The Best Time To Buy a Mattress: Shop Smart and Save Big! Our e-mail newsletter shares the latest programs and initiatives Consumer Reports will not sell or rent your email address to third parties. See our Privacy Policy.Do you need to replace your mattress and wonder if there is a better time of the year to buy one? It's worth considering since it's rare to have a mattress-breakdown emergency. Instead, you start thinking you might sleep better on a new mattress, especially if yours is years beyond its warranty. Usually, you consider it because you are moving or adding a bed to your household. If you check the ads, you see that mattresses are constantly on sale, so you don't have to look hard to find what purports to be a deal. Just remember: mattress prices are negotiable. Ask for a better deal, and you're likely to get it. That said, there really is a better time to find real deals on mattresses.May is the best month to buy a new mattress at a mattress showroom.
The industry rolls out its new models in June through September, so they want to clear out the older models in May. Memorial Day weekend may be the best time to get a great deal, as it combines the month of May with another peculiar sales time for mattresses - holiday weekends.Retailers tend to have good mattress deals on the long weekends of national holidays - President's Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day. You might even snag good deals on bedding at the same time at January white sales around Martin Luther King Day weekend.If you are going to shop online for a mattress, you won't be able to lie down on it and try it out. It pays to use the online sites for comparison shopping on the models you liked best in the showroom. You can use online sites to check the prices you see at retailers and get a good sense of what an actual discount price may be. Also, consider that you won't be able to negotiate a better deal as you can in a showroom, the stated price is the final price. If you find a better deal online, check the delivery details and return policy and conditions to make sure that all of the possible fees add up for real savings.
Buying a Used MattressUnlike used appliances, buying a used mattress isn't often the best idea. You'll see mattresses included in many lists of things never to buy used. The big reason is bed bugs, which seem to be more and more common. You don't want them in your home, period. The second reason is that mattresses don't last forever. If you need a cheap substitute rather than a new mattress, consider a foam pad or air pillow mattress until you can afford a new one.Do Your Research and Prepare to HaggleIf you don't have an emergency need for a mattress, spend the time to determine what kind of mattress you want and how much you are prepared to spend. If you are buying at a retailer or showroom, negotiating is expected, and you will save by offering less than the sticker price. You won't have this option at a warehouse or membership store or online, so consider that when comparing prices. Some purchases are impossible to plan: car repairs, leaky roof patches, a working furnace right before the big snowstorm hits.
But more often than not, you can plan ahead for life’s necessities — and some non-necessities, too.Before you let an impulse buy drain your bank account, consult our handy calendar of the best time to buy absolutely everything. You might be surprised at the deals each new season brings! Kick off the new year with big savings.Retailers know that the newest TVs and other electronics are revealed at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in early January. This makes January the best time to buy a TV, thanks to — as long as you don’t sweat the new, fancy models too much.No need to rush to the bookstore in December to get a new wall or desk calendar. Buy one during the first week or two of January to get 50 to 70% off. “Look for gyms to at least lower or completely waive sign-up fees; if they don’t outright offer it, ask for it,” Benjamin Glaser, editor of , writes. “The best deals will also give you a month or even two months for free.”The yearly tradition of hosting a white sale dates , when linens were only available in white.
But modern white sales include linens and home goods in every color of the rainbow. Don’t be swayed by sheets with super-high thread counts — those may not be true. (And really, you probably don’t know what different thread counts feel like.)I know, you have an entire 11 months until you get invited to your next ugly sweater party. But my reports that January is the best time to find a truly hideous sweater for way cheap. Fall in love with these deals during the month of February.Why is President’s Day the best time to buy a mattress? Because when both spouses need to agree on a purchase, they , according to Forbes contributor Laura Heller. That’s why retailers use the holiday to shill for pricy items many people have put off buying or replacing for a while. One of the best times to buy jewelry is in February — but only . Look for discounts of up to 80% off after retailers take off their rose-colored glasses. It’s not worth paying the to celebrate with your sweetheart, anyway.
take up a ton of room in your closet and just as much room in stores. Help retailers clear ’em out this month, and you’ll get a big discount. Spring forward by making these smart purchases in March.Don’t wait until a week before your big family vacation to get a new . March is the best time to buy luggage, as it’s on sale to entice shoppers who are desperate to be done with snowy, dreary winter and crave a little spring break. Just don’t forget where you put it when it’s time to pack.Whether you’re looking for a treadmill or just a set of dumbbells, March is the time to shop. Retailers know you’re going outside to soon, so they want to unload in-home workout gear. The smart shopper always plans ahead.Book your now for the best prices on flights. Want to save even more? Travel early or late in the summer instead of during peak times.You don’t have to wait until Father’s Day to find excellent prices on tools and home improvement gear. If you’re anxious to start your home DIY projects in the spring, go ahead and .
Home Depot likes this time of year so much it even hosts a Spring Black Friday sale.Everyone’s finally going outside again. Let make it easier for you to keep up with your New Year’s resolution (remember that?) by discounting those new kicks. Is your refrigerator running? If not, May is a great time to get a new one.I understand you’re not going to time your baby’s birth to get the best deal on all their accoutrements. But if your kiddo needs a , May is a good time to shop, according to Consumer Reports — especially if you can grab the Memorial Day deals. Shop in May to get last year’s model at a better rate. You can’t tell the difference between last year’s refrigerator models and this year’s, right? June is peak wedding season, and stores hope you’ve planned ahead to buy those wedding registry gifts. Now is when those items are discounted, and it’s the to replace or upgrade what’s in your own cabinets. Now that summer is in full swing, outdoor gear, like tents, backpacks, lanterns and even fitness gear, is marked down.
But there’s still plenty of time to enjoy a weekend in the woods. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, check your calendar: Amazon celebrates its birthday each July by discounting thousands of items on Prime Day. While there are a lot of duds and “Amazon really sells that?!” raised eyebrows, the megastore offers great deals on its own products, from Kindles to Echos to Fire Sticks. New styles hit stores in , so retailers spend much of July clearing out old stock, especially over Fourth of July weekend, making this the best time to buy furniture. puter manufacturers typically release their new models in the summer, so back-to-school sales are a great time to buy . The specs probably won’t be different enough for you to notice, unless you’re a hardcore gamer or designer. Apple products, however, typically get announced in the fall, so hold off to get that new Macbook. Grilling season doesn’t stop at the stroke of Labor Day. Buy at the tail end of summer to enjoy your grill almost until Thanksgiving (OK, depending on where you live).
More like back to the checkout lane.The best time to is 60 to 70 days before the holiday, which means mid- to late September could be your sweet spot for saving.Even though your local pool might be closed for the season, you should think about stocking up on for next year. There’s a joke about spooky deals in here, but I won’t make it.Jeans typically get discounted in October, after back-to-school sales have ended and families are stocked up on fall attire.Goodbye summer, hello savings. It’s worth checking out the patio furniture if you don’t mind storing it over the winter. When that first warm spring day hits, you’ll be ready to bask in the sunshine.This might not be a frequent purchase, but if you’re in the market for a new home, it can help to hold off past the busy spring and summer buying season. Your a few percentage points in October, making this the best time to buy a house. The days get shorter, but the deals get bigger.This time of year is ripe with rock-bottom prices on giftable small appliances.
If you’re looking for a blender, food processor, coffee maker or anything else that’ll proudly take up space on your kitchen counter, it’s worth waiting until Black Friday sales begin in stores and online.Bridal shops are slow before the proposal rush during the holiday season, so the few weeks before Thanksgiving is a good time to start trying on gowns. Ask about sample sales and last year’s styles that may be priced to move. Celebrate the season… by shopping smart, obviously. If your family’s been begging for a , December is the best time to have one installed. It might be chilly, but pool pros would rather avoid working on 90-degree days! Plus, when their workload slows in the winter, many contractors are willing to lower their prices.Toy deals stick around after Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales in November. Even if you’re done with holiday shopping for your little ones, consider picking up their favorite character and activity toys while they’re still discounted to stash away for birthdays.