July and August are the time to buy…

There are certain times of the year that are best for purchasing various items, due to various factors. Here are a few to keep in mind for these late summer months:

∞ Computers: Back-to-school sales often offer the lowest prices of the year. You can sometimes get freebies like printers, too.

∞ School Supplies: Even if you don’t have children in school, some office supplies (which are also used by students) are sold at cheap prices during this time.

∞ MP3 players: Companies sometimes put older models on sale to make way for the newer models they will introduce in the fall. Consumers can try them out and then give them as gifts for the holidays.

∞ Certain fruits: July is a good time to buy apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, honeydew melons, limes, nectarines, peaches, plums, strawberries and watermelons. August is a good time to buy blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, honeydew melons, lines, nectarines, peaches, Bartlett pears, plums, raspberries and watermelons.

∞ Certain vegetables: July is a good time to buy corn, cucumbers, lettuce, and radishes. August is a good time to buy corn, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuce, and peppers.

∞ House paint: More people paint in the summer months, so stores sometimes lower prices and hope you’ll buy other regular-priced things, too.

∞ Furniture: July is a good time to buy this because retailers often receive their new models in August. 

∞ Jewelry: July and August (along with January, March, April and September) are non-gift giving months. Retailers are more likely to offer sales during these months to promote business.

∞ Home Décor: It’s wedding season so retailers will offer sales to help shoppers buying gifts.

∞ Swimsuits: Stores want to get rid of their inventory, so the prices go way down. Check out http://www.victoriassecret.com and http://www.everythingbutwater.com, two websites that tend to have large inventories of sale items.

Sources:
– “Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That, and Go There” – book by Mark Di Vincenzo
– “Your Month-to-Month Guide to Shopping Deals” – article from http://www.realsimple.com.