9 Things To Buy The Day After Christmas

The day after Christmas is a great day to go shopping for cards, paper, and more. Check out 9 Things To Buy The Day After Christmas for ideas you may not have thought of.

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It’s the day after Christmas, which, honestly, is more of a holiday than Christmas if you’re a couponer. That’s when every store starts marking down Christmas items to half off, hoping to get them out the door to make space for Valentine’s Day paraphernalia. So today is my favorite day to shop. I put together a list of 9 things to buy the day after Christmas.

Now, of course, you can totally buy more than what’s on my list. Do you. But also, make sure you grab these things.

The last thing you want to do is run out of Christmas paper a few days before Christmas next year and have to deal with the crowds to buy paper at full price.

9 Things To Buy The Day After Christmas

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These are the best Christmas clearance deals, according to me anyway. They’re not in any specific order and this post has nothing to do with the brands photographed (they’re just what I saw during my day after Christmas shopping).

Wrapping Paper

I always buy wrapping paper the day after Christmas.

But, I’ll let you in on a secret. I don’t always buy Christmas wrapping paper.

If you look, some of the wrapping paper is just shiny silver or (like I got last year) just dinosaurs. Not Christmas dinosaurs. Just plain dinos. So, what I do is buy the not-so-Christmas-y paper and I use it as birthday wrapping paper during the year.

And then, of course, I use the Christmas paper to wrap next year’s Christmas presents.

Christmas Cards

I know there are a lot of people who don’t send Christmas cards and just post holiday greetings over social media. And that works for some people. But for me, I really love writing, sending, and receiving cards.

What I don’t like is overpaying for them. Especially because we send out between 50 and 60 cards every year. And I know people just throw them away after Christmas. Oh sure, people can and should donate old Christmas cards, but it’s just easier to toss them in the trash.

So, I always make sure to head out the day after Christmas for my cards. I can pick the prettiest ones and only pay half of what they usually cost. That’s a great deal.

Hand Soap

There are a few things that I love changing with the season: towels, photos, hand soap.

Technically, hand soap expires. So, short explanation: Hand soap is classified as a “drug” and efficacy of the antibacterial properties can diminish, so it needs to have an expiration date. Expiration for hand soap is three years, so you probably will finish the bottle before that date.

But, I’m still telling you to buy hand soap on Christmas clearance. Look for the ones with pictures of snowmen and reindeer on them because those will be marked down.

First of all, you can use the hand soap that’s actually in there to wash your hands. Second, you can save that bottle, refill it, and decorate your sinks next Christmas.

Ornaments

I have an ornament tradition and buy us a new ornament every year. When my godson was born, I started buying him an ornament from me every Christmas. My mom used to buy us a new one every year, so this is something special for me to carry on.

I also carry on her tradition of buying them after Christmas every year.

As long as you check the boxes they’re in to make sure they’re not dated, you can absolutely get away with getting them a year before. And, if you find a couple you like, you can stash them away for a couple years.

Toys

Not all toys are discounted, so you’re going to have to be a little careful with this one.

In stores (like Walmart) that sell a bunch of toys year round, the toys that are branded as Christmas are worth purchasing, but toys that were pushed as Christmas gifts are not. Those can and will go back on the shelf, so those won’t be discounted.

In stores (like Walgreens) that don’t stock a significant amount of toys year round, toys that were purchased for the holiday season will be marked down. Those are the ones you should be stocking up on.

That way, you can use clearance Christmas gifts as birthday and Easter gifts — or even Christmas gifts for next year.

Gift Sets

I have a gift closet filled with gifts for birthdays and holidays. I’ll shop during the year, buy what I want, then shop in my own closet when we need gifts.

Sometimes, we get invited somewhere last minute and need to grab something quick. And that’s when gift sets come in handy.

If you’re looking at Christmas clearance today, you’ll see a ton of gift sets, some with tools, some with lotions, and some with snacks. I wouldn’t pick up the edible ones unless you’re planning on giving them away soon. But the tools and lotions are great to keep around for the next year.

Holiday Décor

Little by little, we’re putting together our outdoor holiday decor. We are trying to put lights in every window, but as you know, buying them all at once can be expensive.

I bought us a new set last year, to hang over the garage, and I’ll be picking up a few more sets to match what we’re already hanging.

This is the perfect day to replace any lights that went out, any decorations that broke, or (if you’re my mom) pick up a discounted artificial tree.

Plastic Containers

If you cook dinner at home, you know how many plastic containers you need for leftovers. And then they get lost along the way, accidentally thrown out, brought to a party and never returned, etc.

Now is the time to stock up on containers.

Many of the containers are packaged in paper with snowflakes and Christmas cookies on them. Those packages have to go.

But, the containers don’t actually have any holiday décor on them: just plain clear bottoms and red or green tops. They look fine during the year, so grab them now and use them until they get lost at a potluck.

Candy

Candy doesn’t last forever. And candy doesn’t last forever in this house, if I’m being honest.

It also doesn’t last very long on the shelf when it’s on clearance. Bags of chocolate are the first things to go because Snickers in the shape of a tree tastes just as good as Snickers in its regular form.

So, if you stumble over candy or chocolate in your travels today, pick it up and indulge. You made it through Christmas. You deserve a treat. Just don’t hang on to that candy to gift it next year. It’ll probably expire by then.

Shop Christmas Clearance Online:

Your best bet is to go instore to grab Christmas clearance, but a ton of stores will actually list their Christmas items — with the clearance prices — online. To help you search, you can visit the Christmas sections on the websites below:

• CVS
• Target
• Walgreens
• Walmart

Don’t forget to check a store’s minimum cart total to qualify for free shipping. Also, consider instore or curbside pickup to avoid shipping charges.

Are you shopping today? What are the top things to buy the day after Christmas for you?