When Is the Best Time to Buy ____?

In addition to the hundreds and even thousands of dollars Billshark can save you on your bills every month, you may not realize that the timing of your purchases can save you plenty of money, as well. To everything there is a season, and that includes deep discounts.

Let’s start with the big-ticket items, and the biggest-ticket purchase of all is a house. Larger family homes—the kind that can accommodate children—are most often sold in the spring and summer. That’s because if a family is moving out of their school district, they want to wait until the school year is over before relocating their children.

Realtor.com reports that 50 percent of home sales occur in the summer. This higher activity translates to more buyers competing for available inventory, which automatically means a higher price. Conversely, condos and smaller houses are not usually impacted by the consideration of moving children, so there normally is no “season” to buy.

Except for the holiday season, that is. One of the best times to grab a bargain in any home without a lot of competition in late November through December. Depending on where you live, the weather could be bad, with fewer buyers venturing out to look at homes. And since most would-be buyers are preoccupied with preparing for and participating in holiday rituals, sellers who have open listings at this time may be more motivated to consider a lower offer.

What about cars? You probably already know the best time to buy a car is at the end of the year when dealers are trying to reduce inventory to make room for the new year’s models. In addition, dealers, as well as salespeople, have annual sales quotas they’re trying to make and may be more willing to reduce the price then.

But there are also bargains to be had throughout the year, typically over the last few days of the month. Again, salespeople have quotas to meet, monthly, in this case, and are more motivated to lower their price. And as with buying a home, winter holidays and days with the lousy weather when other buyers aren’t likely to be out are the best times to go car shopping.

As for other purchases, here are experts’ recommendations for timing your buys to score the best deals. In general, seasonal items are on deep discount toward the end of their season, because stores are eager to make room for the next season’s items; e.g., humidifiers will be on sale in late February and March to clear up shelf space for summer’s dehumidifiers.

The one problem in scoring deals can be in waiting too long. Toward the end of a season for a seasonal item, the inventory is likely to be lower. You need to decide whether price or selection is a primary concern. Also, use stores’ apps to watch for sales, and pounce as soon as something is marked down to get the best of the remaining inventory.

Electronics

Desktop and laptop computers: April, May, August, September, October

Digital cameras: March, April, September, October

Camcorders: June, July, November, December

Televisions: December, January, February

Home Goods

Linens: January

Mattresses: May

Major appliances: December, February, May, October, November

Carpet: January, April

Air conditioners: July, August

Treadmills, fitness equipment: January

Furniture: February, May, July

Clothing

Winter clothing: January

Summer clothing: July

Miscellaneous

Golf clubs: March, December

Luggage: March, December

Boats: January, February

Motorcycles: January

The bottom line: When it comes to saving money, proper timing can save you big bucks. So can turning over your bills to Billshark, to let us find you hidden savings.