What not to buy during Memorial Day sales
Memorial Day falls on May 30 this year, and the holiday weekend will be chock-full of sales, deals and discounts.
You鈥檒l likely be cashing in on savings on furniture and mattresses, categories that historically see deep discounts over Memorial Day, but other products won鈥檛 get such big price cuts.
To make sure you get the best deals, we鈥檝e listed what to skip on the long weekend:
The colorful swimsuit that鈥檚 calling your name
That yellow polka-dot bikini may have you dreaming of sandy beaches and ocean waves, but don鈥檛 purchase your swim essentials just yet.
Summer products usually cost more at the beginning of the season, and their prices drop midway or at the end, when they鈥檙e the absolute lowest. If you can forgo buying now, you鈥檒l swim into savings over the next few months.
Drastic deals will surface in June. For instance, intimates superstore Victoria鈥檚 Secret hosts a 聽with steep聽discounts on swimwear and lingerie. In June 2015, for instance, Victoria鈥檚 Secret offered 25% to 50% off on over 500 bra styles and 25% to 50% off on more than 700 swim styles.
All things Apple
As we advised in our what to buy in guide, try to refrain from electronics purchases this month, including Apple products. We tend to see electronics deals swell around Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November.
Memorial Day sales will likely have a smartphone or two in the mix. But if you鈥檙e in the market for a new iPhone and , we recommend waiting until September, when Apple is expected to release a new phone. New phone releases almost always聽mean price drops on previous models.
禄 MORE:
Early back-to-school supplies
Although the current school year isn鈥檛 over quite yet, some students (and parents) are already looking ahead to next year 鈥� and stores don鈥檛 hesitate to stock shelves early. But don鈥檛 spring for premature back-to-school shopping this month.
Judging by trends from past years, prices on back-to-school supplies are best in late August and early September, when stores start hosting blowout sales. That鈥檚 when you鈥檙e likely to find good deals on office supplies, backpacks and even laptops.
Anything and everything that鈥檚 on sale
Beware of retailers that claim that 鈥渆verything鈥� in their store is on sale over Memorial Day weekend. Not everything that鈥檚 included in these sale events is actually cheaper than it is at other times of the year.
That鈥檚 where smart shopping strategies come in. Instead of walking into a store blindly, have an idea of what you want to buy and conduct a quick search on your smartphone to ensure you鈥檙e taking advantage of all applicable coupons. Then, compare prices among聽stores to make sure聽you鈥檙e not being overcharged.
Expensive shipping fees
You absolutely shouldn鈥檛 settle for high shipping fees if you鈥檒l be shopping online this Memorial Day weekend. That鈥檚 because many retailers will offer free shipping as an incentive to shop.
Some stores聽will require you to enter a promo code at checkout to have the free shipping applied to your purchase. Others will set a minimum amount you need to spend to qualify for free shipping. To ensure you鈥檝e met聽the minimum required for free shipping, consolidate all of your purchases at one store instead of spreading them out among many.
And if you can鈥檛 reach the minimum free shipping threshold, don鈥檛 just buy extra products until you do. Instead, buy your items online and pick them up in the store, an option that many retailers such as聽Macy鈥檚 and Target now offer.
Courtney Jespersen is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email:聽courtney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter:聽. This article first appeared at .
