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This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
My mom has a sixth sense when it comes to bargain hunting. Where I’m thrilled to get 25 percent off and free shipping, she’s finding deals of 70 percent off and getting inside scoop from the salespeople, who probably have her on speed dial should a ginormous everything-must-go-or-we-torch-it clearance sale come along.
Okay, so I’m exaggerating, but not by much. The point, however, is that the key to finding bargains is timing—off-season, end-of-season, new models bringing down prices on the old models. There’s a pattern and a perfect time to buy just about anything.
When possible, plan your purchases by using the following list to score the best deals and to keep more of your money in your high interest savings account:
House and home
- Real estate—March through August are active months for buying and selling, so a buyer looking for a deal will have better luck negotiating on an offer in autumn and winter.
- Flooring—Carpet and flooring goes on sale near the end of the year due to slow sales, though discounts are possible throughout the year from independent retailers.
- Furniture—January and July, when stores need to make room for new inventory.
- Gas grill—Like air conditioners, the best time to buy is during winter months, when demand for outdoor grills is low.
- Cookware—April and May (think graduation and wedding prime time) and October and November (holidays approaching).
- Linens—January “white sales” and the end of each season (i.e. as spring approaches, winter-colored linens will go on sale). It’s common to see linens (in all colors, not just white!) on sale for up to 60 percent off retail.
- Mattress—New mattresses arrive in stores in May, when you’ll find a good deal on the previous year’s models.
- Vacuum cleaner—June, when new models hit the floors, and end of winter.
- Hardware—Big sales occur around Father’s Day and between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Home appliances—New models arrive in September and October, when you’ll find good deals on last year’s models. Holiday weekends—Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Presidents Day—also are good bets for deals. If you’re willing to buy an appliance with a ding or a scratch, you can save hundreds.
- Air conditioner—Winter months, when demand is low.
Flora
- Flowers—Tulips are less expensive in February, peonies in May. Flowers are at their best when in season.
- Shrubs, trees, etc.—Autumn is a good time to buy bulbs (store them according to directions on the packaging) and trees and shrubs (nurseries are trying to clear out inventory).
Recreation
- Outdoor (general)—Swings, beach and pool toys, swimming gear, and other outdoor items go on sale in August, when retailers are trying to make room for fall and winter items.
- Outdoor gear (bicycles, for example)—February and March, when new models replace last year’s models.
- Boat—Boat shows, held from January through March, generally offer the best prices.
- Gym membership—Membership sales soar in January as everyone resolves to lose weight, but lag in spring and summer. You’ll find lower fees and waived enrollment fees to lure you to their treadmills.
- Movie tickets—Matinees are an established way to spend less at the theater (as is smuggling in your own M&Ms, not that I’d condone such behavior or ever do so myself…). A.M. Cinema (AMC Theaters) sells discounted tickets before noon from Friday to Sunday and on holidays.
- Broadway tickets—Find bargains hours before the show, or try the well-known TKTS booth in Times Square.
Electronics
- Blu-ray player—Black Friday sales and after-Christmas sales offer some of the best deals.
- TV—Sales can be found throughout the year. Times to note include Black Friday, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, right after New Year’s Day, before the Super Bowl, and in May and June. New models hit stores in August and September, when you’ll find sales on new models and discounts on the previous year models.
- Cell phone—New customers get the best deals. For new phones, wait six months if you can. Search online for coupon codes, as well.
- Digital camera—The Consumer Electronics Show and Photo Marketing Association convention mean new models will arrive in stores. Shop in January and February for deals on last year’s models.
- Computer—Back-to-school season yields a few sales, but the best deals can be found when a technology is outdated and retailers want to get rid of the older models. Look for a few extras (free shipping, bundled accessories, etc.) around the holidays.
Tip: In general, you’ll find a good deal when an electronic item is outdated. Wait until after technology shows like MacWorld and the International Consumer Electronics Show to see if your iWhatever will be discounted to make way for the next big thing.
Auto
- New car—New models roll into the lot in fall, so shop in September for last year’s model. Shop on a weekday at the end of the month to get the undivided attention of a salesperson trying to make their monthly quota.
- Used car—Dealers increase their inventory in April to start the spring selling season. You’ll find a good selection and willing negotiators.
- Recreational vehicle—Dealers sometimes offer specials in winter, but generally buying an RV works like buying a car (see new cars).
- Gasoline—Fuel up on a weekday, early in the morning if gas prices are rising or in the evening if gas prices are going down (prices are usually changed between 10 a.m. and noon).
- Oil change—Look for early bird specials in your area.
- Tires and auto parts—During April (National Car Care Month) and October (Fall Car Care Month), you are likely to find buy-three-get-one-free deals on tires, free oil changes, and other checkups.
- Car wash—Early birds (before 8 or 9 a.m.) can often find deals at full-service car washes.
Travel
- Airline tickets—For domestic nonholiday travel, look for the lowest fares 21 days from your departure. Fares are updated at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. on weekdays, and airlines file one update on Saturday and Sunday. Lowest fares are filed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and occasionally on Saturdays. Wednesday is generally the cheapest day to fly and Sunday the most expensive. (Exception: the Wednesday before Thanksgiving—the busiest travel day of the year.) For holiday travel, start looking in September to get a good price. Fares can change quickly, and much depends on the carrier and the market.
- Travel (general)—The off-season or shoulder-season for your destination will offer the most savings on lodging, recreation, transportation, etc.
Food
- Groceries (supermarket)—On Sunday evenings, you’ll save money through store sales (typically run Wednesday through Thursday), and by shopping in the evening, you can save even more on items that must be sold by day’s end. If you clip coupons from the Sunday newspaper, you’ll enjoy additional savings.
- Coupons—While coupons are available throughout the year, the most coupons appear in the Sunday paper during November and December. The best deals on turkeys can be found two weeks before Thanksgiving to Christmas. In spring, you’ll find coupons on seasonal produce, ham, and frozen food (apparently March is National Frozen Food Month—who knew?). Summer coupons offer discounts on grilling items and ice cream. Autumn brings coupons on soup and other canned items.
- Groceries (farmers market)—Vendors often lower prices near closing to avoid having to pack up perishables and take them back to the farm.
- Champagne—With steep competition to be your New Year’s Eve bubbly, Champagne houses drop prices during the holidays.
Clothing and accessories
- Clothing (general)—Got your heart set on something in particular? Shop on a Thursday evening six to eight weeks after the item arrived in the store. By Thursday, the weekend sales have started and the selection will still be good. Season-end clearance sales also offer up savings.
- Baby clothes—Shop during your pregnancy for end-of-season clearance items. If it’s springtime and you are due in winter, look for winter closeout sales now for infant clothing.
- Jewelry—Avoid the holidays, when you are most likely to pay full price.
Weddings
- Wedding (general)—The off-season can mean big discounts. If you live in a cooler climate, you’ll find savings during the winter months. Hotter climates mean likely deals in summer months.
- Wedding dresses—After Thanksgiving and before Christmas. Boutiques are stocked with gowns for Christmas engagements, but it’s a slow sales period.
Other
- Toys—October and November offer good bargains as retailers gear up for the holiday season.
- Wrapping paper—January, of course!
I might not ever be as good as my mom at bargain hunting, but knowing when to shop might make me almost as good. If you’re one to make resolutions every new year, resolve to save money in 2010 by timing your purchases.
If you found this helpful, don’t forget to follow Get Rich Slowly on Facebook and Twitter.
This article is about Hints and Tips, Shopping Thursday, 7th January 2010 (by April Dykman)
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This is awesome! We bought a dishwasher on the Sunday after Black Friday and got a super deal on it! Now we’re considering buying some new furniture but wanted to wait until the best time.
Thanks for the detailed list! We just bought a new washer and dryer on January 2nd. It was a top-rated set, but the store had a number of them in stock and was selling them for less in order to make way for new inventory in the New Year.
It pays to shop at the right time!
General principles to be gleaned from this
1. Out after there is high demand, at the end of the season, accept in high loss leader industries like groceries
2. Buy during promotional periods like sales, pertinent holidays/observances (car care month, black friday) and using coupons
Got a great deal on a really nice jacket last Sunday (1/3). Been eyeing it at Old Navy since early Christmas ‘09. It was $49.95. Got it for $14.99. My patience paid off.
Nice list.
One thing about getting things out of season is that your selection might be curtailed to the point where the savings are irrelevant.
If you are buying a house then late in the year is a slow time but there is often very little inventory. Buying sporting equipment out of season is the same thing - lots of stores just won’t carry them.
This is a great post because I am always seeing little hints about when to buy this or that, but can’t remember where to look when I need a bargain. I’m bookmarking this right now…..Thanks, April!
April, thank you for taking the time to do the research on this. It’s all the detail that makes it so useful! I will refer back to this many times, I’m sure.
Fantastic!! Thank you, April!!
Very cool list!
Just to expand on when to have a wedding - I know a few couples who got married in spring/summer, but they had their weddings on a week night, or on a holiday that isn’t typically associated with weddings (eg, my parents attended a wedding on Holy Saturday one year - the bride and groom were not religious, fwiw). Vendors were giving these couples discounts left-and-right, and the couples had a great turnout, too, as many of their guests were local.
As Saturday evening weddings are the “thing” to have around here, some couples have managed to get Saturday morning brunches for their weddings. As it was a more unusual time, they got discounts. They also saved on other parts of their budget - no one really dances at 10 on a Satuday morning, so they didn’t have to hire a DJ or band. They also saved on serving alcohol - I think the only alcoholic drinks were bloody Marys and mimosas. Very cheap, compared to an evening reception, where you have the cocktail hour, people drinking wine/beer during the meal, and then drinks after dinner.
We’ve had good luck buying new cars the week after Christmas through early January. The dealers want to max out their sales numbers for the years to look good for their auto companies, and no one wants to have a 2005 model still sitting on the lot when it’s 2006.
Copy/Post?
http://lifehacker.com/5440376/the-best-times-to-buy-anything-all-year-round
Just… surprisingly similar.
@Katharine (#10)
Ugh! No, it’s not a copy post. April gave this to me a couple of weeks ago, but I held onto it until today so that it could get some attention during the new year instead of dying during the holidays. One of the places I wanted it to get attention from was Lifehacker, but as you just pointed out, they just ran a post of their own like that. I’ve outsmarted myself!
When my sister worked at Macy’s she would get great deals on stuff headed for the bargain bin. Sometimes $0.99 on items that started out closer to $100 because it was the only one left and they just didn’t care anymore.
One thing I didn’t see April cover is that you should STILL ask for a discount. And of course be nice to the sales people. Many will give you the inside scoop on what is about to come on sale or what their company policy is on this or that.
I have also found some great deals on returned items. Lowes puts returns out at a discount and you can find things that won’t move at GREAT deals, you just have to be patient. And I have also found great deals at the grocery store first thing in the morning when their day-old stuff goes on sale. Sunday night as April suggested is often a really BAD time for my grocery store as they are out of everything that is on the best sales. And often it’s a ‘while supplies last’, and if not rain checks are a real hassle for me and I never seem to remember to use them in time. I need to make it out there Thursday to get any of the really good stuff.
Four Pillars is right about the selection. Clearly, when you buy off-season, you’re getting the “leftovers”. That will be a problem or not be a problem depending on your personal needs.
I bought my condo in December some years back and though I got a great deal, there were very few to choose from. I had to compromise on several key things, but in the end it’s been a huge bargain.
@Katherine–If that Lifehacker post had come out *before* I wrote my article, you can bet I would have included their suggestion for when to buy chocolate!
A bit of advice on televisions; don’t buy the latest model TV as soon as it comes out unless you’ve checked audio visual forums. If there are problems, or glitches, or software or hardware faults, you can get that information from people who have bought the new model. You then buy the next manufacturing run with the problem rectified!
Related to Four Pillars comment, I have a hard time ever buying clothes on sale racks, because I wear the most common size. By the time it’s discounted, my size is usually gone. And what there is in my size is usually leftover for a reason… it’s hideous.
I’m sure it works for those who wear the less common sizes though!
these lists may have less relevance in this economic climate, when sales seem to occur immediately and continuously!
and for things like wrapping paper, I often go to a dollar store…
I’m in the market for a TV, and it looks like there are some good deals right now, but some people seem to think that I should wait until after the Superbowl.
A really thorough, exhaustive list — thanks for the detail. We need new furniture and we were going to buy in February, but I think we’ll start looking sooner to get in on that January deal.
But about buying electronics: Sometimes, it helps to slow down and really consider what you need from the device (GPS, cell phone, netbook, what have you). I remember spending ages investigating which DVD player to buy, and I realized it had gotten to the point of absurdity when I was spending hours mulling whether the units I was considering had the Faroudja chip. I mean, seriously.
If you can stomach having a slightly older technology, you’ll definitely get a better deal. And, as this Onion article illustrates, better technology is always coming along:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_device_desirable_old_device
For real estate and cars, in particular, don’t forget to check your member warehouse club benefits booklets for special discount programs. I’ve bought two homes using Costco’s affiliations with realtors and with Lending Tree, resulting in savings and rebates amounting to many thousands of dollars.
When my good friend Molly was engaged, she and her fiance bought Christmas ornaments in January before they got married in anticipation of their first Christmas together.
I thought it was a brilliant idea (my husband and I didn’t have a tree this year) and went to Target last week and got all of our tree docorations for $7.63 with tax for next year (when we will have a tree). We saved a total of 72%!
I don’t get this:
“Cell phones: For new phones, wait six months if you can.”
Six months from when? When you sign up? When your current contract is up? December?
Sara @ 18
I have always heard the best time is BEFORE the Superbowl when everyone is looking for a new TV before the game and places are fighting for their business. It’s like buying a turkey for Thanksgiving. The best deals are typically the week before, not the week after unless a specific store has way more inventory than they need.
John @ 22
I think she means six months past the initial release of the phone. Less than that and you are paying for it being ‘new’. More than that and you risk the technology going obsolete faster.
to John #22: I’d guess they mean 6 months from when the “new” model of phone came out. Many of them have lots of problems when they first come out and you can avoid that by waiting a few months. You also don’t have to pay the “brand new/latest thing” price.
@Sara #18:
Shopping for a TV now is ideal, as long as you don’t think you need a 72″ 50,000:1 480Hz 1080p LED wireless do-everything model. CES is going on right now, so a bunch of the new models introduced there should be on sale by the Superbowl, which will give you great deals on normal-person TVs.
If you’re not super picky, get a basic Vizio from Walmart, or a floor model/discount from one of the electronics box stores (and pleeeeease don’t buy any accessories from there! $50 for an HDMI cable? seriously?) Online is an option too, but watch out for shipping costs!
For groceries this used to work. When I lived in Cleveland the new sales flier started on Sunday. (In Dallas this has somehow moved to Thursday) If the grocery store was open 24 hrs you could go between midnight Saturday and 6 AM Sunday and they would honor both sets of sales. One time I walked out of the grocery store and they paid me money, it was only like 67 cents but it felt great.
Good list with most of the stuff. Thanks!
First:
—-
The only way to take advantage of most of this is to buy a bunch of stuff you don’t need, and that’s not really saving you any money.
Explanation:
Take “hardware” as an example. When do you usually buy a new tool? You buy it when you’re trying to complete a project that requires it for the first time. Let’s assume a power drill for this example. Here’s your normal course of action.
traditional course of action:
1) Start project that requires drill.
2) Realize you have no drill.
3) Go to hardware store and buy drill at today’s price.
4) Complete project.
Here are your two options for getting the drill at the presumed cheaper seasonal price.
Option 1:
1) Start project that requires drill.
2) Realize you have no drill.
3) Wait until June.
4) Go to hardware store and buy drill at seasonal price.
5) Complete project.
Option 2:
1) Wait until June.
2) Buy drill at seasonal price. While you’re at it, buy one of *every* discounted tool that you think you might ever need at seasonal price.
3) Let tools sit unused in garage because you don’t need them. You survived to 20 or 25 or 30 or 40 years old with no drill, why did you run out this June and buy one? Did you think all of a sudden this year you’d need it?
4) Maybe eventually find a use for your drill and use it to complete a project. But probably not.
Second:
——
There’s absolutely no real evidence *at all* for any of these things. I seriously doubt April spent a year or more recording prices at multiple locations of items in all these categories to write this article. That means she wrote this article by copying anecdotes from other websites. Most of those sites probably didn’t do any actual research either.
For one category on here there *is* real research. You can look up historical housing prices. On a graph of housing prices, you should see a sinusoidal wave pattern indicating the periodic seasonal rise and fall of prices, if such a thing exists.
I am looking at the graphs on zillow.com right now with this information. So such seasonal fluctuations appear on either their 5 or 10-year graphs. Maybe fewer people are buying and selling houses in the winter, but the people who *are* aren’t paying any more or less for their houses.
Bookmarked it and sent it to all of my family. Thanks!
@ Tyler
You have some good points, but regarding the hardware and homes I think there is a little more to it.
My husband and I have done multiple home improvement projects. We are planned out a couple years on projects due to money and time. Part of the money equation is having the right tools for the job. I haven’t followed the tips in April’s post, but we monitor the prices and when expensive tools go on sale we snatch them up. We got some really good deals this past fall. Why? Because a lot of places are hurting for business at the same time that home production has dropped, so they have an inventory of tools we are getting at HUGE discounts. They are on our list and will save us a lot of time, for example we just bought a framing nailer, which we will use on a number of products. But you’re right, it is a small population that would need a framing nailer to begin with.
Regarding getting a good price on a home: off season might not give you a great deal on average, but the fact of the matter is people who are looking at moving list their houses during fall/winter typically because they HAVE to sell. It isn’t so much the list price is so much better, but the desperation may be higher. I’ve known a number of people to buy or sell houses at that time of year at big discounts. That isn’t to say there aren’t desperate people selling in the spring and summer, and it is possible to find them if you’re careful (that’s part of why furnished houses usually sell for higher prices than vacant houses), but they are easier to find in the off season. I think the issue is one of why you are buying. If you find the house you like it has a value to you no matter the time of year and the transaction is the same. And if you’re buying a house you are probably in a situation where you HAVE to buy so your desperation counters the seller’s desperation. Plus only a fraction of people are in a position to simply buy a house outright without a ripple of selling another house. So the people holding out for a great price are few and far between.
I initially started thinking like Tyler #28 with respect to the idea that this list could encourage people to buy things they don’t need and store them, but then I realized that many of the things listed are durables that have to be replaced from time to time, but not right away, unlike the drill example (like a mattress).
Our housing market does have a sinusoidal curve for housing prices (just total price though… I think you’d ideally want cost per square foot or something adjusting for quality– students and professors are in different housing markets) and units sold, and it’s published every month in a free newspaper that’s sent to our house. BUT we’re in a college town and the housing market is driven by students and professors realizing in March that they need to be out by summer or in new housing by August. Towns not driven by the academic cycle probably have flatter curves. Still, Tyler’s point is well-taken because the housing market is much thinner Sept-March. The prices are lower, but those houses are generally the ones that didn’t sell for whatever reason March-August. It’s hard to say whether they’re bargains or not.
It would be nice to see where this information comes from… how much has been empirically shown to be true and how much is just oft-repeated anecdotes. For example, we’ve never been able to FIND an air conditioner in the off-season except for fancy units well out of our price range.
There’s actually a book devoted to exactly this. It’s Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There by Mark Di Vicenzo. He’s an investigative reporter and lists all his sources at the end, too.
Most of this would seem like pretty common sense stuff, but as others have noted, unless you have money to spend on sales for things you might possibly need sometime in the future (that sweater looks great in March when it’s $7, but will it just get pushed to the back of the closet and forgotten about?), a lot of this stuff could lead to wasting money unless you know your tastes well and you’re extremely comfortable thinking far ahead not to mention have a lot of storage space…which a lot of people aren’t and don’t.
One thing I’d point out is that retail calendars are now being compressed. Many clearance sales actually begin sooner than what people are used to. For example, in our area, we saw most Xmas items going on clearance BEFORE the actual holiday, rather than on the 26th as they historically would.
Also, buying in the complete off season for gas grills is not nearly as good as shopping the late summer clearance sales. In our area, you might find 1-2 grills at best to choose from during the winter months, and they will not be discounted in the least. Likewise with air conditioners–most stores don’t want to waste the storage space, so they clear them out completely in the late summer.
Tyler, you still have to use common sense in addition to any “timing rules” that may or may not exist.
Drills are cheap - if that’s all you are buying then just go and buy one for $50 or $100 (or whatever).
If you are planning a whole pile of DIY project on your house (like Shara) over the next few years then it might make sense to try to put some effort into saving money since you will probably be spending several thousand $ on tools. If you can save 10% on $5k then that is worth spending a bit of time on it.
April, a note on toys: I used to work in retail and the best prices are after Christmas when the toy section is reduced by several aisles to make way for summer stuff so the stores quickly clearance it. This is great way to get a gift for someone if you are not looking for a specific item or you have kids with birthdays right after the holidays.
I’m with #31.
DH and I need a new grill. We didn’t buy one last summer, due to cash flow, but we will look now and see if we can scoop up a good deal. We’re not too picky on features - the grill doesn’t have to do a zillion different things - so we’re ok with getting a good, basic model at a reasonable price.
So, Nicole and April are both right - lots of these things are not usually “have to replace right nownownow” for most people. Sure, you might need new luggage or a grill or mattress, but most people are not at that critical stage, so they can afford to hold off on making a purchase for a few months while they comparison shop, wait for prices to come down, etc.
I found out the hard way about purchasing items in their “off” months. We bought a charcoal grill during the summer for around $325. This holiday season, we saw it on sale for HALF OFF! We realized right then and there that seasonal items need to be purchased in their OFF season! I am such a “hands-on” learner.
Great post! I’ll add to the Broadway ticket tip that day-of sales are a good idea for any show in any major city. Especially for shows that have longer runs; I saw Spring Awakening several times in SF just by showing up at the box office a couple hours before the show, and it was never sold out. Rush tickets are usually $40 or under, and the seats are usually in the back/side of the orchestra or in the balcony. Plus you don’t have to deal with getting gouged on ticketmaster fees.
Also there are show-specific deals geared toward young people; Spring Awakening has seats actually on the stage that they sell for super cheap two hours before the show, and Rent used to have a lottery for the first two rows. And there are theater-specific deals, like the Kellerman in Portland which sells seats in the orchestra pit for $25 to shows that don’t put the band down there. And often you can find “limited viewing” seats for cheap, which are the seats in weird places like way off to the side in the front where the lighting might block the view of the stage. It’s not terribly glamorous, but if you’re a poor student it’s a great deal.
Awesome!
Love it:) I just bookmarked this page for future reference.
I am starting to become very fond of buying this during the off periods. I am sure I will utilize this list in the future once I get a job.
Thanks a bunch for sharing!
Best,
Tomas
“And if you’re buying a house you are probably in a situation where you HAVE to buy so your desperation counters the seller’s desperation.”
@Shara, really??
I think anyone who thinks they “have” to buy a house, at any time of the year, needs to meet with a counselor first. There should never be any desperation on the buyer’s side, there is ALWAYS somewhere else to live. I am sure someone will have a bucketful of examples why they had to buy a house in a day, but desperation = bad decisions.
As to shopping for homes during the winter … I would choose to do so just because A) there will be less traffic and my offer is more likely to be accepted, and B) I will be seeing the property at what is probably its worst, and there won’t be any nasty surprises about what dies off during winter! Also, when trees are leafless, you can really see what’s around the property that you might not like. In fact, if there were a property I was interested in, I’d try to see it on a sunny day, at night, and in the rain!!
The “best time” to buy anything is when you need it - and can pay cash for it.
#40:
I can see what you’re saying, and I don’t necessarily disagree, but this is why DH and I didn’t buy our house until the spring several years ago. When it’s springtime and warmer weather, you see your potential neighbors out and about, and you get an idea of what the neighborhood is like - does the neighborhood have a lot of kids? Do you see a lot of people working on their yards, chatting with each other, etc.? I saw exactly that during the open house for our now home, and that’s what attracted me to it.
Wow! Very extensive list. Will have to bookmark for future reference.
Just as an example of timing. I bought a grill in late September this year. Not only were we able to get a discount, but we negotiated the price down with the department manager. I’m finding that you can negotiate anywhere.
@ chacha1
I understand your point, and I agree that you need to examine your thinking whenever you get caught up in the emotion of spending money. But moving is a big deal, no matter your reasons. If I am relocating to a location I am familiar with and I have to start work the first day of the new year I am going to buy a house rather than move into a rental for four months (which landlords frown on) live out of boxes and then move on, or move in for 16-18 months and deal with re-packing and unpacking things I’ll gurantee were sitting in storage for over a year (I don’t know anyone outside the military who can unpack that well). In this situation you could describe me as ‘desperate’ in the fact that I am not going to have unlimited time to find a home to move into.
There are various reasons you would be relatively desperate while shopping for a house during the off season. No matter when you move you often have limited time to make up your mind on where to live, no matter if you are buying or renting. So if you don’t like the term ‘desperate’ replace my statement with one that says: “There are various reasons why a buyer in an off market transaction would not go through the time and effort to find a good deal, or be willing to run the risk of having a low offer refused or outbid.”
This comment is not necessarily relevant to this posting but more that it is my first time to this blog and have very much enjoyed it! I saw the reference on today’s Yahoo! article on lowering your cable bill. My husband and I are in the middle (well, more like 3/4 of the way) through eliminating $50,000 of debt we accumulated from when we first started dating over 8 years ago. We now, have only $14,000 left after being on a plan for 5 years. Sometimes we can’t believe it’s true but by sitting down and being serious about making a plan to make it happen…we did! It can be done!
Stocks
Best time to buy is when everyone else is selling.
What a great post–you can almost plan out your whole year of purchasing with this–thanks
Good overall list! Being an educated shopper (i.e. being in control of your strengths) is worthwhile, as long as you exercise constraint.
However, the best time to buy something is when you need it.
Buying even a few things that you don’t really need just because they’re on sale usually ends up being a waste of money and your time.
Kudos on this list. From having bought many of these things and following a similar logic, I’ve always been able to snag a great deal. But many of these are new for me.
With regard to housing, the Thanksgiving to Superbowl rule works extremely well (and probably longer in northern areas of the country).
We bought our house in December/January and it was easy beating up on the sellers at that time. About 6 months later two houses in our neighborhood sold at higher prices/ square foot in a declining market and they sold fast.
The golden rule of buying what you need when nobody else is buying is a great one.
That was the most compehensive, and the most up-to-date course on the timeliness of buying, that I have ever seen. You did a great job on it!
Thank You, John DeFlumeri Jr
Now that’s a great post.
Great list, April!
I keep track of which days our closest shops are stocking new meat. If I go there at the right days at the right time, they have extremely cheap meat (50-90% off) that they need to get rid of the day before it expires.
I haven’t read all the comments, so I don’t know if this got mentioned before, but I noticed that Safeway had a KILLER wine sale right before Thanksgiving. A lot of their bottles were half off. When you buy 6 or more, you get 10 % off.
We like Ravenswood wines and I had several coupons from the Sunday inserts and several catalinas for Ravenswood. With my coupons, the sale and the 10% off prices, I paid between about $3 for several bottles of wine that is regularly priced between $11 and $12. I stocked up!
I will definitely be paying attention next fall if this happens again and will be sure to save up some of our wine and liquor budget (we keep that separate from our regular groceries) when Thanksgiving rolls around.
I’ve heard fall is generally a good time to buy wine anyway, as producers are trying to move the last of the previous vintage to make room for new bottles.
This is a great post!
Also, a note for my fellow Canadians: for commodities that are often imported from the US, a great time to buy is when our dollar is at or close to par with theirs (now is one of those times). This can apply to a lot of big purchases (some cars, jewellery, etc) so the amount you can save, even through a local dealer, is substantial.
Tyler,
Some of these are “tried and true” and are not just taken from websites that tell you. White sales in January have been going on since I was a teenager (at least) when I first became aware of the trends. (I’m almost 50 now).
The other things…the best way (absolute best) way to save money is to stay out of the stores or off the internet shopping sites and learn to make do with what you have.
However sometimes you need/want something….
We used to stand in line for TKTS, but not anymore.
BroadwayBox.com occasionally has excellent deals.
We also subscribe (free) to http://www.goldstar.com for the NYC area. Deals equivalent to TKTS are found there, usually a week+ in advance, for not only Broadway/Off Broadway but also comedy and other events.
wow, that was a ridiculously comprehensive list! it’s very handy. good job! I’m not entirely sure about the bit about clothes, though. End of the season clearance sales are usually DISASTERS. Only the odd pieces in unusual sizes are left, usually. Of course, a dedicated shopper can find some nice things if she/he is willing to dig through tons of unappealing junk. I think a better way would just be signing up for email alerts from favorite stores instead of going at certain times.
“Week end sales”?? We don’t have those :/
January seems like a great time to buy flannel sheets. They are discounted but still in stock and can also be used for the current season. Got a number of sheet sets at Sears, discounted 50-70%!
Wow, great list. I never thought about timing purchases other than black friday and the holidays. Definitely a fiscal way to plan your purchases.
Thanks April!! I needed to buy a nice pair of boots that I can wear to work and that keep my feet warm in the cold Canadian winters, but I kept putting it off. So after reading this post yesterday I went out and found a nice pair of ladies black boots, good quality and perfect fit for 50% off. I love them and I feel so guilt-free!
The advice on airline tickets is garbage. Airline tickets are updated constantly at all hours of the day, automated by software hooked into massive databases. The whole “tickets are updated at times X, Y” is an urban myth derived from the belief that the prices are manually set by humans.
Great article. I have always believed that good deals can be had anytime of the year but knowing when to look for items is very helpful.
“Tip: In general, you’ll find a good deal when an electronic item is outdated. Wait until after technology shows like MacWorld and the International Consumer Electronics Show to see if your iWhatever will be discounted to make way for the next big thing.”
EXPLAINS WHY ALL MY ELECTRONICS ARE SO LAST YEAR :p
Bikes are actually on the same schedule as cars: new models for the next year come out in the fall of current year. People generally stop riding (and buying) bikes about that time of year, so the sellers will discount the current models to make way for the new ones coming in and to encourage off season and holiday sales. Keep in mind that most decent brands of bicycles MUST be bought in person from an authorized bike shop. You can’t order them on the internet as it is against manufacturer rules.
As for gasoline, check out gasbuddy.com where people in your area report on prices daily. That way you can see where it is cheap RIGHT NOW if you need it, and in the discussion forums, you can learn when local spikes and falls occur. Where I live, 95% of spikes occur at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a handful of stations don’t go up until the next day (like Costco), so if you get stuck needing gas on that spike day you can go to the place that is still lower. Our site even has a guy who follows the supplier and market prices and predicts if there will be a spike! He’s really good at it and we all know if we should fill up or not.
Brilliant article, I totally agree with you. I think that the key is to buy an umbrella when it’s sunny. When it rains everyone runs to buy them, the supply is lower than the demand and prices go up.
RE: baby clothes, most people I know have extra big or extra small kids. So, any very season-specific clothes you buy while still pregnant could be a complete waste of money. In California lightweight pants and tees are useful year round, but not so everywhere. Use the time to look for sources of handmedowns and cheap secondhand. The nice leather bootie shoes (Robeez, not Target brand) are machine washable, so you can buy dirty ones cheap and then wash them almost good as new.
Ask around to find a local flooring company that offers free installation at certain times of the year, or for former customers.
In two different cities I have lived in, a flooring company sent an “invitation only” postcard every Spring to former customers, and it let them in the door an hour early on the first day of their Spring clearance. Everything you bought or ordered that day included free installation. We went to the store immediately after getting the postcard to look at our options, and to make sure that the prices didn’t get raised during the promotion. (they didn’t)
Last year we had two bathroom floors and our kitchen backsplash tiled for $125.
Weddings:
Buy prom dresses for wedding/bridesmaids. We did–on sale–and looked great for cheap.
Really, I think our strategies are more to buy different, not at *the perfect time.*
Around here if you shop with coupons Sunday night you better be prepared to get A TON of rain checks. Stuff is sold out at the end of the day. I feel very fortunate to be making enough to afford to be over that right now. I used to be a crazy coupon lady, and we ate A LOT of crap that was free or almost free. When I say crap I mean substandard food.
Oh man! Exceptional article. I love how you put it all in one place.
JD! IF THIS IS NOT IN YOUR BOOK - YOU NEED IT IN THERE!
DVD/Blu-Ray discs: wait a year if you can, or at least 3 months if that’s too long. The initial releases of movies on DVD are always way more expensive and usually have minimal extras. After a year you’ll get the multi-disc special edition and it will be half the price, and/or maybe 3-for-2 in your local supermarket. The wait is even longer for TV series - if you can hold off until the show is cancelled (and they ALL are eventually), you’ll pick up the ‘every episode ever released’ box set for a fraction of the combined price of individual seasons.