When to Shop and Save

I get the shopping bug all the time.  Sometimes I just wish I had the secret on when the best time was to buy certain items.  Now I do:

January Is a Good Time to Buy . . . Bikes and sporting goods because retailers have to bring in new inventory and slash prices on old stuff.

--And it's also a good month to buy an air conditioner, because NO ONE is buying an air conditioner this month.

February Is a Good Month to Buy . . . Digital cameras, because most of the big electronics trade shows will be over by then.  That means all the new models will be available in stores, and the old models will cost less.

--Chocolate is also cheaper after February 14th . . . for obvious reasons.

March Is a Good Month to Buy . . . Winter clothing, because winter is almost over.  And luggage, because it's not a popular time of year for traveling.

--Boat show season also ends in March, so if you're in the market for a YACHT, wait a few months.

April is a Good Month to Buy . . . Car parts and sneakers.  And vacuum cleaners go on sale because the new models arrive in June.

May is a Good Month to Buy . . . Patio furniture and party supplies.  And cookware goes on sale because of all the upcoming graduations and weddings.

June is a Good Month to Buy . . . Gym memberships, because the weather is nice.  It's also a good month to buy tools and men's suits, which both go on sale for Father's Day.

--April, May, and June are also good months to find sale prices on TVs that are manufactured in Japan, because the fiscal year for most Japanese companies ends in March.

July Is a Good Month to Buy . . . Furniture, because stores start trying to push their old inventory.

August Is a Good Month to Buy . . . Camping equipment, because it takes up a lot of space, and stores won't have room for it during the holidays.

--And laptops, which go on sale in August because that's when recent high school graduates are about to leave for college.

September Is a Good Month to Buy . . . Cars, because you can still find last year's model on the lot, but it'll be a lot cheaper than earlier in the year.

October Is a Good Month to Buy . . . Jeans, because there's always a lot of leftover inventory from the back-to-school sales.

November Is a Good Month to Buy . . . A new TV, because there are good sales leading up to Christmas, and the technology isn't outdated yet.

And December Is a Good Month to Buy . . . Anything wedding-related, which is convenient if you're going home for the holidays and want to do some wedding planning with your mom.

(Lifehacker.com)