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January 19, 2008 09:42 pm
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Bargain hunting is all about knowing when to buy
To save money, most shoppers know the best time to buy a new car is in the fall, when the next year’s models are showing up at the dealership.
By Lisa Hurt Kozarovich
CNHI News Service
JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — To save money, most shoppers know the best time to buy a new car is in the fall, when the next year’s models are showing up at the dealership.
Not able to buy a new car? Well, if you can only afford a new battery for your vehicle, August is the best time to find a deal on one, according to Jonni McCoy, author of “Miserly Moms: Living on One Income in a Two Income Economy.”
With bargain hunting becoming a favorite American pastime, either out of sport or necessity, it seems everybody is looking for a deal.
There are plenty to be had, if you know the industry secrets, according to Consumer Reports. For example, the shopper-savvy magazine points out that manufacturers have huge deals on TVs in January, right before the Super Bowl. In fact, the two weeks leading up to the big game mark the second biggest sales’ numbers for TVs, second only to Christmas.
If you’re more into redecorating than football, plan to shop for furniture in January and July, and get the matching drapes in May, said Mike Pasley, store manager for JC Penney’s at Green Tree Mall in Clarksville.
“As much as sales have changed, May is still the month to buy drapes. It was when I started in 1970 and it still is. I guess it goes with people spring cleaning and decorating,” Pasley said.
Shoppers can save big bucks, too, if they wait for the twice-a-year furniture sales most stores have — traditionally President’s Day and Labor Day weekends.
And although shopping for new home appliances may not be on the top of Christmas list, the best buys can often be found in December and January, just before the new spring models debut.
Smaller appliances, like vacuum cleaners, go on sale in April and May, since most new models come out in June, according to the Good Housekeeping Institute.
Locally, shoppers know to watch for JC Penney’s big sales, but they may not know that the first Saturday in November is the store’s biggest sale of the year. Or that the second week of September marks the beginning of the store’s fall clothing sale, and among the best sales are in the men’s and women’s career clothing departments, Pasley said.
“Years ago, January and August were ‘the’ big sales. You’d have the big ‘white’ sale (on linens) in January, now you have that several times a year. There’s so much competition now, something is always on sale — you just got to know when,” Pasley said.
Lisa Hurt Kozarovich writes for The Evening News in Jeffersonville, Ind.
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