The Best Time to Buy Everything
If you want to buy something that you don’t need right now, it makes sense to bide your time for the best deal. That’s why it can be helpful to know the best time to buy everything, because there are actually certain months or seasons that are better for certain purchases.
Here’s a guide on when to purchase a variety of big-ticket items.
The Best Time to Buy Furniture
Mark your calendar for: February and August.
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Those are the two times of the year that you’ll generally find the best deals on new furniture: As winter comes to a close and when summer is turning into fall.
You can find good deals at other times of the year, like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, but you’ll often find better deals and discounts in February and August as retailers make room for the new season’s offerings.
The Best Time to Buy a Home
Mark your calendar for: Spring and summer, and maybe autumn.
According to Peter Evering, the business development manager at Utopia Property Management in San Diego, spring and summer are typically the best times to buy a home.
But Evering suggests a different tactic.
“I would go against the grain and consider buying in autumn. In autumn, you’ll typically encounter fewer competitors among buyers. Granted, the inventory of available properties also tends to decrease. But here’s the thing – a significant portion of sellers during this time are often driven by compelling reasons,” he says.
For instance, he says, people might be selling because they’re relocating to a new city or downsizing to a smaller home.
“This element of urgency can work in your favor as a buyer. In fact, it’s often a great time to consider purchasing a home, as you might find motivated sellers willing to negotiate and possibly even offer discounts on their properties,” he adds.
In other words, you could find sellers who really want to sell now, and maybe you’ll have fewer homebuyers you’re competing with. And, of course, going with that logic, you might do really well in December or January, when a lot of people are distracted by the holidays and cold weather and not looking for a house. But the spring and summer tend to be when the housing market is really going full steam.
The Best Time to Buy a Car
Mark your calendar for: May, October, November and December.
Early May is when the major auto show season has stopped, so many new vehicles are coming into showrooms and salespeople are often offering discounts on outgoing models. The end of May also has Memorial Day sales to attract summer crowds.
Consider buying a car in October, when many new models start arriving in dealer showrooms and old models need to go off the lots.
In November, those discounts are likely still running, and car dealerships, like other retailers, tend to offer Black Friday deals.
And in December salespeople are trying to meet monthly, end-of-quarter and year-end sales goals, so it’s another good time to get a deal.
Late December’s the best time to buy a car, according to John Lin, owner of JB Motor Works, an auto repair shop in Philadelphia. He says dealerships know that car buyers are looking for good deals around this time of the year.
“People generally have extra time off during the holidays to go car shopping. It’s a win-win for both the customer and dealership as people can take advantage of these holiday discounts,” Lin says.
Still, Lin cautions that – similar to buying a house – a car is a big purchase, and so the best time to buy is really when you’re ready.
But if you happen to be ready between October and December or in May, all the better.
The Best Time to Buy Clothing
Mark your calendar for: The end of any season.
If you’re thinking about buying a winter coat, that’s the time to look for something like a pair of cargo shorts or a denim skirt.
“The end of the season is the best time to buy clothing,” says Trae Bodge, a shopping expert at the website TrueTrae.
“For example, tank tops and swimsuits will be deeply discounted in August and September. This can be a good time to stock up on a few warmer-weather essentials that you can still wear through September while the weather is still good,” Bodge says.
The Best Time to Buy Appliances
Mark your calendar for: The end and the very beginning of the year.
“New models usually come out in November, so we see a lot of deal activity on large appliances from Labor Day weekend through October. It’s not unusual to see discounts in the 30% to 40% off range, which can mean big savings for such a big purchase,” Bodge says.
You can often find promotions for appliances around that time at major retailers including Best Buy, Lowe’s and Home Depot. New models coming out in the following year can also bring down the prices at the end of a year.
Of course, you also want to consider the big shopping holidays like President’s Day, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
The Best Time to Buy an Engagement Ring
Mark your calendar for: August.
When it comes to buying an engagement ring, “August is the month to get a deal,” says Apeksha Kothari, former chief operating officer at Rare Carat, a diamond ring search engine.
“After low sales throughout the summer, retailers are itching to make sales, and it’s when most inventory is available before the peak season of holiday buying in the fourth quarter,” she says.
The Best Time to Buy Jewelry
Mark your calendar for: Several weeks after a big holiday.
Yes, you can find good deals on jewelry in February – with sales tied to Valentine’s Day – and during other big holidays.
“To get the best price, the best time to start shopping is during the weeks after the event. This is when jewelers will be clearing out old inventory and managing returns from dissatisfied customers,” says Darren Bogus, a senior editor at the home shopping cable network Shop LC.
The Best Time to Buy a Mattress
Mark your calendar for: Holiday weekends.
To secure the best deals on mattresses, whether you’re looking for one from an online retailer or a traditional brick-and-mortar store, shop on holiday weekends, like President’s Day.
“Three-day weekends, Memorial Day and Labor Day in particular are good times to invest in a new mattress. We also see some mattress deals around July Fourth,” Bodge says.
“You’ll find discounts being offered by the big brands, like Serta and Sealy, but also from the smaller ‘bed in a box’ companies, like Nest, Nectar and Purple,” he adds.
The Best Time to Buy a TV
Mark your calendar for: Big shopping holiday weekends.
“The best time to buy TVs is over Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” Bodge says.
“The discounts will be very deep, especially on last-season’s models. Right before the Super Bowl is another time for TV deals. People want to see the big game on the best screen possible, and many retailers will offer promotions around that time,” he adds.
Around the winter holidays, stores like Best Buy and Sears offer steep discounts on TVs, and some may throughout January.
The Best Time to Buy Electronics
Mark your calendar for: November through January, July and August.
November, as you get into Black Friday sales, is considered the best time of the year to buy personal electronics, including tablets, gaming systems and laptops. January – shortly before the Super Bowl – is also one of the best times to buy a TV, but you can certainly find great deals on them during the holiday season as well.
July, too, is starting to become a good month for electronic sales, since that’s when Amazon generally holds Prime Day (and it’s held one in October the last couple years), and its competitors usually have Christmas-in-July sales as well.
And if you need a laptop or a computer, look for deals in August, when back-to-school sales are in full bloom.
The Best Time to Buy Camping Equipment
Mark your calendar for: Late winter and early spring.
John Murphy is an avid outdoor enthusiast and the CEO of eBike Generation, an e-bike online store. For hiking and camping equipment, he says new products usually debut in the spring, so don’t expect deep discounts on new tents and sleeping bags during the fall.
Murphy adds that the sales for tents and sleeping bags tend to come in the late winter or spring.
“For backpack enthusiasts, keep your eyes peeled right after Christmas. Brands usually offer backpacks for less than half their regular prices during this time,” he says.
He also suggests keeping an eye out for REI’s Labor Day sale.
“What’s great is that when REI has a sale, it sets a trend in the industry, prompting other brands to follow suit,” Murphy says. “Personally, I prefer to spread out my purchases, and you can even find last season’s items on sale outside of Cyber Monday or Black Friday events.”
How to Score the Best Deals by Timing Your Purchases
If you can’t wait around for a certain time of the year to make a purchase, or you simply want more ideas on how to score the best deals at the right time, here are three tips:
1. Consider Industry Holidays to Secure Deals
May is “Better Sleep Month,” making it possibly an ideal time to buy a mattress, new bedding or a CPAP machine. March is National Crafts Month, and every June 29 is National Camera Day. If you learn about a particular month tied to a product or service, you may find a deal when that “holiday” comes around. The public may not be aware of it, but the industry is, and they tend to try and mark those special times by offering sales.
There are also popular days like Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when retailers traditionally slash prices to get consumers in the mood to shop. Small Business Saturday – the day after Black Friday – is another time for consumers to take advantage of deals at local independent businesses. And Cyber Monday – the Monday after Thanksgiving – is a popular time for online retailers to offer steep discounts.
And generally for a couple days in July and October, you can score a variety of deals and discounts on Amazon Prime Day, a global event during which Amazon Prime members can shop for sitewide deals.
2. Factor in the Day
There are many benefits to making purchases during a strategic day of the week. For instance, Tuesday afternoons are rumored to be the best time to buy airline tickets, according to the website FareCompare.
FareCompare suggests you look for tickets at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. According to the website, “Many U.S. airlines begin airfare sales that appear on their websites late Monday or early Tuesday; the competition then matches these newly lowered prices and this is generally finished by Tuesday afternoon. That’s when shoppers have the most deals to choose from.”
Meanwhile, Wednesdays are good for grocery shopping, according to the recipe website Taste of Home. New sales often come out mid-week, and you might find grocery stores still offering sales from the previous week.
3. Buy in the Offseason
If you want to buy a grill, patio furniture or lawn mower, consider purchasing once the cold weather sets in. Since a lot of people aren’t looking for those things in the offseason, stores are going to be in a hurry to either move that product off the showroom floor or more likely to slap a steeper discount on the item.
