The Best Time to Buy: 43 Cheap Finds Throughout the Year | Reader's Digest
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The Best Time to Buy: 43 Cheap Finds
Throughout the Year
When's the best time to buy a car, airline tickets, appliances, a TV,
furniture, a mattress, a laptop, and more? Here's a month-by-month
guide to smarter spending.
By Alyssa Jung
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January: Best time to buy a computer, holiday goods
• Other people’s unused gift cards: Consumers with unwanted gift cards hit sites
like PlasticJungle.com, GiftCards.com and even eBay after Christmas to sell them at
discounted prices.
• Wrapping paper: Stores slash prices on gift wrap, holiday cards, and Christmas
decorations in the weeks following the busy shopping season. Buy now; they'll keep till
next year.
• Bed linens: Retailers offer deep discounts on sheets, towels, and blankets in January.
"White sales" actually date back to 1878, when a Philadelphia department store held a
“White Sale” on linens to help keep linen makers in business during a slow period.
• Computer: Starting in January, keep an eye on PC prices; companies offer discounts
on older models to prepare for the upcoming release of the newest systems.
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February: Best time to buy furniture, washer and dryer,
wedding items
• Wedding: Tying the knot in this off-season month means taking full advantage of
discounted prices on reception venues, catering, and photography. Plan around the
Presidential holidays, though, and beware of nasty weather.
• Air conditioner: During cold weather months, many appliance stores offer units at
cheap prices—if you can find them.
• Furniture: New inventory hits showrooms in February, so retailers often offer deals
around now. Politely negotiate on good-condition floor models, and you can often pay
much less than cost.
• Washer and dryer: New models arrive in winter, meaning you'll spot deals on last
year's appliances. Don't be afraid to haggle.
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March: Best time to buy luggage, a camera, golf clubs
• Frozen foods: March is National Frozen Foods Month, a large-scale marketing
campaign that encourages grocers to offer price-cuts and coupons all month long.
• Luggage: Retailers such as Walmart, Macy's, and Sears discount luggage before
travel-heavy spring and summer.
• Boats: It's the tail end of boat-show season.
• Golf clubs: The season tees off in early spring, meaning last year's irons are on sale.
• Digital camera: Consumer Reports advises snapping up a digital camera in March
and April—sales are best.
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April: Best time to buy vacuums, clothing
• A cruise: Plan a getaway that's months ahead of time to snag a deal, or book at
LastMinuteCruises.com for spur-of-the-moment discounts.
• Vacuum cleaners: Most new models come out in June, so retailers discount old
vacuums now—just in time for spring cleaning.
• Thrift stores: People clearing out closets means a larger, fresher selection.
• Winter clothing: Spring collections hit stores, and cold-weather clothes are often
dramatically marked down for clearance.
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May: Best time to buy appliances, a gym membership
• Spring clothing: Memorial Day sales include discounted clothing and home goods at
department stores, apparel retailers, and big-box stores.
• Gym memberships: Whether New Year’s resolutions are history, or outside exercise
is possible, gyms offer discounts to bring in more bodies.
• Cookware and dishes: Kitchen items make popular gift choices during graduation
and wedding season, and stores often run sales.
• Refrigerators: Spring is refrigerator season! Last year's appliances will be
discounted to clear the showroom.
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June: Best time to buy a laptop, vacation tickets
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• Lingerie: Apparel retailers such as Victoria’s Secret and BareNecessities.com turn
over inventory this month, and hold storewide sales.
• Laptops: Back-to-school laptop sales actually start as early as June, often bundling
the computers with a printer or a gift card.
• Caribbean vacation: With the beginning of the Caribbean hurricane season, you'll
see steep discounts on vacation packages and cruises.
• Tools: You can score plenty of good deals—right before Father's Day.
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July: Best time to buy jewelry, ice cream
• Summer apparel: In the middle of the season you'll start to see prices start to drop.
• Picnic supplies: Once the 4th of July has passed, pick up discounted picnic and
party supplies.
• Ice cream: July is National Ice Cream Month; scoop up coupons from both local
stores and online deal sites.
• Jewelry: With no major holidays in July and August, jewelers offer lower prices to
lure in customers.
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August: Best time to buy office supplies, grills
• Grills: You'll see huge deals, especially on big outdoor grills. It’s not too late for
cookouts!
• Office supplies: Retailers roll out the discounts on backpacks, notebooks, and dorm
supplies for back to school.
• Bathing suits: Stores might have had sales around the 4th of July, and most of the
selection is picked over. But if you see your size, the price will be right.
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September: Best time to buy a car, airline tickets, a mattress,
a bike
• Patio furniture: Major sales on outdoor furniture, which needs to be cleared
out—often for Christmas items, as that season gets pushed up earlier each year.
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• Cars: Car dealers promote deals on current vehicles to make room for the newest
ones.
• Bikes: New bicycle models come out at the end of the summer riding season, so check
out discounts on last year’s bikes.
• Airline tickets: Book your holiday flights now for the best chance on finding low
prices.
• A mattress: Many mattress companies boast big Labor Day sales, though if you miss
out, similar sales run around President's Day and Memorial Day.
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October: Best time to buy toys, jeans
• Jeans: Denim left over from back-to-school sales get discounted for a short time
before holiday shopping begins.
• Outdoor goods: Score deals on lawnmowers, gardening tools, and even camping
supplies.
• Toys: Toy stores sometimes offer sales ahead of the holiday season.
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November: Best time to buy a TV, small appliances, candy
• Candy: Grocery stores discount Halloween-themed candy in November, and it still
tastes just as sweet.
• Gadgets: Black Friday and Cyber Monday (which might extend the entire week) are
prime opportunities to score very inexpensive TVs, Mp3 players, small appliances, and
more.
• Free turkey: Some grocery stores give away Thanksgiving-ready turkeys when
customers spend a certain amount. Keep an eye on your weekly circulars.
Getty Images
December: Best time to buy Champagne, athletic gear
• Champagne: Competition actually drives prices down during the holiday season, not
up. The peak month of December is the best time to spend on bubbly.
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• (Lousy) NFL merchandise: If your team isn't even close to the Super Bowl, gear
will be discounted. Better luck next year.
• Athletic apparel and equipment: Stores slash prices in the weeks before January
1, when they can cash in on New Year's resolutions.
• Wedding dress: Look for bargain prices on gowns during the wedding off-season;
most couples are focused on holiday shopping and not wedding planning.
© 2015 The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
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