by Anne Garber There are two principal rules of thumb when it comes to bargain shopping:
First, buy things when you see them at a good price, not necessarily when you need them. A beach towel might not be first on your list of priorities at the end of August, but you'll thank yourself the following May if you snap up that big blue plush number at half price.
Secondly, shop just after the peak demand for an item. That's when retailers must move merchandise quickly to make room for new stock. Keep an eye out for sale announcements in your local paper, and keep in mind these month-by-month general timing hints for retail sales events:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 January Almost everything goes on sale in January. The only drawback is that most of us are too busy paying December bills to score the best bargains of the year. Have you noticed how the post-Christmas clear-outs have been sneaking back even to the beginning of December? Maybe it's a good strategy to leave some room on your credit cards to anticipate the irresistible coming bargains of the season.
Stock up on holiday supplies for next year at giveaway prices. I always buy my year-ahead supply of tissue paper at as little as 90 per cent off the regular price! (Hint: Check craft stores, which often have the most stock in the tissue category; department stores usually offer the best deals in Seasonal Holiday wrap and ribbon.)
Retail stores also slash prices on popular gift items, like bikes and toys, that arrived in huge shipments in December. Buy all-purpose gifts, such as picture frames and vases, to give throughout the year, and pick up formal clothing, dressy shoes, and fancy accessories at no-nonsense prices. Even some food gift items -- like preserves, pistachios-in-fancy-containers and tinned items like patés -- are sold at 50 to 75 per cent off retail (we've found our best deals in the latter at Ross, Target, Superstore and Winners).
January is also "White Sale" month -- though you'll find linens and towels and other household drygoods discounted too -- even if they're in colour!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 February Stores are in a hurry to clear floor space for spring lines, so look for rock-bottom prices on remaining winter-clothing stock. Snap up a winter coat and boots, and search the bargain bins for steals on hats, scarves, and gloves. February is also sale season for leather goods and luggage. Our best-bet store in the Pacific Northwest for clearance winter-wear is Fred Meyers. We used to include Target in that category, but the quality of their clothing has declined dramatically since the end of the 2001 season, so we've dropped them from our list. And while K-Mart is winding up its affairs, we've occasionally found a real deal there, but know your prices (and your quality points). Likewise, Zellers and Superstore often have good-quality clearance clothing at deep discounts -- but know your price point and stick to it.
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March-April While the spotlight is on spring and summer fashions, head over to the appliance department and invest in a new humidifier for next winter. This is the time to buy hair dryers, electric curlers, shavers, and the like.
The first retail shopping day after Easter is an ideal time to buy discounted chocolate. That chocolate bunny you buy at 50 per cent off now is probably being sold at less than cost -- and certainly less than the bulk Callebaut chocolate you'd otherwise need to purchase for cooking. Chocolate -- sealed in a airtight container -- will keep almost indefinitely, provided you do not let it get either too hot or too cold. And if you do keep it in the refrigerator, it may haze over (this does not affect its taste or quality, it just means it has "de-tempered").
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 May-June Though April might be the best month to find rain gear on sale (from inexpensive slickers to lined trench coats) in other parts of the continent, in the Pacific Northwest our rainy season often extends well into May, so clearances are more common on raingear in late spring.
When people start heading outside, think about shopping for inside: Kitchen utensils, china, and pots and pans are all likely to be marked down. This is also the time to put in wall-to-wall carpeting or purchase a new entertainment centre. Sale prices on cameras and film also begin to appear in late spring. Check London Drugs for prices you won't beat anywhere in the world (I'm not kidding).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 July In many markets -- and we've noticed this is true at Freddy's and at Vancouver stores like The Bay -- there's a reprise of the traditional January White Sale in late June or early July. We've seen some great bath sheet-and-towel clear-outs at Nordstrom, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Linens'N Things, JC Penney and Mervyn's, too (and though we hate to admit it, we still think the cotton sold domestically in the U.S. is superior quality, compared to what migrates north to Canadian markets).
Now that the prom and wedding seasons are over and most people are concentrating on heading to the beach, look for deals on formalwear for men and women. Buy jewellery, too -- both real and costume. Also look for major household appliances: ovens, refrigerators, washers and dryers, and dishwashers. Most of the big department-store bathing-suit sales take place this month, and many stores have concurrent lingerie and underwear sales.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 August Gear up for next summer now at the end of August while everything from barbecues and lawn furniture to picnic baskets and beach umbrellas is greatly reduced. Smaller stores are unloading bathing suits, sandals, sundresses, and hats. Those large decorative beach towels go on sale, too, and they make great gifts. Check out the sporting-goods stores, especially for tennis rackets, athletic shoes and apparel, and camping equipment.
Garden lanterns and solar-powered garden lights go on sale in late August at Home Depot, Home Hardware, Revy and other hardware-oriented stores, so don't overlook them.
Typical only of the Pacific Northwest, August is also the month for sales on back-to-school supplies. Inexplicably, by the time the kids actually go back to classes and get their supplies list from their teachers in September, the sales are over! So shop now for the best selection and prices.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 September Back-to-school fever is in the air, but the merchandise to go for is lawn and garden equipment. Replace your lawn sprinklers or riding mower, and get the buy of the year on an air conditioner or ceiling fan. If you've been thinking about putting in a swimming pool, Labour Day weekend is the time to take the plunge.
Garden and grass seed is sold at a great price in the Fall, and most will keep perfectly over the winter. Large seeds -- like pumpkin or radish -- will yield higher germination if you seal them in a clean, dry mayonnaise jar with a couple of silica drying capsules (often found in vitamin bottles) and store them in the back of your fridge until needed. The only garden items not sale-priced in September are flowering bulbs, because -- naturally -- this is the season they go into the ground.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 October Those new school shoes are probably reduced in price by now, as are sneakers, backpacks and book bags (although selection will be diminished). Outerwear, from fleece or leather jackets to wool coats, is also priced to sell fast. The best coat sales take place in the first half of October, around Columbus Day. Look for good prices on appliances like sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, and power tools.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 November Hallowe'en candy is drastically discounted -- but you'll only find any left in stores if you shop early on December 1. We favour London Drugs, Superstore, Fred Meyer, Shoppers Drug Mart, Zellers and Target for after-spook treat shopping.
Otherwise, in the fierce competition for pre-holiday business, retail stores have begun offering the traditional post-Christmas sales earlier. The drawback: Stores are mobbed, lines are long, and parking spaces are few and far between. Shop as early as possible to save time for family and friends.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 December Seek deals at health clubs (plan ahead for those New Year's resolutions), and check out prices on cars and other major non-gift items. This is also the time to scan the classifieds for used furniture and cars, since cash-hungry sellers are likely to strike a deal favourable to you so they can pay their own bills, come January.
Amusingly enough to Canadians, Americans across the line in the Pacific Northwest are so dependant on those devalued Canuck-bucks for survival (witness the dramatic decline at Bellisfair Mall and Peace Arch Factory Outlet after 9/11), that they have whole-heartedly adopted the traditional British Boxing Day Sale as their own! I have seen "Boxing Day" signs up in Dade and Broward Counties in Florida, too, but I credit that to the proliferation of "Snowbirds" in that area, anyway.
Ask the Bargain Shopper: Anne Garber's Year-round Bargain calendar - To learn more about this author, visit Anne Garber's Website.
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Anne Garber
(Visit Anne's Website)
Anne Garber's media career spans 42 years
in both print and electronic media, as
author, publisher, photographer,
columnist, broadcaster and the mother of
two -- and evalu8.org's Managing Director.
She has written 14 best-selling books and
-- with editor John T.D. Keyes (who is
also her husband) -- writes food, business
and travel features worldwide; she
contributes online to travellady.com and
chocolate-atlas.com. The couple writes a
travel column for the Culver City News and
co-authored Victoria's Best Bargains,
Exploring Ethnic Vancouver and Cheap Eats
Vancouver.
Ms. Garber has worked as both publishers'
and authors' agent, and is known as the
'go-to' person in the book, magazine and
newspaper publishing industries for legal
opinion on North American trademark and
copyright issues. A practicum in San Diego
as Environmental Practice Group paralegal
was followed by a return to the Pacific
Northwest, where she is currently
considered a leading expert on internet
copyright infringement actions and online
fraud investigations. Anne Garber divides
her time between Vancouver, BC, Seattle,
WA, Toronto, ON and Paris, France.
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