What you should buy at Memorial Day sales
It doesn't have nearly the hype of Black Friday, but Memorial Day weekend boasts some of the biggest sales and steepest discounts of the years. This is especially true if you're buying big-ticket items like听mattresses or major appliances.
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Memorial Day has something else in common with Black Friday 鈥� its sales start well before the actual holiday.
When and where to shop Memorial Day sales
As of May 20, six major stores are already in the full swing of Memorial Day Sales. We've got more detail on that听, but here's a quick recap.
- : Major appliances, lighting and bathroom fixtures are on sale now through 5/27. Check out听.
- : Mattresses, patio furniture, grills and more are on sale now through the end of the month. See Sears' sale听.
- : Best Buy has great deals on laptops right now.听, so check their site often to see when the model you're looking for is on sale. Also, you can take 30听percent听off all major appliances through 6/2.
- : Outdoor gear and golf clubs are currently on sale at Dick's.听Select drivers are 50听percent听off, and select running shoes are up to 30听percent听off.
- : They're currently running a听听that's highlighted by AC units.
- : Sales on various items are currently open, including apparel and outdoor goods. Check out eBay's sale听.
What to buy at Memorial Day sales
There's conventional wisdom that says it's best to buy items during their off-season 鈥� for example, buy a gas grill during the winter when demand is lower. Such听wisdom is generally true, but听if you're in need of a grill or patio furniture for听this听summer and don't feel like waiting, Memorial Day's deals are still worthy of your consideration.
Patio Furniture:听Patio sets tend to be cheapest at the end of summer, but some sets, like this听听from Home Depot is currently on sale for $321 with free in-store pickup. This item is likely a Memorial Day-specific model, but $321, it's a good deal regardless of time of year. While it (or a similar set) may go on sale for closer to $300 in October, you'll need to ask yourself 鈥� is saving $20 worth five听months of waiting?
Grills:听Like patio furniture, this may not be the best time of year to buy a grill, but it's close. This听听is $160 with free shipping, which is very competitive for a name-brand grill at ANY time of year.
Cold weather apparel:听Memorial Day sales are a great time to buy cold weather apparel at a steep discount. This North Face women's parka from Backcountry.com is on sale for $88. We typically see this jacket retail for over $110 during fall and winter. Backcountry also has听听with use of the promo code SUMMER20. Select models of name-brand sunglasses will go for cheaper throughout the year, but 20听percent听off is a nice blanket discount.
Electronics:听For high-def enthusiasts, there's good news: 4K TVs are really starting to come down in price. This听听is just $600, which is one of the lowest prices we've ever seen on a 4K TV this size.
Apple fans will have to wait a few months to get discounts on MacBooks. Generally, the best MacBook sale of the year has been on Black Friday morning at Best Buy, with back-to-school student discounts in July coming in second. Those looking to buy an iPad over Memorial Day weekend are in luck, though. Best Buy is selling the, which is $25 less than we've seen it elsewhere.
The bottom line
Memorial Day isn't the absolute best听time to buy outdoor summer items, but it's far from the worst. If you skip the Memorial Day sales and wait until, say, mid-June to buy patio furniture and a grill, you'll find yourself paying a premium. If you can afford to wait until October you'll save money, but not an overwhelming amount.
When shopping Memorial Day sales, be sure to price match. Amazon is incredibly quick to drop their prices to match competitors, so it helps to check their site before ringing up a big-ticket item at the register.
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