10 Dates To Remember That Will Save You Money

Posted by admin | Posted in Finance News | Posted on 16-01-2010

Many people wish that prices would be low all year long, but not me. When prices fluctuate, there’s more incentives for retailers to discount prices to below what’s possible otherwise, so it benefits those who take the time to research. Today’s article is from a guest author, who wants to share with us 10 dates that you should know if you want to save some money.

Last spring, I bought a lot of lawn equipment and I paid top retail price. I wasn’t really thinking about it, because I needed it to keep my lawn manicured, and in Florida, one week is the difference between a nice looking yard and a jungle. Then in the fall, I noticed that the prices of lawn mowers, edgers, and hand tools were all on sale. The demand for lawn equipment is much lower in the fall than it is in the spring, so retailers are looking to unload inventory to make room for new models next year.

J.D. Roth at Get Rich Slowly provided a great resource article that we should all print out and reference throughout the year about the best time period to buy just about everything. However, there are some specific dates you can circle on your calendar that will help you save money throughout the year.

February 14th: Skip it, and you’ll save a lot of money. Ladies, before you take my head off, hear me out. If you want to go out and celebrate love on Valentine’s Day, just do it a few days before or after the actual date. On the actual day, Valentine’s Day has ridiculously overpriced flowers and restaurants love to pin you down to an all-inclusive 4 course meal for a flat price. If you want to celebrate, there’s no need to do it on the 14th.
March 1st: Retailers will be getting rid of winter clothing, so buy a new winter coat or boots during this time.
May 31st: This is Memorial Day in 2010, and it’s usually the first weekend where you can pick up some great deals from retailers.
June 15th: If you’re a Mac/iPod/iPhone lover, then mark this date down. It’s not when Apple will announce new stuff, but it seems like they always announce a new product or updates to existing products in the summer. You’ll be able to save on the previous model if you time it right.
July 4th: Retailers are already starting to unload their outdoors stuff to make way for the fall.
August 1st: This is the beginning of back-to-school season, and you can pick up some great deals on laptops and other consumer electronics.
September 6th: This is Labor Day in 2010, and this is also the time you should start looking to make travel arrangements if you didn’t do any traveling over the summer. You can find the cheapest airline, hotel, and cruise rates during the fall. Just remember, if you vacation in the Southeast or the Caribbean the early fall is peak hurricane season. You may want to consider travel insurance if you purchase during this time.
November 1st: If you’re in the market for a new house, start looking in November and December. Demand from buyers is low in the winter months, so you’ll be able to negotiate with sellers more during these months. You may not be able to get a lot of money reduced on the selling price, but you can negotiate more on closing costs and extras.
November 26th: This is Black Friday. If you want to save money and hassle, shop online. Wake up early and stay in your pajamas. I got a great deal in store on a 32″ TV this past Black Friday, but it wasn’t worth it. I almost got thrown out of the way by someone trying to grab it. Not fun at 6 in the morning.
December 26th: While everyone is in the return line to return Christmas gifts, snag up discounted Christmas decorations.

Saving money is a way of life, and you must outsmart our retail culture if you want to save money. Break the cycle, and stop buying things when the world tells you to. If you know you’ll be making a large purchase this year, map out a strategy. Do research on the best time to buy it. If you repeat this process throughout your life, you’ll save thousands of dollars of money and have extra money to invest, build wealth, and give back to others.

This is a guest post by Erik Folgate of the personal finance blog, Money Crashers. The mission of Money Crashers is to develop a community of people who make financially sound decisions and to guide people in their journey to becoming financially independent, sound, and secure. Money Crashers is currently hosting its 2010 New Year Giveaway Bash with over $7,900 in total prizes, $2,395 in cash, 2 Amazon Kindles, the whole line of iPods, and $1,055 in gift cards.

Breaking Financial NewsComplete financial market coverage with breaking news