With every Memorial Day weekend comes a host of wonderful (and predictable) events. The high school marching band will play in the town parade, you will eat something greasy and your kid will lose his balloon. You’ll sip an ice-cold lemonade after weeding and mowing your lawn, and it’ll be the best thing you’ve ever tasted. You’ll host or be invited to a multitude of cookouts and eat way too much. And you’ll think, “Ah, this is it! Life is good. Summer has finally arrived.”
You might think the weekend can’t get any better, but I’m going to let you in on a secret: It can, if you consider saving heaps of money a good thing.
Three-day weekends are huge shopping events for retailers, and Memorial Day is no exception. But are you missing out on the savings? Last year, according to the National Retail Federation, about one-third of Americans reported that it was unlikely they’d shop the sales during the weekend and another third said they could go either way.
Here’s the thing: If you do happen to be in the market for certain items, like a couple more pieces to beef up your warm weather wardrobe, outdoor apparel or equipment or a new mattress, now is the time to buy. (And if you’re not one to consider a day of in-store shopping a day well spent, well, then you can get it done online in a matter of minutes and still get outside to enjoy the weekend’s festivities.) Read on to learn what to buy and where to find the best deals.
Refresh your wardrobe: To clear space for the new summer collections, most clothing retailers will offer rock-bottom prices on spring apparel through the holiday weekend. Big, multi-category stores like Macy’s and Kohl’s usually offer apparel discounts starting at 20 percent off. Even kids can get into the action, and the deals on kids’ clothes are even deeper with stores like OshKosh B’Gosh and The Children’s Place historically offering discounts in the 50 percent off range.
In either case, scope out the racks in the way back of the store or along the sides — the best deals are usually hiding there. Also, keep in mind that even if a cute pair of shorts is marked 75 percent off, you can often add coupons or other offers to sweeten that discount. Some stores, like Kohl’s and Victoria’s Secret, even allow you to stack deals for even bigger savings! So, before you buy any item, especially at a department store, always check your favorite coupon app for extra savings. And, unless you’re painfully shy, it can’t hurt to ask your sales associate if there are other discounts they can apply to your purchase.
Get a good night’s sleep: For months, you’ve been waking up every morning with a stiff neck or aching back and thinking, “We really should get a new mattress.” Now is the time to spring for one because the big retailers are having seriously good sales. Sleepy’s is promoting up to half off every mattress through June 1; Sears is offering up to 60 percent off (plus an additional 10 percent, free delivery and free haul away for Sears cardholders); and 1800Mattress is offering up to 65 percent off Sealy, Serta and Simmons mattresses. Buy now, and in a matter of a few days, you could wake up feeling better than ever — and you’ll have a new hiding place under which to stuff all the money you saved.
Get outside: Whatever your outdoor passion — fishing, camping, hiking, boating — you can find some solid deals on equipment this weekend before the summer season hits full swing (also, remember that Father’s Day is coming up on June 21 in case Dad is the outdoorsy type).
Cabela’s Memorial Day Sale includes up to 50 percent on fishing poles, and other outdoor gear like bathing suits and hiking boots for those days when the fish aren’t biting, until May 25. Until the 24th, Backcountry.com is slashing prices sitewide by up to 50 percent and offering free two-day shipping when you spend $50. Outdoor supplier Eastern Mountain Sports is offering 30 percent off select apparel, 20 percent off Thule car racks and EMS camping gear and an additional 25 percent off clearance items until the 26th.
Bottom line: Whatever you do this weekend, get outside and enjoy it. Happy summer, happy shopping and happy savings!
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How to Master the Art of Memorial Day Sales originally appeared on usnews.com
