If you like to shop, you probably realize saving money and getting a good deal is all about timing. One way to remember that timing is to keep a shopping calendar.
If you know when seasonal items are likely to go on sale and when major sales take place, chances are you’ll remember to take advantage of discounts and be less tempted to overspend.
If you want to strategize your purchases, here are all the major sales events to put on your calendar. Some have passed already, but make sure you don’t miss them next year.
— Easter.
— Arbor Day.
— Mother’s Day.
— Memorial Day.
— Father’s Day.
— Labor Day.
— Halloween.
— Black Friday.
— Cyber Monday.
January
Things to buy:
— Winter clothing. In late January, retailers move heavy coats, sweatshirts, warm pajamas, winter boots, sweaters, hats and scarves to the sale racks to make way for spring fashion. Expect up to 50% off winter apparel.
— Linens and towels. Department stores and home goods retailers such as Kohl’s, Macy’s and Pottery Barn traditionally hold “white sales” on bath and bedding items throughout January.
— TVs. Right before the Super Bowl is one of the best times of the year to buy TVs.
Important sales days:
— New Year’s Day. You wouldn’t think that many stores would have a New Year’s sale. After all, consumers are pretty tapped out from the holidays. But Amazon, Target, Walmart and other big retailers tend to hold New Year sales with steep discounts.
— Martin Luther King Jr. Day. During the long weekend, expect sales on clothing, beauty and home goods.
February
Things to buy:
— Tax software. The IRS deadline for employers to send out W-2s and 1099s is Jan. 31. So, February is when tax software companies like H&R Block and TurboTax typically offer promo codes and discounts to early filers.
— Jewelry. Wait until right after Valentine’s Day to find jewelry on sale.
Important sales days:
— Presidents Day. Historically a day when you can get deals on mattresses and appliances during the long weekend. But plenty of stores put virtually everything on sale during the Presidents Day three-day weekend.
March
Things to buy:
— Outdoor apparel for warmer weather. As temperatures start to heat up, you’ll start to see steep discounts on outdoor running apparel and footwear. You can also expect retailers that offer camping gear and patio furnishings to get in on the action. You’ll find better prices on these items toward the beginning of fall, when there’s a market for them, but the selection will be bigger in early spring since retailers want to get them off the shelves.
— Easter clothing. Easter falls on March 31, 2024. In the week leading up to it, you’ll find sales on clothing for Easter Sunday, especially kids’ spring dresses and suits.
Important sales days:
— St. Patrick’s Day. While not a major sale holiday, St. Patrick’s Day (and the week before) is a pretty good time to find Irish-themed jewelry and other green gifts on sale. Look for the biggest discounts on gear the day after the holiday, when you can stock up on things for next year.
— Easter. Stores will probably be quiet (and some will be closed) on Easter Sunday, but the days before will be filled with sales. Expect discounts on spring attire at department stores and sales on treat baskets and flowers on gift sites. Right after the holiday, you’ll find Easter candy and baskets on sale.
April
Things to buy:
— Home goods and appliances. April brings sales on everything from vacuums to energy-efficient appliances. Retailers know that people are doing a lot of spring cleaning around this time. Plus, for the energy-efficient appliances, there are Earth Day (April 22, 2024) sales tie-ins.
Important sales days:
— Arbor Day. Arbor Day, April 26, 2024, is not historically a big sales holiday weekend. But with Earth Day occurring on April 22, don’t be surprised if garden and outdoor stores have big sales on April 26 (or during this entire week) to appeal to the lawn enthusiasts.
May
Things to buy:
— Spring clothing. This is a good time to stock your spring wardrobe. Stores are making room for summer fashion, so the clearance racks and online clearance sections are filling up with spring items.
— Appliances. Memorial Day, and the entire three-day weekend, of course, is one of the best days of the year to buy household items such as refrigerators, washers, dryers and other large appliances.
Important sales days:
— Mother’s Day. A few weeks before May 12, 2024, start looking for sales on jewelry, perfume and other popular Mother’s Day gifts.
— Memorial Day. The three-day weekend will offer plenty of appliance deals and discounts on just about any retail item. If you missed your chance to buy a mattress back on President’s Day, this would be a good weekend to purchase one.
[READ: Low-Cost Ways to Celebrate Mom This Year.]
June
Things to buy:
— Restaurant gift cards. During Father’s Day and graduation season, many chain restaurants offer bonus gift cards for the person buying a gift card. So, that might mean if you purchase a $50 gift card for a restaurant, you get a $10 e-card or a discount on the $50 gift card.
— Tools and grills. If you’ve got a dad or partner who likes power tools and keeps a well-manicured lawn, you may want to do your shopping at a home improvement store, which probably those items, tool sets, garage organization items, grills and more marked down as Father’s Day approaches.
[READ: Gift Card Do’s and Don’ts ]
Important sales days:
— Father’s Day. In the lead-up to June 16, 2024, watch for sales on watches, menswear, shoes, wallets, TVs, tools and other popular gifts for Dad.
July
Things to buy:
— Furniture. Fourth of July sales tend to focus on furniture, so plan your kitchen table or sectional purchase accordingly.
— Tech. This is also a good time to buy tech, usually. There are the Fourth of July sales,back-to-school season is starting to heat up, and Amazon often hosts Amazon Prime Day this month, which means you can get deals on smart home devices, gaming systems, TVs and computers.
Important sales days:
— Fourth of July. Independence Day is historically one of the hottest shopping holidays of the year, and it frequently brings Black Friday-level sales to the table.
— Amazon Prime Day. If Amazon operates as it often does, the official date for 2024 won’t be announced until a few weeks prior, but it typically occurs in mid-July.
— Tax-free weekends. Some states offer tax-free days in July, during which the sales tax will be waived on clothing, school supplies and even electronics.
[READ: Take Advantage of Tax-Free Weekend Sales.]
August
Things to buy:
— School supplies and laptops. Thanks to the first day of school often coming anywhere from mid-August to early September, you can expect big-box and office supply stores to offer deals on notebooks, art supplies, laptops and more. Apple also traditionally offers its back-to-school tech deals in August.
— Summer clothing and swimwear. Fall is almost here. Retailers are going to want to clear the racks of light clothing.
Important sales days:
— Tax-free weekends. This is also a good month for tax-free weekends. Some states offer tax-free days in August, during which sales tax will be not be charged on clothing, school supplies and electronics.
September
Things to buy:
— Outdoor furniture and grills. Grilling season generally ends on Labor Day weekend, so you can expect discounts on any merchandise that you would use for outdoor entertaining. After September, patio furniture will be harder to find, at least in brick-and-mortar stores; retailers usually stop stocking it during the winter.
Important sales days:
— Labor Day. Leftover clothing from back-to-school sales will be on sale, and as usual, you’ll find plenty of sales on appliances and mattresses.
October
Things to buy:
— Older iPhones. Apple usually debuts its newest phones in September, often on the second Tuesday of that month, so odds are you can start looking for discounted older models in October.
— Cozy clothing. Retailers know you’re in the market to buy warmer clothes, and they will offer tempting sales on leggings, robes, sweats and joggers. You’ll find steeper discounts in January — but a bigger selection in October.
Important sales days:
— Halloween. Halloween itself isn’t a major shopping day but right after is when costumes, candy and spooky decor that didn’t sell earlier in the month should go on sale.
November
Things to buy:
— TVs and electronics. You can thank Black Friday and pre-Black Friday sales for these deals, which start early in the month. It’s generally a good time to buy TVs, smart home devices, tablets, computers and smart watches.
Important sales days:
— Black Friday. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and it falls on Nov. 29, 2024 this year. Black Friday has evolved into almost a month-long event, full of in-person and online sales.
December
Things to buy:
— Toys and games. As Christmas approaches, retailers start discounting toys and games to avoid getting stuck with them after the holidays.
Important shopping days:
— Cyber Monday. On Dec. 1, 2024, Cyber Monday (the first Monday after Thanksgiving) will offer online deals and likely replay many of the Black Friday deals from Nov. 28. Clothing, travel, appliances — you name it, you can probably buy it on sale.
— Super Saturday. Good news for those who haven’t finished their holiday shopping: The Saturday before Christmas (Dec. 21, 2024) and the days surrounding it are filled with last-minute deals.
— New Year’s Eve. After-Christmas and New Year sales typically occur from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, before the yearly bargain hunting starts all over again.
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The Best Days to Shop in 2024 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 02/16/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
