# The best timing to buy anything

NOTE: These move around based on how much everyone becomes aware of them (e.g., Black Friday used to have good sales)

GENERAL

- Department Store Merchandise
  - Saturday
- Gift Cards
  - January
- Thrift Stores
  - April-May
  - Monday-Thursday
  - Show up on the day they restock
- Yard Sales
  - January-May
  - After Christmas or springtime (varies by climate)

APPAREL

- Clothing
  - January
- Baby Clothes
  - October
  - During pregnancy
- Kids' Clothing
  - August
  - Wednesday
- Men's Apparel
  - Tuesday
- Designer Clothing
  - May, December
- Suits
  - January, July
  - Dress Pants on Mondays
- Swimwear
  - June, August, September
  - Sunday
- Intimates
  - Saturday
  - Lingerie in June
- Winter Wear, Boots, Coats
  - February-May
- Jackets and Outerwear
  - December
  - Friday
- Athletic Wear
  - May
- Accessories
  - Monday
- Belts
  - Thursday
- Jeans
  - October
- Women's Handbags
  - Thursday
- Sunglasses
  - Monday
- Jewelry
  - January, March, April, June-October, NOT December
  - Wednesday, Friday
- Scarves
  - Friday
- Shoes
  - Tuesday
- Sneakers
  - April
- Flip Flops
  - August
- Perfume and Cologne
  - February

FOOD & DRINK

- Groceries
  - Wednesday
  - Shortly before closing time
- Frozen Foods
  - March
- Plastic Wrap and Aluminum Foil
  - July, August, November
- Dining Out
  - Sunday, Tuesday
- Champagne
  - June, December
- Wine
  - September
- Chocolates and Candy
  - February, March, November
  - After Valentine's Day, Halloween, Christmas, and Easter

AUTOMOTIVE

- New Cars
  - February, March, September, October, December
  - Near the end of any month
- Used Cars
  - April
- Motorcycles
  - January
- Boats
  - January-April
- Recreational Vehicles
  - November
- Gasoline
  - Wednesday
- Accessories and Parts
  - April, October
- Oil Changes
  - Early morning
- Car Wash
  - First hours before opening

TRAVEL

- Airline Tickets
  - September
  - NOT Saturday-Sunday, Monday-Wednesday
  - Tuesdays at 3 p.m., 6 weeks before the flight
- Cruises
  - April
- Hotel Rooms
  - Sunday
- Luggage
  - March, August

HOBBIES

- Outdoor Gear and Camping Supplies
  - January, August
- Bicycles
  - February, March, September
- Golf Clubs
  - March, December
- Gym Memberships and Fitness Equipment
  - January, June
  - January is the easiest time to negotiate the price
- Entertainment Locations
  - Wednesday
- Movie Theater
  - June-August
  - Mornings and afternoons give matinée prices
- Broadway Tickets
  - January, February, September, October
- Bowling
  - Sunday-Tuesday
  - Off-hours specials are usually <10AM or >9PM
- Electronics
  - October
- Toys and Games
  - October-December
- Video Games
  - January, July, NOT December
- Fabric
  - April
- Books
  - Thursday

SPECIAL OCCASIONS

- [Wedding](relationships-weddings.md) Supplies
  - January-March, December
- Wedding Dresses
  - November
- [Party](people-parties.md) Supplies
  - May
- Houses (Availability)
  - March-May
- Houses (Pricing)
  - January-February, October-December
- School Supplies
  - August, September
- Wrapping Paper
  - January

HOUSEHOLD

- Furniture
  - January, February, July
- Mattresses
  - May
- Outdoor Furniture
  - May, September, October
- Swing Sets
  - August
- Office Furniture
  - January-April, June-September
- Home Decor
  - July
- Calendars
  - January
- Air Conditioners
  - January-March, October-December
- Flooring and Carpeting
  - January
- Vacuum Cleaners
  - April, May
- Storage Containers
  - August

BEDROOM

- Linens, Bedding, Towels
  - January
- Mattresses and Box Springs
  - May
- Dehumidifiers
  - August

KITCHEN

- Dishware
  - June
- China and Flatware
  - March, September
- Cookware
  - April-June, October-December
- Kitchen Accessories
  - November-January, May
- Appliances
  - September-November
  - Sunday
  - Holiday weekends, Black Friday, Cyber Monday
- Refrigerators
  - May
- Large Appliances
  - September-November
- Gas Grills
  - January-March, October-December

HARDWARE & LANDSCAPING

- Garden Plants & Flowers
  - August, November, December
- Shrubs, Trees, Bulbs
  - September-November
- Pools
  - December
- Hardware & Tools
  - February, June-July, November-December
- Power Tools
  - July
- Garden Tools
  - March
- Yard Equipment
  - August
- Lawnmowers
  - August-September
- Winter Equipment
  - October
- Snow Blowers
  - April
Paint
  - June-August

TECHNOLOGY

- Personal Electronics
  - February, April-May, October-December
  - Monday
  - Black Friday, Cyber Monday
- Digital Cameras
  - October-January, April-June
  - Monday
- Cellphones
  - February
  - Monday
  - Valentine's Day
- Laptops
  - April, August-September
  - Monday
- Computers
  - July-September, December
  - Monday
- Computer Monitors
  - January-March
  - Sunday
Televisions and Home Theater
  - February, April-June, November-December
  - Pre-Super Bowl, Black Friday

When canceling subscriptions that give a cancellation fee:

- For specific contracts like bookings and Adobe products:
  - [Carefully read the contract](people-contracts.md) for any risks from upgrading the package.
  - Upgrade the package to reset your consumer rights to cancel without a fee.
  - Cancel the contract.