With the turn of the new year and the new decade, now is the perfect time to take hold of your finances. There are many paths towards financial security, most of which take hard work and discipline (trust us, they’re worth the effort!) But there are also some very easy tricks you can use to save a small amount of money here and there.
Here’s an easy one: Find the best months to buy things, especially big-ticket items.
You see, even though you’ll find stuff on sale throughout the year, retailers offer the biggest discounts on hundreds of items – from TVs to bed sheets – during certain months, year after year. According to Consumer Reports, “Some sales are tied to the introduction of new models, while others are long-standing traditions, like January white sales.”
We consulted dozens of sources, including Consumer Reports, Lifehacker, Freeshipping and Deal News, and developed a list of what items you’ll get the best deals on each month.
A few things to keep in mind:
- These experts didn’t always agree on the best months to score deals. In those cases, we went with the majority opinion.
- When retailers offer the biggest discounts, inventory is usually low. So don’t expect to find a huge selection.
- Clearance sales for some goodies, like furniture, occur a few times each year since the items take up so much space in stores, and more inventory is always coming in.
- All items marked with an asterisk * below are usually on sale for the following two months as well.
While you read this, plug the information into the calendar on your smart phone so you don’t let another spring go by without getting a deal on that vacuum cleaner you desperately need.
What’s Ahead:
January
- Bedding
- Carpeting
- Cds and Dvds
- Computer monitors *
- Cookware
- Houses and condos *
- Furniture *
- Linens
- Swimwear
- Toys
- Exercise equipment like treadmills
- Tax filing software
- Winter clothes*
February
- Electronics
- Humidifiers
- TVs *
- Home theaters
March
- Digital cameras
- Small electronics
- Smart phones
April
- Computers *
- Lawnmowers
- Spring clothing
- Jewelry
- Vacuum cleaners *
May
- Athletic apparel and shoes
- Camping and outdoor gear
- Carpeting*
- Cordless phones
- Mattresses
- Small consumer electronics *
- Refrigerators
June
- Camcorders*
- Gym memberships
- Indoor furniture
- Pots, pans, and dishware
- Summer sports gear
July
- Furniture
- Swimwear
- Suits
- Tools
August
- Air conditioners
- School supplies*
- Dehumidifiers
- Lawnmowers*
- Outdoor furniture
- Snow blowers*
- Swimwear
September
- Big appliances (except for refrigerators) *
- Bikes*
- Cars*
- Gas grills *
- Outdoor perennial plants*
- Thanksgiving travel tickets
- Wine*
October
- Air conditioners
- Camcorders*
- Christmas travel tickets
- Digital cameras*
- Toys*
- Wedding supplies and services requiring vendors*
November
- Baby goods
- Fresh Christmas trees
- Recreational vehicles
- GPS navigators
- TVs*
December
- Home appliances
- iTunes gift cards
- Tools
- Holiday decorations (after Christmas)*
Have you noticed deals tied to any particular time of the year? If so, leave a comment below to help your fellow bargain hunters.