Meljo's Place: Dad is on Sale & So is summer!

I haven't had the opportunity to talk about buying things on clearance, however if I did, I am the queen if not the "queen in running" of buying clearance.

When Jo was a kid- we had a gift closet. She gave awesome gifts because momma would scour clearance items. NO MAMA , NOT CHEAP - just very conscious about how many birthday parties a child can get invited to & also very aware of what's in my wallet. Though the kid is older now, I still have a gift closet. Well kind of., I buy wine and liquor now for the ~~adults~~ me. :)

Right now all father's day items are on clearance & so are the summer items. Perfect time to buy for kids who have b-days in the summer and well even though father's day is done, it's a perfect time to buy for dad's birthday & Christmas. Actually, I like to wait till its at least 50-70% off, but you can scour through the clearance & get a general idea if it is going to sell out soon or not.

Now make sure you have this in your budget. No point in charging your credit card just to pay more in interest. So CASH buys or immediately pay that card if decide to charge it.

There isn't any rhyme or reason to my gift closet and I had no list. I never over filled it to the point where you couldn't see what you had. My gift closet consisted of items that would fit that time frame of the kid. For instance, when the kid was 8, the gifts were catered towards 7-9 year olds. When she was 12, it was more gender neutral & catered to 11-13 year olds. As she got older, we did more gift cards. During the holidays, there are certain gift cards that give a discount & some came free with purchase. You just have to be disciplined enough to not use them yourself. Groupon or Living Social is another great place to shop for gifts.

If you are thinking of making a gift closet, make sure its an area that doesn't have a lot of traffic. Guest bedroom , garage or hallway closet works great. Due to the fact that we didn't have a lot of family with little ones, I just geared it to age specific with no list. If you have a large family or keep an amazing calendar, then you should have a list.

Gift closets aren't built over night. No need to fill it to the max. The point is to keep items that will be given as gifts that people will want. If you buy in advance then you have time to find items for practically nothing.

The point of a gift closet is for you to save money & time.

Because it's on clearance it doesn't mean its a great buy.
Buy with money you have & in your budget. STICK TO BUDGET
Stick to gender neutral items to be on the safe side.
Gift closets are great for birthday, holidays, house warming & just because.
Make a gift closet for charity.

Great gifts that you can't go wrong with.

KIDS

craft items - paints, paper, great for kids & gender neutral.
books - classic books are great. Make sure it is age specific
games- make sure it is age specific. You may need to check in advance if they have one that game or not.
clothing - T-shirts are always a safe bet for sizing.
Acting items - costumes, makeup, accessories,
stuffed animals & or dolls
Legos
outdoor items - bubbles / chalk / games

Hip 2 Save - BN $2 gift bins!!! WOW!

PRE-TEEN / TWEEN

craft items - tie dye, beading, drawing items
electronics - head sets, music, movies
books- specific to their interests
games - age specific
makeup / jewelry - make sure they are allowed to have this. nail polish, face masks & items to have spa day.
clothing - t-shirts of favorite bands /sports, plain shirts to decorate
outdoor items - sport specific, slip & slides, age specific
Stuffed animals of their favorite animal
gift cards / movie tickets

Thrifty & thriving shows you the benefits of having a gift closet.

TEENS - GOOD LUCK! YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN! Just kidding. Teens are a little harder, so make sure it is something they will like.

craft items - if they are little artist; canvas, brushes & paints
electronics - camera's, gadgets, music, movies
gift cards - visa cards, movie tickets, iTune cards
games for their consoles - this is the hardest unless you really know what they like.

HOUSE WARMING / ADULTS