The New Year Calendar is your friend...

06 January 2010

Oldie but Goodie: first posted 1/2009
I love filling out a brand new, clean calendar for the new year. I always wonder what will fill the pages and what I will see the next January when I review it. Isn't it amazing what can happen in one year??

Here's a little hint though: it can save you a lot of money. How?



Here's how I do mine:
First, I go through with a red sharpie and put all of our family/extended family birthdays with a star, so they stand out. Family first, right? ;)

Then, I go through with my previous year calendar and mark important sales. Whenever there is a fantastic sale I come across, I mark it on my calendar with a cloud and stars around it, so I can be sure to be on the lookout the next year. This saves us money because we can budget for the sales and never have to pay full price for things like clothing and toys.


I also watch for Target's huge toy clearance, which also happens in July and January, where they go 75-90% off. It's a great time to stock up the gift closet for friends' birthdays.

Some other sales I always mark:
*Dillards add'l 50% off : every New Years day they have an additional 50% off their clearance prices. This is the best sale they have of the year. It includes furniture here as well. You can score beautiful, high end things for Walmart prices.

*Target's annual domestics clearance on sheets, shower curtains, towels, etc. happens also in February

*The Children's Place also has great add'l off sales where I look more for dressy clothes for my kids for Christmas, Easter, church etc.

* I also mark Target's Christmas, Easter, and Halloween markdown to 75% and 90% off to buy for next year: costumes, decor, etc.

*I just marked Hobby Lobby~they are 80% off Christmas right now and should go 90% off any day~that's when I will strike :) Their fall clearance went 90% off on Nov 21 this year.

*If you watch websites like Fishing for Deals or Pinching Your Pennies, these ladies are pro shoppers and will always alert you if you are on the lookout around your dates. Let them do the work for you so you're not always having to call the store, etc.

*Every store has their markdown periods~if you have a favorite store, wait, and when they best sales happen, mark them so you can shop at those times and resist the temptation to pay full price.

*Know what you are on the lookout for before you go to the sale. Never buy just because it's a "good deal." You all know this.

Let your calendar be your friend this year.

27 comments

  1. Thanks for posting those sale dates. That ws helpful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is such a good idea! I love reading over old calendars seeing how things progressed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love all these sale dates. I like a calendar too. I know that we can do it on our phones etc. but there is something about having it on paper that makes me happy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great tips Melissa! How's it going, are you all getting settled in?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I had no clue! What a great idea. Thanks for all of the dates.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's what I do, too, when I have a new calendar ~ I do all the family birthdays and anniversaries first for the whole year. I like the idea of doing it in red though; make it stand out more. I still have to get a 2010 calendar. I thought I had bought one at Michaels back in October, but I guess I never did. I'm using a temporary one from the bank for now.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the tips! I'm going to go mark my calendar. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh thanks for posting anout sale item..whoo hoo!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh to be so organized! I'm not sure how to be so precise with the sale dates, though, at least around here. I was at 2 different Targets the same day last week; one was 50%, the other was 75% off Christmas. A friend asked at her store, when they would be going to 75% and the employees didn't even know!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great idea! I just got my new calendar at the Dollar Section at Target. It's one of those big desk ones. I never thought about putting the sales on it - genius! Oh, I read on someone's FaceBook post yesterday that Hobby Lobby's Christmas just went 90%!

    Thanks for the tips! I hope you are all getting settled.

    XOXO
    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  11. that' a great tip. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I didn't know you were a fishie!! Fishing for deals is a great site for info about sales and more.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Good tips...especially about Target, my favorite place. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a great idea!! I never thought about big store sales on the calendar. Thanks for the wonderful idea. I will definitely have to start doing this.

    ReplyDelete
  15. you are just too organized. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Just another reason I love you and your blog :). Thank you for breaking this down. I had never thought of putting sale dates on the calendar and have just tried to juggle it in my head. Said head is not as good at juggling dates as it once was :). Great tips.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have always been a red letter birthday marker but I didn't know about the sales and that is very important info...wink*wink*. Thanks for these helpful tips Melissa.
    Joyce

    ReplyDelete
  18. this is very helpful! thank you! ~ kim

    ReplyDelete
  19. wow! this was extremely informative!! thank you sooo much for posting!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I have given you an award...you can go here to check it out
    http://lifewiththegrovers.blogspot.com/2010/01/guess-what.html

    ReplyDelete
  21. I have also done the same thing with my Calendar. Although it wasn't for sales, but rather hints about what I might want to do for next year. ie: have eldest's birthday two weeks sooner, too hectic in late November, etc. Thanks for blogging!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I just found your credit page. Thank you so much for sharing it. I have been looking for all of these options. I have a lot of reformatting to do!

    ReplyDelete
  23. That is such a good idea! I love reading over old calendars seeing how things progressed.

    Work from home India

    ReplyDelete
  24. Great ideas! Thanks for listing it all for us. You are so organized!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Melissa! Thank you very much for reading my post about my new heathy lifestyle and mentioning it here on your blog. You are so kind to do so and I am truly flattered.

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    I hope all is going well with your move and all of the new decorating projects. I will enjoy reading about all that you do with your new home.

    Many blessings to you and yours.
    ~Warmly, ~Melissa :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. I am linking to this post!! Thanks for sharing!! I want to go check out my Target :) Also. . I cannot wait to see what you do with that coffee table!!

    I am enjoying your blog. . just found you recently

    ReplyDelete
  27. Su again. Wanted to give you the link where I linked to this post and bragged about your brilliant idea. Should have done that in the first comment I left. . sorry about that.

    http://theintentionalhome.blogspot.com/2010/02/sales-to-mark-on-your-calendar.html

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to leave me a note!