It's gonna be May: the best and worst things to buy this month
From Mother's Day to Memorial Day, May is a busy month for retailers and shoppers alike. In addition to being the unofficial start of the summer, it also marks the time of year when we start spending more time outdoors, and that can lead to additional spending. But before you purchase a new聽聽or try on any summer apparel, you'll want to read our guide, which points out some of the best (and worst) products you can buy this month.
Peruse the advice, then consider signing up for the聽聽to get the best deals of the day delivered to your inbox.
Spring Clothing Shines During Early Memorial Day Sales
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Although Memorial Day isn't until May 25, you can expect retailers to kick off their Memorial Day sales as early as May 12. That's when sales made their debut last year and most likely when they'll launch again this year. And while many sales will attempt to tease you with deals on summer apparel, the best savings will actually be on聽. Summer apparel is always cheaper during the months of August and September, when retailers are trying to clear the summer inventory that consumers didn't buy. That leaves spring apparel with its deepest discounts of the year. Expect to see savings of 20% to 75% off from retailers such as聽,听, and聽聽to name a few.
Bargain hunters should also keep an eye out for coupons that also apply in addition to sale prices. For instance, last year more than half of all Memorial Day clothing sales featured such "stackable" coupons.聽, for example, took 50% off select men's apparel and offered two additional coupons that took an extra 20% off and bagged free shipping. Memorial Day sales are known for their stackable discounts and it's easy to find these type of deals throughout the month. Check out the聽for promos from your favorite stores.
Save Money By Avoiding Stereotypical Mother's Day Gifts
The longer you wait to buy your聽, the more you'll pay. In previous years, our deal database has shown that聽聽tend to increase in price at the beginning of the month, which means procrastinators will pay a premium for their gifts. Our advice? Buy your mom something that you know is heavily discounted, such as items from our list of聽, which include everything from apparel to tech.
Upgrade Your Mattress
Our deal archives show that spring is one of the best seasons for聽, and Memorial Day will usher in new deals this month. If you're flexible on the specific type of mattress you buy, then don't settle for anything less than 50% off. Also look for stackable coupons, which could take 10% to 40% off already-discounted items. Retailers to follow include聽,听,听,, and聽.
Celebrate Your Inner Geek With Star Wars Sales
May 4 is Star Wars Day (Get it? "May the fourth be with you!"), and while that doesn't guarantee free passes to the premier of聽The Force Awakens, it could lead to some respectable聽. Last year, for instance, we saw deals on Star Wars-based games/apps in addition to a noteworthy deal on the Star Wars Complete Saga Blu-ray Disc. With a new movie slated to hit theaters by the end of this year, the added Star Wars hype may bring about an extra helping of promos this year.
Expect to Get More Perks From Your Mobile Carrier
April was an interesting month for mobile carriers. Not only did Republic Wireless announce its new consumer-friendly payment plan which聽, but search-giant Google also launched its new wireless plan,听. The hybrid network relies on WiFi connectivity to make your calls and switches to Sprint's and T-Mobile's infrastructure when WiFi isn't available. Monthly plans start at $20, plus $10 per 1GB of data. Each additional 1GB of data costs an extra $10, but users will only be charged for the data they use.
At launch, however, the plan is only available to Nexus 6 owners. And while Google claims Project Fi isn't about making money, whenever the company enters a new market,听. So although your mobile plan may not see a dramatic decrease in price, companies like AT&T and Verizon may give their customers extra perks, as AT&T did when T-Mobile first announced its roll-over plans.
Skip the Apple TV Purchase
Last month, Apple slashed the price of its Apple TV streamer down from $99 to $69. Since then, rumors have spread that the company will debut a new player in June at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. If you've had your eye on an Apple TV, it's likely you'll see even better deals after the newer version is released. Even if Apple doesn't launch a new Apple TV, retailers are slowly slashing the streamer's price to the point where we've now seen it for $60. Come June, that price could be even lower.
If You Need a TV, Go With a 55" or 42" Screen
Spring is traditionally a mediocre season for TV deals. However, if you must upgrade your TV this month, we recommend opting for a聽听辞谤听. These specific size categories are seeing the most deals at the best prices. The best deals on name-brand 55" 1080p LCDs, for instance, have averaged $500 since the start of the year. Additionally, you can save another $50 to $70 if you opt for an off-brand model, such as those from Insignia or Sceptre. Meanwhile, name-brand 42" 1080p LCDs have plateaued at $300 since fall of last year. While you could save between $30 to $50 by opting for an off-brand model, the savings aren't as significant.
Hold on the Laptop Purchases
Although you can currently get a聽聽for about $380 to $400, in the coming weeks that same laptop might be 17% cheaper or include a free store credit. That's because late June traditionally marks the start of back-to-school sales. While it may sound absurd to start a back-to-school sale when most students are just wrapping up their semester, some retailers kick off their sales mid-to-late June. Last year, the聽聽launched its back-to-school promotion in the last week of June, and we except it and other retailers to follow suit again this year.
So if you can push off your laptop purchase for another month or two, you'll reap cheaper prices and a wider selection of deals. Moreover, rumors indicate this summer, Microsoft will launch its new Windows 10 operating system, which could trigger special promotions from retailers like the.
Ready to put this information to use? Set up an聽听辞谤听聽in order to keep abreast of any and all of these best buys in May.
Louis Ramirez is an editor for where first appeared.聽
