Every Friday, I’m compiling a list of five things that meet one criterion. “What is that criterion,” you ask? Well, it’s going to change every week and you’re just going to have to try and keep up.
This week…
Five Things You Should Buy in the Next Six Weeks
Collect coupons and scour the Internet for promotion codes all you want but know that, next to family discounts, the best money-saving tool in the world is timing; knowing when to buy is just as important as knowing what to buy.
And though the days are going to start getting shorter and the sun will leave us for Australia soon, there are many deals routinely afoot as August turns into September. The five most notable are below.
Appliances
The new models of big kitchen and laundry appliances are usually released in October, just in time for the holiday season. What does this mean? Big box stores are going to try and get rid of all of last year’s models in August and September (and if you want to save even more on something like a refrigerator or oven, ask about floor models and scratch-and-dent pieces that promise to be even further discounted). On top of that, with kids going back to college and leases expiring as people move all over the place, this time of year is great for finding used appliances, as well.
Outdoors Stuff
Understandably, the interest in warm weather camping, hiking, and fun things for the backyard (grills, swing sets, pool toys) dwindles as kids are no longer home all the time and the weather gets colder. On top of that, outdoor sporting goods stores are making room for goods related to ski, snowboarding, and other wintertime activities. If you need a tent or camping gear or a baseball glove for that cousin of yours, hop on it.
Laptops
Just because you’re no longer in school doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of back-to-school sales and despite what the overly peppy television commercials where all the preteens dance and gleefully hurl binders at each other like Captain America’s shield, laptops are included in this sale season.
For a striking visual representation of how much you can save during this time of year, check out this 12-month graph from DealWatch that charts the fluctuating price of a certain laptop. The price for a new laptop is never lower than it is in August/September (if you’re all about savings over the newest gear, wait until the model is replaced with a newer version the following April).
Linens
Yet another product that is reduced in price to appeal to college kids, linens are usually cheapest in August/September (sometimes you can catch a great “white sale” in January but those aren’t usually as reliable or widespread). Buying a good back-up pair of sheets and a nice blanket on the cheap will prove extraordinarily useful come winter.
Sandals and Swimsuits
If there’s one summer item that seems to be illogically forever increasing in price, it’s beachwear (for both guys and gals). A guy can find reasonably priced boardshorts at places like Target or Wal-Mart but if you want something with a modicum of actual style or design, your affordable options are exceedingly limited. Observe: $100 for a pair of Hurley shorts and $108 for a pair of Apolis Activism Chambrays. What.
Sandals are no different. How is it that a pair of Rainbow Sandals (15 ounces of leather and rubber) cost as much as a pair of PF Flyers? Come on! Brand name surfing companies are no better (see: Quiksilver).
But there’s a way to circumvent this pricing model and still get high-quality goods: wait until summer is over and head down to surf shops. While companies like Quiksilver or O’Neill or Reef themselves won’t reduce their prices very much, third party surf shops need to unload their inventory (especially if they’re closed during the offseason) and will slash prices in order to do it.
The only drawback to buying swimsuits and sandals a year before you’re likely to really start wearing them is that if you grow or gain/lose much weight over the course of fall/winter/spring, your purchases may prove useless. But that’s easily fixable: just maintain your weight, derr.
