Whether you're looking for last-minute birthday gifts, baby shower goodies, or housewarming essentials, a gift stockpile is the way to go to save the most money.
It’s pretty simple. Learn the best time of year to buy everything, and when you find a deal on a giftable item — anything from a blender to a Nerf gun — buy it when the price is low and save it for later. In the long run, it’ll save you time and money. Here’s everything you need to know about building a gift stockpile.
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Offers, prices, and item availability may vary.
What is a gift stockpile?
A gift stockpile is simply a collection of items you buy (hopefully on sale) and hold onto and give someone for a special occasion like a birthday, wedding, graduation, or just because.
Make a bin for each of these categories (buy your storage bins when they're on sale!):
Baby Shower Gifts
Bridal Shower and Wedding Gifts
Teen Birthday and Graduation Gifts
Friend, Neighbor, or Teacher Gifts
Next, fill up your bins with amazing deals like the ones below.
1. How to Build a Gift Stockpile for Baby Showers
Look for monthly deals on diapers and baby wipes at the drugstores.
Diapers and wipes are like gold to a new parent. Raid your couponing stockpile and give some of those diapers and wipes you get at rock-bottom prices as a shower gift. If you don’t have a stash of diapers already, let’s get you started. At least once a month, you can get Huggies for less than $4 per pack and Pampers for under $5 per pack at drugstores like Walgreens and CVS.
Buy baby sleepers when they're $5 or less.
Stock up on sleepers like Gerber and Carter’s when they're $5 or less at stores like The Children's Place, Carter's, or Sam’s Club.
Find cheap baby essentials on holiday clearance sales.
For baby essentials, including pacifiers, bibs, sippy cups, and onesies, check out holiday clearance sales for 70% - 90% off. For the latest discounts, be sure to keep an eye on KCL's baby deals.
2. How to Build a Gift Stockpile for Bridal Showers and Weddings
Use the Black Friday Kohl's rebate on small appliances and pay as low as $3.
Kohl’s + Kohl’s cash + coupon code stacking equals huge savings. Watch for deals at Kohl’s on small appliances or bed and bath items. One of the best times to buy small appliances for your gift stockpile is during Black Friday when Toastmaster appliances go on sale for $19.99 each (regularly $24.99). Although that's not a significant saving, stack a few promo codes together, and a $12 rebate per appliance (up to five on each type), and the price drops to $3.29 each. That's 87% off.
Use Kohl's promos for bed and bath deals.
Right now, you can get Kohl's The Big One bath towels for $2.79 when you use the promo code 20SAVE during checkout through July 21, 2024. This price is lower than their last Black Friday price ($3.39). That means it's time to stock up! (Check out more Kohl’s shopping hacks.) Other stores to shop for discounted bed and bath items include JCPenny, Macy's, and Target.
Find the best deals on lingerie and pajamas at the Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale.
Shop the Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale in January and June, where you’ll find panties for as low as $4. Lingerie is up to 75% off, and good-quality pajamas are up to 50% off.
3. How to Build a Gift Stockpile for Kids’ Birthdays
Don't miss the Target semi-annual toy sale.
Target’s semi-annual toy clearance sale usually starts in late December and runs for several weeks. The second sale of the year happens in mid-June. The sale starts at 30% off, goes to 50% off, and finishes at 70% off. Items go fast! So if you really want something, it’s best to get it at the 50% markdown. The good stuff is gone once it hits 70%. During the rest of the year, shop Target when they mark down their toy section during events like Black Friday or Target Circle Week (which occurred in April and July 2024).
KCL TIP: Stock up on arts and crafts items like crayons, construction paper, scissors, markers, etc., during back-to-school sales and clearance sales after school begins.
4. How to Build a Gift Stockpile for Teen Birthdays and Graduations
Grab discounted gift cards on Amazon several times a year.
You can grab discount gift cards at Amazon several times a year. For example, you can save up to 20% on gift cards around Mother's Day, Father's Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Prime Day in July and October. If you’re a Costco or a Sam’s Club member, you can save 20% – 25% on gift cards every day. You can also score a 5% – 15% (average) discount on gift cards at Raise.com for stores you already frequent, like Best Buy, Sephora, Starbucks, TJ Maxx, and a lot more. Target offers 10% off their store-brand card the first week of December and during Target Circle Week in April.
Get free cosmetics at the drugstores when you use coupons.
Save on cosmetics like nail polish and mascara (and brands such as Covergirl, Maybelline, and Revlon) with Walgreens deals, CVS deals, or Rite Aid deals. You may even get cosmetics for free or as moneymakers when you combine savings like a sale, coupons, rewards, and rebates. Also, watch for Target gift card deals like “Spend $50 in the Beauty Department and get a $10 Target gift card.” For the girl who likes brand-name makeup, you can find deals at Sephora. The best time to stock up is during their semi-annual sales in April and November.
Buy electronics on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Black Friday in July, and Prime Day.
Watch for Best Buy deals on headphones, fitness trackers, Bluetooth speakers, and more during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Black Friday in July. Cyber Monday and Prime Day in July are good times to shop Amazon for smart Echo devices for up to 50% - 60% off. Amazon Fire TV Stick devices also go on sale for 50% off.
If you find a better price than Best Buy’s, they're one of a handful of retailers who price match Amazon.
Don't miss back-to-school clearance for dorm room essentials.
Check out back-to-school sales/clearance on dorm stuff, and give an incoming freshman a head start on what they'll need to fill their living space in college. You’ll find sheet sets, organizers, and everything else a student needs to set up their dorm room. Some back-to-school sales start as early as June, with most in full swing from July to September. Check out Hobby Lobby and Kohl's back-to-school clearance sales in August for some of the best bargains on decor, bedding, and more.
5. How to Build a Gift Stockpile for Teachers, Friends, and Neighbors
Check out Bath & Body Works for personal care and home fragrances.
Shop the Bath & Body Works semi-annual sale (online and in stores) in January and June to stock up when items are up to 75% off. Grab hand soaps for as little as $2.99 and Wallflower refills for less than $2. Lotion and body cream are $3.75, and candles are under $7 (regularly $24.99 or more). Bath & Body Works deal make great gifts for teachers and also for friends' or neighbors' birthdays.
Save up to 80% on accessories with department store sales.
Find savings of up to 80% on jewelry, scarves, gloves, or flip-flops with JCPenney deals, Kohl’s deals, and Macy’s deals during Black Friday, around Mother's Day, and seasonal clearance.
Join a wine club or shop Trader Joe's, Costco, or Target.
If you know someone who appreciates a nice glass of wine, why not gift them a bottle you got at a discount? You can get wine for about $5 a bottle at Albertsons when you combine a sale and digital savings like their Albertsons for U "buy 6 bottles and receive 10% off" coupon. Plus, look for rebate hang tags.
Trader Joe's carries a bunch of unique labels (some as low as $2), Costco has several Kirkland brand wines, and Target has an entire store section dedicated to vino. When shopping Target, look for rebates or promos like buy 4 and get 10% off with same-day service.
Here's another gift stockpiling option: you could join a wine club so you always have a bottle on hand. Check out First Leaf, where you can save 51% on your first order. With Bright Cellars, you get your first six bottles for $55. If you shop Macy's Wine, you can save up to 30% off your first order and get free shipping with six bottles or more.
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