I'm not a huge Christmas clearance shopper. But I do have a short list of items that I buy after Christmas.
Clearance Christmas/holiday items that I could use in the very near future
- a specific holiday-themed gift that I was wanting to gift to a friend, in just a few days -- saved 75% by waiting until the 26th to make that purchase (Bath & Body Works's Christmas clearance sale)
- eggnog (we still drink eggnog through New Years)
- whipping cream
- potted plant, for a hostess gift for New Years
- candles -- tapers and votives (I mostly look for white candles, but green votives also look nice, outdoors in summer)
- candy wrapped in red, gold or silver foil for Valentine's Day, birthdays or anniversaries (I picked up some nice truffles, wrapped in red, for this year's Valentine's Day.)
- candied fruitcake whole cherries, for baking (Valentine's and President's Day). In the past, I've used fruitcake mix, 2 years after purchase, stored in the refrigerator -- a long shelf-life.
- candied fruitcake multi-colored mix -- I like this mix combined with raisins, in a bread that I make at Easter
- gift wrap in solid colors or simple, non-specific-to-Christmas prints, like stripes, and ribbons/bows
Clearance Christmas items that I bought to save for next Christmas
- candy for the stockings (my house is kept on the cool side, year round. I double bag the candy, and keep in a storage trunk, in a seldom-accessed closet. The candy (mostly chocolates, but also candy canes) looks and tastes fine, the next year.
- gift wrap and gift bags for next year
- an ornament to give as a gift next year
