• Bikes
• Computers
• Gas grills
• Small consumer electronics
• Toys
• TVs
• Last minute travel deals

Do you have any secret tips for December deals?[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

TOYS: Many of the mass market retailers put stuff on sale now, not in December as you might expect so that they can one, see how much interest there is in a specific popular toy, and two, clear the shelves for last minute holiday toy stocking.

HEALTH INSURANCE: Health insurance is usually hitting open enrollment during November. If you don’t have a plan, now is a good time to shop for one. If you do have a plan now is the perfect time to fine tune your plan’s features, change options, or make other changes.

THANKSGIVING EVERYTHING: In early November all the best Thanksgiving gear (dishes, canned foods, textiles, and decor) goes on sale.

PRE-HOLIDAY EVERYTHING: Thanksgiving is not the only holiday to launch off in a big way in November. Start looking for stocking stuffers, gift wrap, and all your other winter holiday goods now.

BAKING SUPPLIES: Don’t go nuts with the baking goods if baking is just a plan you might follow through with, but for you real bakers out there, pie filling, flour, spices, chocolate chips, condensed milk, and much more will go on sale in November at most markets.

TURKEY: Wait for it… right after Thanksgiving (those few days before December) turkeys can be had at some seriously discounted prices. If you’ve got a freezer, stock up on birds now for late winter sandwiches and soups.

Consumer Reports notes that November is also an excellent time to purchase baby products, bikes, computers, and gas grills for less.

Do you have any November money saving ideas?

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Plants, trees, and gardening supplies continue to go down in price during October. People aren’t buying as many gardening items including plants, so nursery and home improvement stores sell this gear for less.

The last of those school supplies and calendars for the school year go on sale big time. Take a look at the clearance racks at any office store for amazing sales on this sort of gear.

Vacations usually go down in price now, because kids just went back to school, the big holiday travel season (i.e Thanksgiving and Christmas) haven’t hit yet, so folks just don’t travel like they were traveling in the summer. This means big savings on theme park and other holiday locations.

Big appliances usually debut in early fall and to make room on the floor, older models get marked down.

Consumer Reports notes that October is a great time of year to get deals on bikes, gas grills, winter coats, and digital cameras.

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Rentals – Rentals really won’t always be cheaper, but you may have more choices than you did in the summer. Plenty of people move in the summer so that the kids can be settled before school starts. Avoid the rush by letting it pass you by. You may actually end up with a bonus savings because some apartment complexes know that less people move in the fall so they offer discounts on move-in costs.

Houses to buy – summer sellers who are getting frustrated about another winter coming on may make deals now that they would not have before.

School supply clearance – Expect gear like crayons, paper, pens, and backpacks to go on sale near the end of September including overstocked snacks and lunch supplies that grocery stores overestimate a need for.

Consumer Reports notes that September is the perfect time to pick up the following discounted items…

• Bikes
• Computers
• Gas grills
• Shrubs, trees, perennials
• Small consumer electronics

Do you have any September secret deals to share?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Seasonal toys – kiddie pools, water guns, bubble sets, and all those summer toys that haven’t sold yet will be marked down significantly. Most retailers knock off as much as 70% to move summer stuff out so they can start prepping for the ongoing holiday seasons.

Summer clothing – MAJOR markdowns on summer clothing you can still find. In most stores these deals have moved entirely to the clearance racks now as back-to-school clothes came in. But you can score big time if you’re willing to hunt. Tees for $3, summer hats and swimsuits at 50-70% off, and more.

Back-to-school clothing – this is a given but since it’s August I had to say something.

Back-to-school supplies – Obviously this is the best time of year for school supplies but still shop around and shop early. Store fliers on school supplies can change daily in August plus if you wait til the last minute some stores jack up the prices.

Building and handyperson supplies: People always start home building and other home-based projects when summer kicks off, not when it’s ending so lumber, home remodeling supplies, and other project goods tend to get marked down this time of year. Included in that are clearance garden goods.

Consumer Reports notes that this is also a good time to pick up…

• Air conditioners
• Camping equipment
• Computers
• Dehumidifiers
• Lawn mowers
• Outdoor furniture

I’m not so sure about the AC deal though. Here in Oregon it just got super hot and prices on cooling devices seem higher because of it. But in places where it’s hot all summer, this may ring true.

Got any good secrets to share about August savings?

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Now, what should you buy in July?

July is National Ice Cream Month, and due to this, the International Ice Cream Association (IICA) encourages retailers and consumers to celebrate, which means sales on creamy goodness. Don’t go overboard on this one though. Gym memberships are not on sale in July.

Man stuff - and by man stuff I mean all those excess Father’s Day gift items that are on sale.

Dry cleaning services – no one dry cleans in July because no one is wearing complicated and heavy outfits. The office tends to go casual mid-summer, and dry cleaners lose a bulk of business. This is a good time to go to your local dry cleaner with a big job (say all the curtains, comforters, or winter coats you’ve been waiting to wash) and ask for a discount.

Seasonal summer toys and kids gear – wait for the very end of July for this one. Right now these items cost more, but in August stores start to stock back to school gear and all that summer gear has to go. If you wait too long it’ll be gone, so start looking right before August hits.

Look for… sidewalk sales in your area, which offer super cheap gear and tend to be abundant this time of year.

Consumer Reports notes that July is the perfect time to scoop up sale prices on…

• Computers
• Indoor furniture
• Outdoor furniture
• Swimwear

Got any secret tips about what to buy in July?

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June is a good time to buy a refrigerator. Most stores have appliance sales in early summer but on fridges especially – and of that especially, floor models tend to go super cheap.

Summer camp: Paying for summer camp now, up front can save you loads of money over paying as you go each month. Plus some camps are still in early registration mode which also saves you money.

June is National Dairy Month, Fresh Fruit & Veggie Month, and Candy Month so many grocery stores run special sales on items in these categories.

Now is a good time to visit your local Farmers Markets too. Many kick off the summer season with extra produce and lots of reduced prices.

Consumer Reports notes that June is also a killer time of year to get discounts on…

• Computers
• Indoor furniture
• Small consumer electronics
• Summer sports gear
• Swimwear

Bonus all-year savings link:

With summer here, and folks getting more active, healthy eating should be a priority.  Fresh in season fruits and veggies are almost always less expensive than out-of-season produce. Learn what’s fresh and in season where you live with this handy Eat Local Guide. You can look up seasonal produce by state and time of year. For example, for early June, in Oregon, the freshest produce is…

• Asparagus
• Boysenberries
• Cherries
• Greens
• Herbs
• Rhubarb
• Strawberries

So, there’s a good chance these items will be on sale near me. Find your own best local produce buys.

Got any secret deals for June you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments.

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Spring clothing: I know it seems like spring styles just recently appeared, but summer clothing lines are coming asap, and stores want to push out the spring items before that happens.

Last minute winter clothing and gear deals: Most winter stuff is gone or on the way out (in a flash) but if you visit stores and head straight to their clearance sections you can score winter coats, hats, gloves, and other winter gear (think sporting) for a song. Stock up by buying a size or two ahead for the kiddos.

Televisions: New TV designs hit the stores during the spring, so now is a great time to buy an older model. You can save up to 20% or more. If you don’t care about digital, and have a converter box, you may be able to snag an even better deal on an older non-digital model (analog) because of the air-wave changes this particular year.

Consumer Reports notes that spring is a great time to purchase digital cameras as well. Actually, I didn’t know this before, but it’s true. I happened to buy my own camera last spring and while shopping most did seem to be on sale.

What secret cool deals do you know of for April?

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I hope everyone had a safe and calm New Year’s Eve. Now it’s time to think about saving money in the upcoming year; starting of course, with January…

Winter textile and fashion goods – think items like winter coats, sweaters, electric blankets, and long johns. Not that I think you’re all rushing out to buy long johns, but you get the idea. End of winter goods are going on sale right now to pave the way for spring fashion and textiles.

Furniture – Most of the big time money research guides note that January is the best time ever to purchase furniture. Post-winter holiday season is the slowest furniture buying time, so stores, especially small chains and local furniture stores are likely to offer discounts and even haggle with you.

Christmas clearance – Holiday clearance in stores used to be a good deal in January, but I think over the years, item supply has gone faster and faster. Here, we were totally snowed in for the week before, and a couple of days after Christmas. Almost no one could get to the shops. In fact, I hadn’t even finished getting stocking stuffers for my son. When I got out finally (three days after X-mas) the stores were really void of excess holiday clearance. The news isn’t all bad though. Online shops do have great clearance sales. Since they don’t need to clear their shelves (virtual items take up no space) they tend to have good deals for a while on holiday wrap, ornaments, candles, and so on.

Consumer Reports notes that the following are great January buys:

• CDs and DVDs
• Cookware
• Houses and condos
• Swimwear
• Toys
• Treadmills
• TVs

Got any January saving tips to share?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Happy December thrifty people. December is an oddball month for savings. You’ve got the first half of the month, where everything is seemingly inflated. Then about a week before Christmas retailers get nutty and jittery and lower prices on everything.

So, refrain early in the month from many purchases then around the 15th – buy pre post-holiday anything (almost). But, since I’m hoping you don’t go spend happy, here are some extra good December deals…

Cashmere and leather - while I don’t personally think buying leather is very ethical, it is usually on sale in early December, so if leather is your deal, shop before the holidays.

The week before Christmas stock up on Christmas goods: Wrapping paper, bows, and stocking stuffers all go on sale. This will also be true in January.

Consumer Reports notes that the following are stellar December buys:

• Bikes
• Computers
• Gas grills
• Small consumer electronics
• Toys
• TVs

I’m actually done – normally I like to try and list more items for our monthly what-to-buy posts, but I’m the worst about December. I hate going to the stores when they’re so commercial and overcrowded, and thus don’t really notice deals.

Do you have any good suggestions for December deals? 

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy