Bargain Hunter’s Guide: Find The Best Bargain Sales By Month

Iris Robin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:46:19 +0000

These frugal bargain shopping strategies will help save you money by knowing when to shop at the end of the season! Save money by knowing when to buy products at the right time of year.

Know What Items Go On Sale Each Month Of The Year

Knowing when to buy what items is the key to finding great bargains. Here are a list of items broken down by the month that they usually are the cheapest:

January

Post-holiday sales
Fall merchandise
Furniture
Rugs
Computers and Televisions
CDs and DVDs
Cookware and small appliances
Houses and condos
Linens and bedding
Swimwear
Toys
Treadmills exercise equipment
Winter clothing

February

Jewelry
Perfumes
Gift items
Small consumer electronics
Rugs
House wares
Humidifiers
Indoor furniture
Treadmills

March

Wedding gifts
Air conditioners and fans
Washers and dryers
Garden supplies
Luggage
China
Computers
Computers
Humidifiers
TVs
Winter coats
Winter sports gear

April

Yard and garden supplies
Bridal gowns
Furniture
Cruises
Vacations
Paint and wallpaper
Digital cameras
Spring clothing

May

Gifts for Mom
Jewelry
Linens and Towels
Furniture
Cruises
Home Maintenance Items
Athletic Apparel and Shoes
Cordless Phones
Small Consumer Electronics

June

Gifts for Dad
Fishing and Camping Gear
Men’s Cologne
Televisions
Building Materials
Computers
Indoor Furniture
Small Electronics
Summer Sports Gear
Swimwear

July

Air Conditioners
Summer Items
School Supplies
School Clothes
Summer Sports Equipment
Computers
Indoor Furniture
Outdoor Furniture
Swimwear

August

School Supplies
End of Summer Clothing (Bathing Suits and Sandals)
Linens and Towels
Camping Equipment
Computers
Dehumidifiers/Air Conditioners
Lawn Mowers
Outdoor Furniture

September

Summer Clothes
Outdoor Grills
Lawn Furniture
Housewares
Bikes
Computers
Shrubs, Trees, Perennials
Small Consumer Electronics

October

Winter Wear (Winter Coats, Gloves, Scarves)
Last Year’s Car models (Purchase last day or end of the month for better negotiations)
Fishing Equipment
Houses/condos
Crystal
Silver
Glassware
Bikes
Digital Cameras
Gas Grills

November

Houses/Condos
Quilts and Blankets
Space Heaters
Baby Products
Bikes
Computers
Gas Grills
Toys

December

Clothing
Appliances
Gifts
Wrapping Paper
Holiday Cards
Other Holiday Items
Bikes
Computers
Gas Grills
Small Consumer Electronics
Toys
TVs

Frugal Tips For Bargain Shopping

If you have experience being frugal, you may already have a good idea when to shop for Spring and Summer merchandise. Usually the Spring items go into the clearance section in June and the summer items end up in the clearance section in July and August.

If you can save and plan in advance you can get some great deals in the months listed above. Remember when things are in high demand the prices are usually very high but when the demand is lower (say the end of the season) items drop in price!

Strategies For Bargain Shopping Online

If you like to shop online year-round. You can usually find deals at: Overstock.com, SmartBargains.com and Pricegrabber.com. Don’t forget promotional codes when you shop online. Use a search engine (such as google) and type in “promotional code” or “coupon code for (your store here)”. Usually you can find a free shipping or some sort of a discount that you can use at the checkout by trying this technique.

How To Enjoy A Family Vacation At Home

Iris Robin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:12:04 +0000

In case you’re not familiar with what a home vacation is (or staycation, as it’s also known), the concept is pretty self explanatory. Instead of traveling far distances, paying hotel fees, airline fees, gas, you make the best of what you have in your local area. Some of our most treasured family memories have been on these vacations.

How To Plan For Your Family Home Vacation

The most important step to having a successful home vacation is balance. Schedule a mix of activities and/or home projects so your time off spent at home doesn’t feel like your normal time spent at home. Mix in days of sleeping in and relaxing with days spent going out and visiting local attractions, or a day trip.

It doesn’t have to necessarily be right in your back yard either, if you live relativley close to a major city, it’s worth the drive to spend a nice relaxing day enjoying spots that most tourists would kill to see. Most of the time we are not able to fully enjoy these local treasures because either a.) we live close to them or b.) we’re just too busy to visit them.

Here is a great site that allows you to look for any local attractions in your area that you may have missed: Find Local Attractions In Every City In The U.S

Plan Meals That Are Special

Get creative with your meals, you don’t need to eat out to do this. Have themed dinner nights, stay in and make Chinese that tastes as good as your local take out. You can even get more exotic and cook Spanish food one night, make tapas and paellas with drinks that are enjoyed in spain. Bring the culture into your own home, you will have a blast learning how to cook new things, and it’s great to share with your family.

Accomplish Something While You’re Off

It may sound strange to pursue that home improvement project you’ve been putting off during your vacation time, but commonly these projects can be stress relievers. You don’t have to worry about getting the job done within a tight time frame, you will have other fun activities surrounding your project and you can feel a great sense of accomplishment on your own terms.

This time off can be great to start a garden, organizing and cleaning your house, or even having a garage sale to make some money.

8 Ideas To Enjoy Your Home Vacation

Borrow or Rent a Movie - Don’t be afraid to go against the norm on this one. Go out and rent an old black and white movie and introduce the kids to the glory days of the silver screen. Or, find a new release that you know the whole family will enjoy. Put in some popcorn, dim the lights and treat it like your own in-house movie theater.
Turn off the Outside World - Treat it as if it were a real vacation. Don’t check your e-mail and let most friends and co-workers know that you will be pretty much “unavailable” during this time.
Try Backyard Camping – Set up a tent and campfire in your backyard (if permissible) and enjoy the comfort of your own home right next to you! Do all the things you would normally do on a camping trip, roast marshmallows, playing songs, tell ghost stories by the fire, etc.
Have a Game Day – Pull out your trusty card and board games. It’s relaxing and brings your family closer together. Even introduce new games that you think your kids will enjoy, a great chance for the whole family to connect.
Take a Free Tour – If you have any historic sites near your house, chances are, they offer free (or very inexpensive tours.) Take this opportunity to educate you and your children on the local attractions your town or city has to offer.
Put Yourself In The Mindset of a Tourist – This really helps, especially in the planning stages. Create a list of local places you’d like to visit with an objective point of view. Visit some of the links below for great sites to help plan your trip.
Take Advantage of Any Special Deals – Keep your eyes peeled for local promotions and deals that might be going on. Some tourist attractions will lower their prices during the off-season, this would be a great time for you to take advantage of a family home vacation.
Visit The Beach – This tip will only work if you’re coastal, but the beach is one of the best free vacation spots to visit it, and if you live near one, take advantage of it! Plan a BBQ, play frisbee, show the kids how to boogie board. There is plenty of free fun to be had at the beach.

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