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 post-holiday sales fall merchandise furniture home appliances cookware bed and bath linens rugs sports equipment computers and other electronics -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 February jewellery perfumes gift items electronics floor coverings housewares furniture -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 March spring clothing wedding gifts air conditioners washers and dryers garden supplies outdoor winter sports gear luggage china -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 April spring clothing yard and garden supplies bridal gowns (save up to 70 per cent)
furniture cruises European vacations paint and wallpaper -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 May gifts for Mom silver watches athletic clothing and shoes linens and towels wedding gowns furniture cruises European vacations home maintenance items -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 June gifts for Dad fishing and camping gear men's cologne summer items storm windows summer clothing televisions building materials -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 July air conditioners summer items school supplies school clothes summer sports equipment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 August school supplies school clothes summer clothing (bathing suits and sandals)
linens and towels lawn and garden equipment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 September winter wear (winter coats, gloves, scarves)
summer clothes outdoor grills lawn furniture bicycles housewares -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 October winter wear (winter coats, gloves, scarves)
last year's car models fishing equipment houses crystal silver glassware -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 November houses quilts and blankets space heaters winter clothing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 December clothing appliances gifts wrapping paper holiday cards other holiday items -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 Shop 'Til You Drop editor Danielle DeGail says people get a high when they get a good bargain.
"Who doesn't love a bargain, who doesn't feel that little bit happier when they have that extra $50 dollars in their pocket?" she says.
With many stores already holding sales, there's no need to wait until the post-Christmas sales to snap up a bargain. But which times of year are the best for shopping? According to retail analyst Barry Urquart, it depends what you're looking for. Here's a summary:
New furniture: Wait until April, May or October. More people move house just before or just after winter and furniture shops know this and hold sales at this time.
Whitegoods: Hit the end of financial year sales when the big retailers want to maximize their sales figures for the year.
Clothes: Hold out until the post-Christmas sales which always contain the best bargains of the year.
Electrical goods: January sales and inventory/stocktaking sales in June usually offer the best deals. A & B Sound and Future Shop also hold legendary Boxing Day sales.
Consumers also need to remember that just because something is on sale doesn't mean you should rush out and buy it.
"The key point to remember is something isn't really a bargain unless you really need it and really want it," says Danielle.
But I offer this retort: "What? You've never heard of Retail Therapy?"
Ask the Bargainshopper: A 12-month 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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