It’s the first week of the new year. Know what that means?
SALES! After-Christmas SALES!
Now, before you get your feathers all a-ruffled fearing this is going to be a push for consumerism… Well, it is to an extent. Let’s call it “Compassionate Consumerism.”
This is a gr-r-r-r-eat time to plan ahead for next year’s Compassion kids or Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.
As my mother so gently chided reminded me, Christmas cards are being clearenced out. I picked up two boxes of these dandy religious-themed cards for two bucks at our local Dollar General store. For approximately five cents each, I will be able to send Christmas greetings to unsponsored Compassion kids like we did during this year’s Christmas Card Drive of Epic Proportions. The only thing better would be picking up cards at 75% off (but I was afraid that the good ones would be gone by then).
We’ve also started a box of this-and-that to save for next year’s Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.
The girls got a bunch of knick-knack toys/game items in some of their Christmas gifts that they already had or wouldn’t use. Into the box they went. Sorry, well-meaning relatives, but we just didn’t need any more tiny slinkys (slinkies?). Actually, I’m not sure kids in third world countries need/want them either, but we’ll save them nonetheless.
Whenever I see cute things on-the-cheap throughout the year, I plan to buy them and toss them in my OCC shoe box stash.
I also managed to nab some undies on clearance at The-Store-That-Is-Not-Target for a little bit of nothing. Yeah, they are Christmasy, but I’m pretty sure nobody cares what holiday you’re celebrating on your underoos.
This is a good time to stock up on soaps, too. Just remember that they have to be a solid bar not gel (which is too bad…it would give me reason to go back to Bath and Body Works clearance sale. Soap for one dollar? Yes, please!).
I was going to suggest picking up some hard candies on clearance, but then I read more about the shelf life. Turns out, candy doesn’t last forever. Bummer. (Just wait until the post-Halloween candy sales for that one.)
Have you spotted any other great bargains that would make excellent Compassion and/or OCC gifts?
Faith Like Mustard 
Wow. Talk about ahead of the game! Our house is just too small to think this way. There’d literally be no where to store it all year! 🙂
Our local Michael’s store had a big rack of bins with items for $.50 to $2. Things like stamp and stamp pad sets, wooden cars and puzzles, water bottles, stationary and note pads. I bought some things for us and TOTALLY didn’t even think about OCC! :slaps forehead: Man, much of it would have been perfect for shoeboxes!!
We also have the same cards. In fact the one you have on there is what Kaya used as inspiration for our Christmas Card this year. She used the idea but totally free-handed it.
@Jessica–I’m just that cheap. 😉
@Michelle–I thought about doing this last year, but just never got around to it. Since my word of the year is “intentional”… 🙂 Guess I’m going to have to make a trip to Michael’s now! I bet the good stuff is all gone, though.
You rock!
Why thank you, your majesty Queen Amy. 🙂
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