Don't buy these items 'til after Christmas
By 2011, in the era of pepper spraying shoppers, our calendars now are defined by shopping milestones.
We know it’s winter when Super Bowl sales are on, just as we know fall’s approaching when back-to-school promos start running. When the Black Friday buzz begins, Americans’ mouths start watering (and Canadians, um, consider whether the U.K. has a hand in our … oil sands project?); when it’s time for Christmas sales, similarly, our instincts tell us to brace for approximately 75 terrible holiday parties.
Yet on that last note – even though holiday sales are on, not everything’s a steal.
In fact, where your pocketbook is concerned, it’s probably best to buy several items after the New Year instead.
Indeed, what may pass as a sale come Christmastime may not rate any other time of the year – retailers know we’re gonna flock to the stores; why would they discount things that much during the holidays? – so surely it’s best to wait until December’s end to pounce on many goods.
*Bing: Cheap stocking stuffer ideas
Like, say, these:
CNN Money’s presented six items that’ll be cheaper after Christmas, five if you throw out holiday decorations, which, of course, you know will be discounted come January. Among them:
1) Clothing: Due to unseasonably warm weather, this year more than any other clothing like scarves, coats and even furs are sure to be discounted plenty after the 25th.
2) TVs: Tracking the ups and downs of TV prices throughout the year can be an exercise akin to predicting the commodities market, but look for a heap of deals on big screens in the New Year, when new models will be introduced at January’s Consumer Electronics Show and retailers will need to clear out inventory to make way for the latest LCDs.
3) Jewellery: Certainly, jewellery is near a price peak around Christmas, when “Every kiss begins with Kay” commercials are on the TV more often than clips of Jerry Sandusky exiting a car in handcuffs. Yet the New Year, CNN notes, is when to avoid holiday price-gouging. And, for the truly thrifty, wait until after Valentines Day, the jewellery industry’s slow season, for the best prices.
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Comments