How To Save $10,000+ On Shopping In 2024

On average, Americans overspend each year on big-ticket items, and I'm talking about thousands of dollars. That's crazy. Whether it's a car, plane tickets, appliances, furniture or even electronics, there's a perfect time to buy, and I've done the research for you. All you have to do is sit back, watch and learn what smart shoppers already know.

Let's jump right in. I'm Phil Clark, your host, and listen, nobody loves to save money more than me, and that's why I'm excited to introduce you to what I call my Secret Save calendar. Now, it's really not a secret, but it is your ultimate guide to saving thousands of dollars on major purchases throughout the year.

Now, believe it or not, there are specific dates when retailers drop their prices, and they drop them significantly. You've heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday; those are well known. Not everybody knows that Memorial Day and Labor Day, those are also great times to snag really good deals. It's all about being strategic and knowing when to shop.

Without a clear strategy, you could easily lose hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars. Now, if you have a plan, however, we can see those savings pile up every time we make a major purchase, and we can get instant gratification under control very quickly.

So let's start with automobiles. Now, buying a car, that's one of the largest expenses people make. There is a best time to buy, and that's the end of the year, particularly around the end of December. Well, dealerships are always eager to hit their year-end sales goals. They have quotas they want to hit, these, so that bonuses can be paid. If your timing can't wait until year end, be sure to shop towards the end of the month, when salespeople are pushing to meet their monthly goals.

And don't forget, new models roll out in late summer and fall. Dealers don't want to Prior year model when the next year model starts rolling in. So buying an outgoing year vehicle around that time, assuming they still have them, your selection's going to be lower, but you'll save a lot of money and you'll still be buying a new car with full warranty.

Let's talk about plane tickets. That can be a pretty major expense. Timing your purchase on air travel can make a big difference in cost. For domestic flights, what's the sweet spot? It's usually 1 to 3 months before your departure. International flights, you want to book about 6 months in advance.

A lot of people don't know that Tuesdays and Wednesdays, those tend to be the best days to book for cheaper flights, and that's because most airlines, they release most of their deal flights on Monday evenings. So if you can fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday, or even Saturday, those are typically the cheapest days to travel.

Let's move on to appliances. These things can be very expensive. The best time to buy big appliances like refrigerators, ovens, washers, dryers, typically that's going to be during holiday sales: Memorial Day, Labor Day and Black Friday. Those are great times to make these purchases. Don't forget, September and October, that's also a prime time, and that is because, very much like the auto dealers, that's when manufacturers are rolling out their new appliance models and stores are looking to get rid of that old inventory.

Here's something that I've done, and it saved me a lot of money. Go to your local appliance store and ask them if they're willing to sell you a floor model. Now, they might not be willing to sell it that day, but if you're a few months prior to the new models coming in, chances are they'll sell it to you. And that's a win-win, because you're going to get a big discount, and that appliance store, they know that the inventory will be cleared for their new models.

Let's talk furniture and mattresses. Those are other big expenses. In fact, it's not unusual to see mattresses sell for thousands of dollars. I've seen certain brands go for 78 10,000. The best time to buy would be times like Presidents' Day and Labor Day sales. For mattresses, Memorial Day is king. These are the times when stores will slash prices, once again, to move inventory.

Plus, if you can shop in July and January, these months are when new furniture styles tend to hit the floors, and retailers, just like those appliance stores that I mentioned, they begin to discount older models because they have to make space.

Finally, electronics. Now, this one gets everyone's attention, because everyone likes gadgets. The absolute best time to buy electronics, especially things like televisions or laptop computers, it's Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But January also offers great deals, because a lot of stores are discounting items that didn't sell during the Christmas holidays, and you'll find many TV manufacturers that offer Super Bowl-related sales.

Back-to-school sales, that's no longer just for students. That's because you'll find lots of tech items, laptops and all sorts of things on special discount for what they call back-to-school sales.

There you have it, the secret calendar for buying big-ticket items. Timing is everything here, and by following this guide, or this calendar, you can save thousands of dollars if big purchases are in your future. And don't forget, if you live in a state that offers tax holidays, that could be worth another 3 to 7% if your state participates.

I really want to hear from you. Tell me some of your favorite savings tips. I'd love to hear them, and who knows, we might use them in a new show. Drop them in the comments below, and I'll do my best to get back to all of them.

And don't forget to check out our other videos for more money management strategies, and be sure to hit the thumbs-up button if you found today's episode helpful. Please consider subscribing to our channel, and I'll see you next time when we're talking money.