What to buy, when...

My husband told me about a great article that I thought would be great to pass along. It was an article in USAToday, and you can view the entire article HERE.

Basically, it is a list of what items you should buy at what particular time of year. I previously posted a list of grocery items and the best time of year to buy them (you can read that post HERE), but this is a great list for all of those other items we buy!

We all know that the best deals on seasonal items come AFTER the season is over. For example, it's best to buy your children's winter clothes as spring approaches and they're clearancing all of the winter items. You would not buy them for that year, of course, but, instead, purchase them a year in advance for the following year, thus paying the lowest possible prices! By planning out your purchases a year early, you will save your family hundreds to thousands of dollars!

So, here is the list of what items to buy when, according to USAToday:


:January:
Furniture
Digital cameras
Big-screen TVs
Computers
Real estate

:February:
Toys
TVs
Carpet
Real estate

:March:
Outerwear
Frozen food
Real estate
Baby items

:April:
Used cars
Ski gear

:May:
Kitchenware
Mattresses
Vacation trips

:June:
Health clubs
Museums (*1)

:July:
Diamond rings
Furniture
Condiments and soft drinks (*2)

:August:
Patio furniture
Swing sets
Beach toys
Large outdoor toys
Swimming gear
School supplies
Fresh produce (*3)
Coolers
Barbecue grills

:September:
New cars
Landscaping plants, trees
Appliances
Holiday airfares

:October:
Outdoor grills

:November:
Candy (*4)
Frozen turkeys
Baking ingredients
Travel deals

:December:
Gift wrap (*5)
Bakeware (*6)
New cars
Weddings (*7)
Computers
Real estate

*1 = check out pay-what-you-can days;
*2 = stock up at Independence Day sales;
*3 = eat now or preserve for winter;
*4 = bargains in the Halloween markdown aisle;
*5 = select neutral colors and use it all year long;
*6 = after the holidays and sometimes before;
*7 = from December through March

Sources: USA TODAY research, PayPal, Kiplinger's