When to get the best deal?

Came across an article on news.com.au a while back showing when is usually the best time to make a particular purchase.  It is good to keep the following information in mind when we shop.

TRAVEL

• Check the price on both booking sites and the airline's own sites.
• Avoid peak times for domestic travel — Friday afternoons, Sunday nights and Monday mornings.
• Try to be flexible with the time. The most expensive periods tend to be between 6.30-9.30am, and 4-7pm.
• Flying to Europe and the US is generally cheapest in February and March.

GROCERIES

• Supermarkets generally price their produce down at the end of the day if it’s perishable so buying your meat, milk or baked goods in the afternoon instead of the morning can save you money.

PETROL

• Petrol stations have their own pricing cycle where the cost per litre rises and falls.  Recently, the cycle is around 2~3-week.
• If unavoidable to fill petrol when the price was high, don't fill up the tank.  Just fill it enough to wait for the lowest cycle.

CARS

• Car salespeople typically receive bonuses at the end of the month, quarter or financial year, and so will probably work to meet their quotas then.
• Also look for cars that have a new model coming out soon, when dealers need to clear their lots and make room for them.
• December signals the start of an intense year-end sale period, with dealers focused on clearing current model-year stock.
• January is a carry-over month for discounts.

CLOTHES

• You will save on clothing by shopping in line with the seasons overseas. When jacket season is ending in the US and Europe, it’s just starting here.  Cash in on this by shopping with online retailers from overseas which have clearance on stock that is just coming into fashion here.  With the low Australian Dollar, you will need to do more serious comparison.
• Australian retailers Myer and David Jones now typically have stocktake sales all year around, so no need to wait until Boxing Day.

SHOES

• As with most clothes and accessories, shoes are at their cheapest at the end of their season’s run.
• Shop for boots at the end of winter and for sandals at the end of summer.

ENTERTAINMENT

• Entertainment venues such as museums and amusement parks often have discounts during the middle of the week, when they’re less crowded. Plus, smaller crowds are always more pleasant. Some venues may have free admission days.
• Tuesday is typically the cheapest day for the cinema, as well as eating out in pubs and restaurants.

RENOVATIONS

• If you’re planning to get work done on your house, aim for winter. Colder periods of the year are the labour downtime which means contractors have to be more competitive in their business. This is especially true of swimming pools — think ahead this winter and reap the benefits come summer.

CARPET AND FLOORING

• More people buy carpets and flooring at the end of the year in preparation for the Christmas holidays. Once January rolls around, prices go down.

GADGETS

• Cyber Monday — one of the busiest online shopping days in the US where electronics and other goods are on sale — is gaining momentum in Australia.
• Australian retailers typically have the biggest in-store and online discounts from November to January. Hang out to get your big ticket gadgets in the Boxing Day sales for the best prices.

VIDEO GAMES

• Many new video games come out in summer for the holiday season, and go on sale in January and February.

PERFUME

• It’s best to buy your favourite scent sometime after Valentine’s Day, but quite a long time before Mother’s Day. Similar deal for Christmas — don’t buy perfume in December.

LUGGAGE

• We all want to fly somewhere warm in winter. That’s why you’re more likely to net a bargain on your travel gear if you hold out until after the peak travel season.
• Avoid buying luggage right before school holiday periods and wait for the end of summer.

POWER TOOLS

• Father’s Day is probably the only hardware-driven holiday on the calendar, so be clever, and don’t buy power tools around this time.

STATIONERY

• Back-to-school sales offer decent discounts on stationery and office supplies. Plan your bigger purchases for around March to get the best prices.

Extracted from news.com.au