Thrifty Thursday-1 Savings "Think Ahead" Tip (That I Bet You Never Thought To Do!)

I can't believe I never even thought of this idea, until a few months ago that is!  Here is a picture of a gingerbread kit I picked up at Big Lots.  Regularly $10, on clearance plus a promo sale for $0.80!  92% savings :) 

Of course..it's the end of January, what do I need a gingerbread kit for?  Don't dismiss those wonderful after-holiday sales so quickly!  I talked in this post about opening your mind for creative uses for after-holiday sales, this time I'm going to talk about keeping your eyes peeled for the expiration dates. 

The pictured "Best By" date is over a year away!!!  I can stash this away and use it next Christmas, and only pay 8% of what I would next year when looking for a gift or fun project.  I actually did the same thing with Halloween candy.  I don't have the money to buy trick-or-treaters full size candy bars or anything of the kind...but I did find a way to buy some cuter-than-plain-tootsie-rolls candies for next year and that is by following this strategy.  I don't have a picture because they're up in storage, but I got the cutest little gummy eyes/ears/etc on clearance (50 or 75% off, I don't remember).  They expire well after this next year's Halloween. 

If the expiration date is before the same holiday next year, I default to the "creative use" theory.  I also saw at Big Lots a brownie pop kit that was Christmas Themed.  The only Christmas part to it was the red and green sprinkles.  You could get that and use different sprinkles, or dip them in nuts or coconut instead-be creative and use it for Valentine's or a birthday! 

Buying seasonal clearance deals can be a nice way to keep the dough in your wallet and score some deals that are better than regular store promotions.  An added benefit-you can also use coupons on clearance!