Unlike in the United States, retailers in Amsterdam and the Netherlands don't put on huge sales all throughout the year, or even at the end of each season. Here, and in many other European countries, locals and in-the-know visitors understand that January and July are the major clearance months when stores offer the biggest discounts.

Every year during these months you'll find store windows emblazoned with sale posters reading UITVERKOOP, OPRUIMING (both mean "clearance sale"), or simply SALE.

You can expect to rub elbows with hundreds of other bargain-hunters for deals and steals at up to 70% off regular price. I often head straight for some of the more posh shopping streets -- such as Utrechtsestraat, the Nine Streets (Negen Straatjes) and Cornelis Schuytstraat -- whose prices during the rest of the year keep me cemented on the sidewalk as a window-shopper.

So if you're in Amsterdam braving the chilly days of January or the high-season crowds of July, you'll be rewarded with the chance to rack up in Amsterdam's best shopping areas. Don't miss out!