When it comes to getting the best deals, timing is everything. After all, there is nothing more frustrating than buying something and then finding out later that a friend, coworker or neighbor got the exact thing for less than you did. And who doesn’t want to know about great deals that stores offer in fall?
Because I don’t want to see that happen to you, I’ve compiled this handy dandy list of some of the best things to buy in autumn.
OCTOBER
Patio furniture. With summer over, the demand for patio furniture drops precipitously. As an example, I got a lone patio set from Home Depot in October that they were eager to move for 40% off.
Lawn Mowers. Speaking of great deals stores offer in fall,, dwindling daylight leads to slower lawn growth and the eventual end of the mowing season in many parts of the country — that means sale-time for mowers.
Trees, shrubs and other nursery products. It’s no coincidence that, in addition to lawn mowers, October is also the perfect time to buy trees, shrubs and bulbs from nurseries.
Jeans. Why jeans? Because retailers typically use October to get rid of all the unsold denim that is still stuck on their shelves after the back-to-school shopping period ends.
NOVEMBER
Candy. Of course, the first day of November signals the end of Halloween. It also kicks-off a rash of deep discounts by retailers looking to unload their unsold candy inventory. Talk about sweet deals.
Home Furniture. The conventional wisdom is that January is the best month to buy furniture. However, according to DealNews, in past years: “November featured the greatest volume of Editors’ Choice offerings, as well as the most furniture deals in general.”
HDTVs. High definition television prices hit their lowest point of the year during Black Friday. How low? DealNews notes that, in some cases, the additional discount can be as much as 20%.
Cookware. DealNews also notes that November is a great time for buying all kinds of cookware including cutlery sets, bakeware, and even turkey fryers.
Aluminum Foil and Plastic Wrap. I’m not sure why this is, but I found multiple references on the web stating that aluminum foil and plastic wrap prices are lowest in November. Yes, it could be an old wives’ tale — but I haven’t seen any fact checkers debunk it. At least not yet.
DECEMBER
Toys. If you’re like me, you’d probably be surprised to learn that, according to DealNews, the deepest toy discounts aren’t offered during the week after Christmas. You’ll actually find them during the second-to-last week before Christmas.
Tools. The holiday season is the best time for do-it-yourself types interested in adding new tools to their collection. That’s great news if you’ve got a hard-to-shop-for handy man father-in-law like I do.
Carpet. Carpet expert and consumer advocate Alan Fletcher notes that December is a great time to buy new carpeting — as long as you do it after December 15th. Before that, demand is higher because people are getting their homes ready for the holidays.
Wedding dresses. According to Forbes the best deals can be had by those who are willing to negotiate with bridal shops after Thanksgiving, but ahead of the rush from future brides who get engaged on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Champagne. Yes, the bubbly is extremely popular during the holidays; it seems like everybody’s popping it on New Year’s Eve. So it’s no wonder Champagne prices reach their lowest point in December, as competitors vie for your business.
ALL AUTUMN LONG
In addition to the items listed above, you can also generally find the best deals all autumn long on swimwear, barbecue grills, air conditioners and previous-year automobiles that need to be moved to make way for the latest models that traditionally come out in September.
Hopefully, this little list of great fall deals that stores offer will help you save a few bucks this autumn.
Remember, it’s one thing to be neighborly. But that doesn’t mean you have to let them get away with all the best deals.
Photo Credit: Ruthanne Reid
Wow, great list Len. While I suspected that most summer items go on sale during the fall, I never would have guessed that things like carpet do as well. I’m glad that I’m not the person who has been tracking all of these numbers. What a huge job!
Thanks again for the great tips!
We need a phone app that lists out-of-season products to keep an out for while shopping. Or maybe allows you to create a sort of an out-of-season wish list and notifies you when it’s time to buy those products and shows you the best available deals nearby. Oh wait, I don’t have a smart phone 🙁
D’oh I had to buy some jeans a week or two ago. Good thing is I still need more so hopefully I can get a good deal. I will also have to see if I can get a refund if the jeans I bought went on sale.
I’m surprised by the prior to christmas sales being better than boxing week. Or Black Friday. Maybe it depends on the description of toys. I think electronic gadgets and PS3 / Wii etc. Maybe it means tonka trucks and barbies.
I hate buying jeans. I always wait until the thrift store has them. Although lately everyone has had the same idea as me, and my size is NEVER there.
Darn me for being an average size and weight, typical white north American male. Sooooo Boring.
Great list! I can attest to the patio furniture in the October. Last Halloween my wife and I went to the HD looking for a bistro set. I didn’t want to spend the money that I had my eye on in the spring so I waited. It wasn’t the same set but one very similar that retailed for $249 and we got it for $129. It was well worth the wait and I’ll be using it tonight!! Keep up the good work Len!
In October there are still some short sleeve shirts around for next summer. And a few leftover barbecue grills to go with the patio furniture… 🙂
Nice list!
Thanks for all of the great deal information! I see some of the things that I need to shop for, for college. And once I seen jeans on there I was soo excited!! But yeah again thanks for the great info. Keep it comin’!!! 🙂
Nice lists! My mom bought an HDTV last 2 years ago during October. When she was that the store offered at very low prices, she decided to purchase one.
Buying out of season is key! I find good deals on that stuff used (via Craigslist) at this time too. Seems people forget that summer will indeed roll around again. 🙂 I had no idea toys were actually cheaper in December…. I certainly assumed the opposite.
I can’t believe you didn’t have apples on your list. I wait all year for crisp, juicy, fresh apples – to eat raw and to make into jelly, butter, roll-ups, pie, and sauce to last the year.
Then again, there isn’t one thing on your list that I need, so it doesn’t matter how much they cost.
I couldn’t agree more. I bought my LED television screen two months ago. Then, I just checked it at Walmart for the change of price. What I found out is that the cost is cut down to 85% of the original price. Thus, I kinda regret it. Imagine the price drop. Now, I am planning to buy a bike for my son but I would get in December. Thanks for your advice.
We tend to shop off season as well, an important consideration though with season appliances (AC’s mowers, grills, etc) might be warranties. If you bought something and won’t use it until next year, you may not find out it’s a lemon until you’re out of the warranty period. I try to look for things with a full year warranty so that way I’ll still get that initial season run to break it in without being up the river if it fails.
Good list. Taking into account the time of the year with the best prices can help us save a lot of money and still buy everything we need (or want).
Patio furniture for sure. The place in my town has furniture marked down over 50%. It is not garbage either. Nice stuff. They are just making room for their Christmas display
What about the best food to buy during fall? Some fruits and vegetables are cheaper at certain seasons, and fall might have some great offers too.
That’s easy: pumpkins, broccoli, cranberries, endive, garlic, grapes, key limes, mushrooms, pears, persimmons, pineapples, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard and turnips.
Thanks to discounted yard ornaments at the hardware store’s Labor Day sale, I bought my first Christmas gift this a.m. I love finding good sales, but have to be sure I only buy WHAT WE NEED (too easy to get carried away by “bargains”!) 🙂