The Best Time to Buy . . . Everything! A Month-to-Month Guide

There is a best time to buy nearly everything — whether it’s furniture in February, mattresses in May, or air conditioners in August — everything hits a rock-bottom price sometime during the year!

You know what they say — timing is everything. Especially when it comes to getting the best deals! You can save a lot of money just by knowing the right time to buy something, so here’s my list of the best months to find bargains on a variety of items.

January: Best month to buy…

• Holiday decor and wrapping paper
• Linens – ever since John Wanamaker started the first “white sale” in 1878, January has been the best month to get bedding and other linens.
• Toys
• Treadmills and ellipticals – stores are trying to push these out the door before your resolutions wane. :-)
• Vacation packages
• Winter clothing
• Carpeting & flooring – most people buy carpets at the end of the year in preparation for the holidays. Once January rolls around, prices go down.
• Video games – a lot of new video games come out in late fall for the holiday season, and they’ll go on sale after the holidays are over.

February: Best month to buy…

• Furniture – new furniture designs debut in spring, so retailers are clearing out old styles to make room.
• Lobsters and steaks – grocery stores stock up for February 14 and discount immediately after.
• Humidifiers
• Cellphones – you can often find buy-one-get-one-free sales in the “theme” of Valentine’s Day.
• Chocolate – if you’re willing to wait until after February 14th.

March: Best month to buy…

• Televisions – new models are introduced at the International Consumer Electronics Show each January. Retailers clear out old inventory to make way for the latest items, which ship in March.
• Luggage – it’s in between vacation seasons, so stores drop prices. Grab any extra bags you might need for the summer in March.
• Winter sports gear
• Frozen foods – It’s National Frozen Food Month. Enough said.
• Golf clubs – new models are coming out for the summer, so your local golf shop is pushing the old ones out the door.

April: Best month to buy…

• Raincoats – April tends to be a rainy month, so stores stock wet weather gear knowing that customers will be in the market.
• Cookware – the beginning of graduation and wedding season.
• Home-improvement supplies
• Tires and auto parts – in celebration of National Car Care Month.
• Computers
• Lawn mowers
• Cruises – shop well ahead of your cruise date for the best deal.

BONUS TIP:

April and May are the best months to shop at thrift stores!
People tend to clear out their houses in April and May, causing donations of used furniture and household appliances to spike. You’ll also find a huge selection of clothing during these months thanks to spring cleaning being in full swing!

May: Best month to buy…

• Athletic apparel and shoes – as people emerge from their winter hibernation, retailers start offering discounts to lure customers outdoors.
• Air conditioners – buy now, not in the heat of July.
• Camping and outdoor gear
• Summer clothes – Memorial Day sales!
• Mattresses – stores are making way for the new models.
• Gym memberships – because most people are exercising in the outdoors now, not to mention everyone’s forgotten their New Year’s resolutions, so gyms are desperate for members.
• Refrigerators – while most big appliances go on sale later in the year, refrigerators are the exception. New models come out in May, so last year’s models will get discounted.
• Office furniture – shop after tax day and you can usually find some great deals on desk and chairs.

June: Best month to buy…

• Dishware – wedding season brings deals on dishes to everyone, even if you’re not getting hitched.
• Lingerie – retailers like Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret turn over inventory this month.
• Laptops
• Tools and hardware – Happy Father’s Day!
• Indoor furniture

July: Best month to buy…

• Home decor – from dishes to pillows to lamps….you’ll find lots of home decor on sale in the middle of wedding season.
• Sandals and swimsuits, etc – Summer is slow in retail – so look for big sales of 25-40% off at leading stores as they try to draw consumers in to the mall, or to shop online.
• Furniture – new styles introduced at April’s big trade shows are finally hitting the market, so last year’s models are super-discounted.
• BBQ’s and picnic supplies – 4th of July + nearing end of summer season = super sales! Anything you see at 30% or more off of retail prices is a good price!

 August: Best month to buy…

• Swimsuits – while you can find good deals on swimwear at the beginning of spring, the best discounts come during the end of summer, when everyone’s clearing out their inventory.
• Kids clothing and school supplies – it’s the annual back-to-school price war that we all know so well. Expect to see 15-25% sales in early August, improving to 50-60% off of sale stock (and what is left) by mid September.
• Office furniture & supplies – another benefit of those back-to-school sales. You can either buy now, when the sales are going on, or later in September, when stores are getting rid of leftovers.
• Linens & storage containers: As the kids head off to college, lots of stores have sales on new dorm supplies.
• Air conditioners
• Outdoor furniture
• Snow blowers

September: Best month to buy…

• Plants – garden centers need to clear their inventory of summer plants, trees, and shrubs to create space for fall and holiday plants, so they slash prices. Independent nurseries tend to have bigger discounts than big-box stores.
• iPhones and iPads – new models usually debut now, so old ones are cheap(er).
• Airfare – sadly, most vacations are over. :-(
• Bikes – new models come out at the end of riding season, which is around September. Look for good prices on last year’s models.
• Summer apparel
• Appliances – with the exception of Refrigerators (see May), Fall is the best time to buy big appliances, since it’s when new models start coming out. You can get last year’s leftovers for less.
• Cars – new cars usually come out at the end of the summer, so dealers will be clearing out their lots around this time. Buy at the end of the month for extra savings.
• Lawnmowers – stores have to make room for all their winter gear, which means summer staples like lawnmowers will be on sale. As usual, the selection won’t be as good, but that’s the tradeoff you make for good deals.
• Holiday airfare – you should buy plane tickets two months in advance, which means now is the time to plan for your holiday travel.

October: Best month to buy…

• Jeans – jeans are one of the more common leftover items after the back-to-school rush so retailers are cutting prices.
• Winter coats – they’ll go cheap again in March, but this month offers the best choices.
• Appliances – the fall season of big appliances continues. Shop for last year’s models at a lower price through this month.
• Patio furniture – now that the outdoor season’s really wrapping up, you’ll find the best prices on patio furniture before it all goes away.

November: Best month to buy…

• Pajamas and slippers – retailers offer well-priced packaged sets of this popular Christmas gift item in November.
• Winter clothing – everyday retailers like Target and Kohl’s focus on Black Friday, higher-end stores like Nordstrom and Coach focus more on Cyber Monday.
• Appliances – November offers up the absolute best prices in the Fall appliance sales.
• Televisions & other electronics – hit the stores during Black Friday and Cyber Monday for good deals on all sorts of electronics.
• Tools – holiday sales are perfect for grabbing cheap tools.

December: Best month to buy…

• Outerwear – retailers don’t want to carry this fall item into the next year, when they’ll need room for warm-weather gear. So they often promote deep discounts on outerwear before Christmas.
• Toys – the second and third weeks will see the deepest discounts.
• Gift cards – not really a “sale”, but manufacturers offer bundled deals like “Buy $50, get $10 free” to boost holiday shopping.
• Golf clubs – it’s the off-season, so golf clubs are cheaper.
• Pools – if you buy a pool now, you can get a great discount on next summer’s fun.
• Televisions & other electronics – the sales continue after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, usually all the way up until the super bowl.
• Tools – the holiday tool discounts continue.

Wow! That’s a whole lot of useful information right there! Be sure and bookmark it for future use! (I know I am!) :-)

I hope you will take advantage of this month-by-month guide so you will know when to get the best deals possible on things you want and need.

Which annual sales do you look forward to this year?

NEW! Can you guess the 5-letter word related to today’s post?