Now, I’m not in the business of encouraging shopping for shopping’s sake. However, there will be times you really need that new mattress, microwave, or Mini-Cooper. There is an art to timing these purchases, as this article from NerdWallet illustrates.
Here is a quick summary:
January
Linens (remember the White Sales of long ago? They are still out there.), fitness equipment, and electronics (Super Bowl, anyone?).
February
TVs (still – why would anyone pay full price?), winter clothing and sports goods, home goods (think President’s Day mattress sales).
March
Golf clubs, grills, and St. Patrick’s Day essentials. I did not make this last one up. What would those be? Trash cans and lamp shades?
April
Vacuums (for all your spring cleaning needs) and jewelry (avoid buying close to a major holiday).
May
Spring cleaning stuff (yuck) and furniture (those endless Memorial Day commercials come to mind.).
June
Negotiate a good deal on a gym membership. They are slower in the summer when people want to be outside. Man stuff to take advantage of Father’s Day sales.
July
Anything you like in the red-white-and-blue color scheme will be on sale for Independence Day. Electronics also go on sale as retailers have started this Black Friday in July thing to boost revenue mid-year.
August
Laptops are now considered a back-to-school necessity, so there can be deals in August. Lawn mowers and swim suits are on sale to make room for show shovels and ski jackets.
September
Mattresses – they love those 3-day weekends! The iPhone that gets supplanted by Apple’s newest product, generally released in September, will drop in price. If you are remodeling your kitchen, Labor Day sales will be great for your appliance purchases.
October
Outdoor furniture, jeans, and Halloween Candy.
November
Black Friday is there to lure you in with hot deals on laptops, tablets, appliances, and gaming systems. Enjoy that 4am line at Best Buy!
December
Toys, Christmas decorations/wrapping (if you have the storage to keep them for a year), and cars. Those dealers are looking to meet quotas and get inventory off the lots for tax purposes, so negotiate hard!
Happy saving in 2018!
