Look for deep discounts on toys at Target stores

Every year in January and July, Target stores have a big clearance sale in their toy department to make room for new inventory. The last few years I have shopped the sale and stocked up for birthdays and Christmas.

Clearance sales have just begun in most of their stores starting at a 30 percent discount. These are my predictions based on the sale cycles from the last few years. Each week, they will bump up their sale to a higher percentage. The last few years, the discounts have reached as much as 80 percent off until all the clearance inventory has sold out. The peak discount usually hits around the end of July or beginning of August. If you sign up for the store’s free Target REDcard, you can save an additional 5 percent.

It may seem early to start thinking about holiday gifts, but I recommend that you start buying gifts now. Don’t wait until December to buy everything. By making small purchases throughout the year, you won’t be strained financially to come up with a ton of money all at once. Keep an eye out for great deals throughout the year and make your purchase when you find the lowest prices.

It’s always nice when a birthday or holiday rolls around, and I just go to my bin of presents and grab a few gifts. I have been purchasing toys from this sale for my 2- year-old son since he was born. I usually wait until the end of the sales when I can get the biggest discount.

They do have a lot of toys on clearance on their website as well. Use your Target REDcard for online purchases to get free shipping and an extra 5 percent discount.