January is the time to buy…

Certain times of the year are the best times to buy various things based on sales and availability. Here is your tip sheet for this month:

∞ Air conditioners: Demand is low during the cooler weather, so retailers put their A/Cs on sale in December, January and February. However, some stores only carry air conditioners from April to September.

∞ Bicycles: To make room for new products arriving in February and March, many retailers put bikes on sale now.

∞ Certain fruits: cranberries, grapefruit, oranges and tangerines

∞ Certain vegetables: cabbage, cauliflower, and rhubarb

∞ Furniture: Retailers are trying to make room for new models which will arrive in February.

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

∞ Linens and bedding: Many major department stores hold their biggest sales on these items following the tradition of the first white sale in 1978 and because they are doing their annual inventories then. However, there are also white sales when new linens come out each season.

∞ Paint: Stores want to try to lure people to paint during the winter, a season not normally for painting projects.

∞ Pajamas and Slippers: The leftover sets from the holidays often will be marked down and put on clearance in January.

∞ Televisions: New TVs that were introduced in August and September are often marked down in December or January. Older models are often on sale, too.

∞ Video games: The new titles come out during the holidays, so after the holiday season, video games often go on sale. The sales may go from January to March.

∞ Winter coats: Coats and winter clothes begin to go on sale in January. Prices will get lower and lower in preparation for spring items. However, selection also will be diminished.

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