An overview of a few different types of year end sales will be highlighted. These will include auto, electronics, regular clothing and children clothing.

There are few tips in general that should be followed when shopping during this period that will maximize savings.

General Tips

Though year-end sales will wet your appetite to shop, if you are currently on a budget remember to keep that in mind when shopping. A few tips to remember:

• Buy items that you intend to use, in other words, those items that you would have bought regardless of the year-end sale. Buying these items at reduced prices is a wonderful way to lower household expenditure.
• Always check to see that what you are buying is indeed worth it. There may be a decrease in the quality of some items over the period of a year. It is not unusual for discounted items to be damaged in some way hence be sure that any damages will not affect the product’s overall effectiveness.
• Do shop at stores like Walmart, The Home Depot, Sears and Target which offer some of the most competitive discounts.
• The best sale period will be just after the Christmas holiday. Walmart among others, will offer the greatest discounts during this brief period before January.
• Always compare prices. If you see an item in Walmart try Target or any of its competitors just to ensure that you are getting the best deal.
• Buy Christmas decorations and other Christmas related items during the year-end sale as this is likely to be the lowest price that they will be sold for at any store.
• Look out for coupons that can further reduce the price of items. Coupons can be found online quite easily. Here are a few examples: http://www.retailmenot.com/, http://www.couponchief.com/, and http://www.dealcatcher.com/.
• Shop around as much as possible, take the time necessary to find the best deals on the things you really need.

Do not

• Buy items that are not in your budget or that are totally unnecessary.
• Pick up any item without first checking to see that it is of the right quality and exactly what you are looking for.

More Useful Information

An Overview of Electronics and Some General Terms

There are a few terms that will be used during year-end sales that will give you a slight idea about the type of product you’re buying.

• Overstock items will generally be new items that have not been used or returned. These kinds of stock will be completely packaged but may have to be sold quickly because of the store’s need for shelf space. These are usually good items to get, although if they are electronics then they may possibly be fairly unknown brands.
• With the coming of the new year older models will need to make way for new models. These models will fall in the category of soon-to-be-clearance models. However, because the general populace is very sceptical about clearance sales other terms are applied for example: “Instant Discount”, “Instant Rebate”, “Special Purchase” or the greatly used “While supplies last”. These prices may be discounted as much as 40% or more.
• Be careful when buying products that were display models. These will be sold at fairly reduced prices. However, if you are buying electronics be careful that the model is operational. Also if you want to be certain that you will not end up with a worthless piece of electronic that won’t work days later, find out some critical information. Is the warranty still applicable? Can you purchase an extended service plan for the device? Does it include the user manual and accessories? Finally ensure it is at least 15% lower than the original price and ask for it to be lowered if any key elements are missing.
• Item that are discounted may also be those that were sent to the manufacturer to be repaired. These may sometimes be very good buys. However, be vigilant when buying these types of products. Analyse it keenly and let the sales staff test the device to ensure it is functional.

How to Find Year-End Sales

• Many large stores such as Walmart will have sites that you may visit to get the latest information on upcoming year-end sales and events. For example if you like to shop at Walmart you can visit their website http://www.walmart.com/ and subscribe to their RSS feed which will keep you abreast of any sale events that they are planning. This is perhaps one of the best ways to detect the duration of year-end sales and the items that will be discounted.
• You may also additionally create an account with any of your preferred stores websites. Once an account is established you may chose to receive newsletters about sale events and specials. These notifications will be sent directly to your email daily or as they arise. This is especially convenient if you find you are too busy to make the effort to search for probable sales by visiting several websites at any given time.
• You may check your local newspaper to see what sale events may be happening. Most large stores will have advertisements about year-end sales and other bits of information displayed as print advertisements.
• The radio and television are also great sources of information on sale events that may be happening. This is especially true for automobile sale events that are heavily promoted via this route.
• Going directly to the stores during expected sale periods is often beneficial. For year-end sales, the day after Christmas will prove the most productive time to search for the best bargains.

Auto Year-End Sales

Some of the most popular sales will be automobile year-end sales. They are generally the most advertised type of year-end sales. It is a common trend for the budget conscious individual to buy cars at this time of year to obtain these discounts. However because buying a car is a major purchase it is important to follow a few guidelines to be certain that you are getting exactly what you want and most importantly what you need.

General Tips

1. Before buying a car decide how you will use your car: commuting to work, carpooling, for a large family, driving in urban or rural areas and so on.
2. Set an affordable and realistic price range.
3. If the car will be partially financed, determine the amount that will be financed before purchase.
4. Always ensure the car is fuel efficient, research this information prior to buying the model you may prefer.
5. Completely inspect the car from exterior to interior.
6. Test drive the car.

A Few Things to Consider

• It may appear that you are getting the best deals when buying an automobile during year-end sales. However, you must consider that motor vehicles depreciate yearly in value. Therefore the reduced price may just be as a result of regular depreciation. New models come out at the end of each year; the discounted models will be the models that came out the previous year. The car you are buying is therefore not new, but a one year old car.
• The carryover allowance placed on most cars by the manufacturers will determine how much less you will pay for the vehicle. This incentive is put in place to ensure that the dealers will effectively order more cars. The incentive on GM and ford will be as much as 5% while imported luxury cars may be reduced by as much as $10,000.
• The longer the car stays on the lot the more money the dealer will lose, keep this in mind when you are trying to gain the best deal possible. Do not settle too quickly on the first price he gives you. It is not uncommon for dealers to give you the highest possible price they can even during sale periods.
• The change in the model of the car will make a difference in the resale value. When buying a one year old car be sure that the new model is not so much different.
• Shop around, many car dealerships and lots will have sales during this period. Do not settle for a substandard car or one which you will quickly out grow very quickly.

Buying Clothing During Year End Sales

Clothing needless to say, can be quite expensive. To get the best value for clothes you may try year-end sales. The only downside to a year-end sale for clothing may be the changes in fashion that occur quite frequently. However there are still ways to get the most out of clothing shopping during this period.

• During year end sales, clothes will be dramatically reduced. It is not peculiar to see a shirt that was previously $25 being sold for $5. That works out to a total savings of 80%.
• Buy as many pieces as you can afford within your budget. This way you will not be forced to spend exorbitant amounts on similarly items the coming year.
• Do not buy the most fashionable pieces but instead buy those pieces that do not rely too heavily on the current trend. There are some pieces of clothing that are timeless. Go for those pieces instead. Stay away from anything that looks flamboyant, those pieces will likely be considered unfashionable by the time the new year has settled.
• Still you do not need to get every article of clothing at a year-end sale. Hold out for other sales such as those that will occur during the end of summer and during fall.
• Buy most of your child’s clothing at this time. Children are easier to shop for because trends will not matter much at a certain age.