Savvy shopper know the secret to saving cash year-round. Instead of running to stores when every one else does, smart shoppers shop for items during the off-season. Simple economics state that almost all items are priced based on supply and demand. Lower supply drives prices up, extra supply pushes prices down. My wife is great about buying clothing during the opposite seasons. You can seriously cut your clothing budget in half.
Sometimes it takes some work to figure out which items to buy at what times. Thankfully we scoured the internet and complied a list of items that are usually cheaper in the off-seasons. Give us a few minutes and we will save you some serious cash.
Ready to save some extra cash year-round?
1. Clothing: The key to buying clothing and apparel at a discount is to always buy at the end of the current season for the following year. Buy shorts, summer dresses, flip-flops, etc at the end of summer. Sometimes it can be a little tricky with kids clothing but most mom’s can do a pretty good job predicting what size the kids will wear next season.
2. Holiday Cards and Decor
Greeting and holiday cards are one of those items I hate to spend money on anyway. I also can’t stand it when people buy a $4 card for me on my birthday. I really appreciate the thought but a card form the $0.99 section is even better. That being said often you can get some great deals on holiday cards, wrapping paper, and other decorations once the holiday has passed. Christmas and Halloween are great seasons to shop for these deals.
3. Real Estate
Yes, even big ticket items have off-seasons. Let’s face it it’s a pain to list your house for sell in the winter. You have to deal with bad weather and low traffic. People love to look at house when the weather is nice so do what everyone else doesn’t, shop in the winter. If someone has their house listed in Winter they really want/need to sell.
4. Outdoor and Lawn Items
BBQ’s/Grills, air conditioners, lawn mowers, patio furniture and more can bring deep discounts around October. A lot of the store don’t have room to store these items through the winter months. They are more than willing to sell these items at cost just to make room for the next season’s inventory.
5. Vacations
It’s no secret that some months are “peak-season” for hot vacation spots. Unfortunately, my current employer forces us to take our vacation weeks during the 4th of July holiday as well as the Christmas season. The two most expensive times for travel of the year. If you employer is a little more flexible on vacation dates you will want to take advantage of some great discounts. Caribbean cruises are going to be cheaper during hurricane season. European vacations will be cheaper from November through March, when the weather tends to be rainy and cold. Beach vacations tend to be cheaper in the Fall.
6. School Supplies
A great time to buy school supplies is September. Once school starts most department start clearing out a lot of their excess inventory including backpacks, calculators, paper, pens, pencils and notebooks. Take advantage of big stores like Walmart, Target, Office Depot and Kohl’s during this time.
Want top these off-season deals off? Use store and manufacturer coupons on top of these off-season deals.