Do It Now: Save Money on Expensive Winter Gear

Now that New Year’s has come and gone, winter is on the downslope. Our days are getting longer and soon enough, they’ll be getting warmer, too. Around this time of year, we aren’t really thinking about stocking up on our winter gear, but rather, perhaps looking forward to not needing it anymore. The thing is, now is precisely the right time to be thinking about it: coats, snow pants, boots and thermals all start to go on sale about now and you should be taking advantage of it!

When you head out this weekend, think about stopping in at the shops that sell the expensive outerwear for winter. You’ll probably notice that there are quite a few brand name heavy winter coats and snow pants on sale, as well as the really high quality, good boots that every Canadian needs every winter.

Take Mark’s Work Wearhouse for instance. This is a national chain across Canada that sells good quality, durable clothing. Many of the winter parkas sold here are manufactured by top names like Helly Hansen, Columbia and Ripzone and they sell for quite a bit at regular price. Some of them are $300-$400. These are high end products that will keep you warm like nothing else can, but who can afford them, right? Well, you can! You just have to go after most of winter has passed. Right now at Mark’s, winter wear is upwards of 80% off. I popped in last weekend and saw a heavy winter parka from Helly Hansen for $44.

Another great place to check out is The Bay - Canada’s oldest retailer sells a huge variety of outerwear from big names like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. Right now, the Bay has warm winter coats from these designers at up to 80% off.

Even the big low-cost department stores all have their winter gear on sale right now. At Walmart, you can grab yourself a winter coat for $20-$30 or a pair of thermal boots for just $15.

No matter which store is your favourite, there is likely a clearance going on right now for everything to do with winter. Don’t wait until the weather changes for the colder next year to get new gear, do it now!

So, while your mind might be looking forward to the big melt, and seeing all the flowers take bloom, drag it back to winter for just one more weekend. Who knows, maybe next year you’ll be decked out in Helly Hansen and Calvin Klein at just a fraction of the costs others have paid for lesser brands. Don’t be afraid to spend a bit of time, and you’re going to come out with some great pieces for a lot less than regular price.

Where do you like to shop for winter gear? Let us know in the comments!