable and you should be able to find things when you need them.
- Make lists and keep them on your computer. Because I'm a web designer by profession, I naturally gravitate toward storing important lists on my computer rather than on paper. I also store them in my Google Docs account, or what is now referred to as a "cloud drive," so that I can share them with my husband if need be. These are lists for Passover, Sukkot, and numerous other seasonal occasions, i.e. I keep a list of the graggers and chatchkes we donate to our synagogue for Purim each year, how much I spend on them, where I buy them, which coupons I use, etc. so that re-purchase is a breeze. Living in Denver, my husband and I go to Aspen and Vail for at least a few weekends each year, and I keep a basic list of all the items we need each time we go to the mountains, one for summer, one for winter. Lists take much of the hassle out of seasonal re-purchasing.
- Don't overbuy or overstore. There is no need to store enough paper goods for the next twenty-five Sukkots, no matter how great a bargain they are. Don't go overboard, or you will start to hate your stockpile, get tired of using the same things year after year, and resent all the room it takes up. As with anything else, be reasonable and use your judgment.
i hope you upgraded to the 20 GB free amazon cloud for all your lists
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