This autumn, a number of appliances in my household decided to call it quits: A water line in my washing machine burst, my dryer started needing multiple cycles to dry a load, and my hair straightener stopped reaching the necessary temperature.
The one bright side? The holiday sales season kicks off in October and ramps up in November.
As someone well-versed in personal finance, I devised a shopping plan: I would identify the appliances I wanted to purchase before the October sales began, monitor the prices leading up to Black Friday, and make my purchases when the prices hit rock bottom.
I anticipate that taking advantage of holiday sales for my household essentials could result in savings of several hundred dollars.
Samantha Gordon, the deals editor at Consumer Reports, validated the rationale behind my strategy.
“My top tip for anyone is to never make a purchase at full price,” she advises. She further mentions, “Everything goes on sale in November.”
With some careful planning, you can leverage the discounts of the season for your own needs.
Create your list ahead of time
Research the specific products you want before the sales begin so you can make informed decisions when the discounts kick in, recommends Gordon.
She advises keeping track of prices now to differentiate between genuine discounts and advertised sales.
“You should be aware of the regular price,” Gordon suggests, and mentions that price-tracking tools like Keepa, CamelCamelCamel.com, and PayPal Honey can assist you in this process.
Andrea Woroch, a money-saving expert who shares budgeting tips on her website, is already doing just that. Like me, she has a list of household items — including a vacuum cleaner and a new refrigerator — that she intends to purchase during the holiday sales.
“Set up sale alerts for items you want to track so you don’t miss out on limited-time early deals,” she suggests. Shopping apps such as Karma and CamelCamelCamel will notify you of price drops directly to your inbox.
If you plan to shop at a specific store, Woroch advises joining free loyalty programs. This can entitle you to benefits such as free shipping, purchase rewards, and extra coupons.
Don’t overlook everyday household products
It’s not just big-ticket items that see price drops during this time of year. Everyday essentials like paper goods and cosmetics also go on sale.
Trae Bodge, a shopping expert at TrueTrae.com in New York, takes advantage of these discounts. During the October sales, she purchased items such as brow gel, pretzels, a new fireplace screen, and an inflatable travel mattress.
Bodge estimates that she saved between 10% to 30% on each item, and combined those savings with cash back via a browser extension.
Stay away from impulsive purchases
While these discounts can be tempting, they can also lead to unnecessary purchases.
Although it might seem wise to snag a discounted item now for future use, Woroch warns against overspending.
“Ensure you can afford the purchase at the time of buying. You don’t want to burden yourself with so much spending that you can’t pay off your credit card,” she cautions, as this could lead to interest charges.
In some cases, there may be 0% financing options available during sales events, allowing you to spread out payments without accruing interest, she adds.
For me, the washer and dryer set will be my most significant purchase, which is why I’m taking the time to plan for it.
Secure seasonal discounts
October was promising, but I’m holding out for the Black Friday sales: The hair tool I intend to buy — a Beachwaver rotating curling iron — typically retails for $99, but dropped to just under $70 right before the October sales began.
I almost made the purchase until I checked the price history on CamelCamelCamel.com. It showed that last Black Friday, the price plummeted to $49. So, I’m waiting in hopes of a repeat of that low price this year. If it happens, I’ll save around $50.
As for our washer and dryer combo, I chose the LG ThinQ model after extensive online research. While it’s currently discounted by about $500, I anticipate an even better deal during the Black Friday sales.
Research indicates that appliance prices usually drop during Black Friday, with deals announced well in advance. So, I’m keeping a lookout and will make my purchase when the sales kick in. It’s a bit of a gamble — I could save $500 now — but I’m optimistic.
In conclusion, leveraging seasonal sales for essential purchases can lead to significant savings, something we could all benefit from at this time.