Of course, if your appliance breaks in October or you need a new car in April, there’s not much to be done—but if you can wait to make major purchases or time your purchases right, you can get some major savings from buying the right things at the right times. The best deals are typically during less-popular travel dates, says Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert with NerdWallet. “That means avoiding holidays.” Book your vacation for early in the year and save more money than you would in the busy summer months, too. “Usually new models for electronics are released in January when they have the Consumer Electronics Show, and that’s when all old models go on sale,” says Michelle Madhok, online shopping expert and founder of deals site She Finds. You won’t get most cutting edge TV, but you can definitely snag a relatively recent model for a steep discount if you time your buy and wait until February. RELATED: The Best Time to Buy a TV Madhok says couches aren’t typically holiday gifts, meaning they’ve likely been sitting on the sales floor for a while and sellers are eager to be rid of them. Spring is typically considered home buying season, Palmer says, with prices lowest in January and highest in the summer. You might get a better deal in January, but it might also be slim pickings, and you might have to make some sacrifices on what you’re looking for in your new home. Zillow home trends expert Amanda Pendleton says you’ll have the largest selection of homes to choose from if you begin your hunt in spring. That’s when the most homes are listed, and April is the month when newly listed homes sell the fastest. While Memorial Day might evoke images of backyard grills and pool parties, you should also start thinking about whether it’s time to replace the mattress in your main or guest bedroom (or both). “Sales typically kick in about two weeks before the actual day,” Bodge says. “The items that are on sale are usually tools, grill gear—not necessarily grills, as those deals pop up at the end of the summer—ties, small electronics, etc.” With deals like that, it’s a good time to buy for Dad and for yourself in June. “The best outdoor furniture sales fall between July 4 and Labor Day,” Palmer says. In other words, don’t spend your cash in early spring right as the newest styles for lounge chairs and hanging planters go on sale. Wait a bit for the major sales, which are often centered around holidays in the summer, including July 4 and Labor Day. RELATED: The Best Time to Buy Furniture “Typically, tech companies have student discounts,” Bodge says. “And the discounts do ramp up around back-to-school time for students, and in many cases teachers, so they can get supplies for the year.” Check Apple, Best Buy, and Adobe for deals on everything from laptops and tablets to photo editing software. You might also notice sales on junior clothing, backpacks, and shoes, plus office supplies for remote workers or students. If you want the newest iPhone model, you’ll have to pay full price. But older models experience an immediate dip in price after the new ones launch, so you can still upgrade to a new phone even if it doesn’t have the latest bells and whistles. The good news is that Apple usually announces its conference a few days or weeks in advance, so once you know it’s coming, you can plan your phone purchase accordingly. Bodge agrees, but adds that not everything is on sale this time of year. “The things I would wait to buy on Black Friday and Cyber Monday are small electronics, TVs, beauty gift sets, and fall apparel clearance deals,” she says. With other items, do a little research to make sure Black Friday and Cyber Monday actually offer the best deals. Bodge says to keep your eyes open for toys and games for kids right before the holiday hits. There are usually some sales on holiday-themed gifts and winter apparel as well. Once the holiday passes, you’ll want to grab Christmas lights, ornaments, and even new artificial trees for next year. “Post-Christmas, anything holiday-themed will be on clearance,” she says, “so if you’re buying for yourself, you should wait on that.”
