Having a family means constantly requiring appliances for the kitchen, living room, laundry room and the list goes on. While appliances are investments that need to be carefully made, it is also important to know the right time to invest in such equipment. Shopping at the right time can help you save a lot of money that you can use elsewhere.

If it comes to scoring bargains on big products, timing is all about it. And the best time to buy home appliances is when shops need you more than you need a new home appliance.

Normally, this means that you can get more value for your money. 

Sourcing the best price for your new product allows you to spend some time researching the market and what retailers have on sale. However, the time of year also plays a significant role in the pricing of appliances, and if you enter the market at the right time, you could have a fantastic deal that would save you money.

At Mommysavebig, we’ve put together this guide to help you understand the best times of the year to purchase your appliances.

The best months to buy appliances are:

• September, October, and January, as manufacturers roll out new home appliance models, retailers are eager to move their inventory last year. (The refrigerators are the exception. New models come out in the spring.)

The best seasons to buy appliances are:

• Fall and winter are the best seasons to buy air conditioners and gas grills, because few buyers think about warm-weather appliances when leaves and snow cover the ground.

The best day to buy appliances is:

• Thursday, the day before the weekend rush, when the wings are less crowded.

The best time of the month to buy appliances is: 

• End of Month

Last days of the month, retailers are desperate to meet targets and are more likely to be overpriced.

Many stores also have monthly sales targets to meet, and if they find that they are falling behind their quota, they may decide to make a sale. Launching a sale at the end of the month helps the retailer reach their targets and helps them to get rid of old stocks that are not selling well. If you want to visit a month-end sale, there is a risk that you won’t find any luxury brands or products that you want on the deal. It is more likely that the retailer would put discounts on slow-selling products and leave the common items at full sticker rates.

This sales tactic lets the retailer get more of a foot in the shop, and they know that if you move over the threshold of their market, their sales staff have a better chance of selling you to a more expensive product.

Most retailers are using dubious strategies to cover up their plan. They may be running an advertisement in a newspaper that displays a different item from the one they are selling, with an asterisk pointing to a fine print that says the appliance “looks like” the one in the advertisement. When you get to the supermarket, you find that the product is totally different from your expectations. 

If a store is not running a promotion, you can always ask for a discount, especially at the end of the month. Don’t be afraid to take a gamble, the least they can do is say no – if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

You can also consider buying appliances:

• Before the Release of a Product

If you’re looking to buy an appliance, it’s a prudent strategy to make your purchase when brands launch a new model on the market. Most retailers will lower their prices on older models to make way for an increase in demand for the new model. Smart TVs are a perfect example of this trend. When Samsung launched its UHD curved Smart TVs, retailers slashed prices on older models, hoping to clear the old stock to make way for the new range. This same phenomenon exists in every product range, from refrigerators to microwaves. Think about how much the PlayStation 4 cost when it was launched, compared to what you pay for it in the store today. When PlayStation 5 finally arrives, retailers can expect to reduce the price of the PS4 device significantly.

Before you decide to head to stores searching for your new gadget, do a fast internet check to see if any companies are launching new items soon.

As for most items, prices for year-old appliance models collapse when they are launched with the latest and greatest features. New appliance technology is often unveiled at CES in January, an annual trade show, while devices are also launched later in the year. When you go for an older appliance model, you won’t have the most up-to – date materials, but that may be helpful. Some people are not a fan of purchasing appliances with major updates until they’ve been out for a while. That way, it’s time to see if something goes wrong.

• On Memorial Day

Retailers are focusing electronics sales around Memorial Day. The holiday also coincides with Maytag Month, the annual discount promotion of the Maytag appliance brand.

Appliance deals generally take the form of percentage discounts or discounts. In the past, Lowe had a 30 percent limit on select products, while J.C. Penney has reduced major appliances by up to 40%. Maytag gave shoppers up to a $600 prepaid debit card by mail with the purchase of selected kitchen appliances.

• On Fourth of July

Electronics outlets, home improvement stores and department stores tend to host sales at the beginning of July, and these offers also go beyond holidays. Around the fourth of July, refrigerator prices beat Black Friday prices, according to the Consumer Reports price analysis.

In recent years, a handful of major retailers have offered incentives to purchase multiple appliances at once. Best Buy offered a $300 gift card to shoppers who purchased three qualifying appliances totalling $3,000 or more, or $400 in gift cards to those who purchased four or more appliances totalling $4,000 or more. Home Depot offered $50 off two appliances, $100 off three appliances, $200 off four appliances, $300 off five appliances.

• During Back to School Sales

Back-to-school can seem like an odd time to think about buying things, with the exception of one important factor: all children leaving for college and moving to their own dorms and apartments. Those students need new microwaves, mini-fridges, space heaters, and a lot of other appliances — and the manufacturers know that. That’s why a number of back-to-school sales will include affordable appliances, especially smaller versions. This makes it a great time to look for offers, particularly if you do need a space-saving version.

• During Off Season

There’s a whole class of seasonal devices that people are only really interested in at certain times of the year. One example is a barbecue grill, much of which is used by people in the spring and summer. People prefer to think of room heaters in winter, not in high-temperature summer months. Similarly, people want new AC systems in the summer, not in the middle of the winter. This causes an inverse effect where the best time to buy seasonal appliances is always in the opposite season. Which means — apart from the advice we gave above — you should look for heaters in the summer, AC systems in the winter, and so on. It is a reasonable concept for all forms of HVAC and fuel based appliances.

• On Black Friday

Retailers are slashing prices on just about anything in November, and home appliances are no exception.

Appliance deals are typically teased in Black Friday advertisements that have been leaking throughout November. Use this advance notice to expand potential savings, but read the fine print — many doorbusters (limited time deals on the front of Black Friday ads) are sold in small quantities, and you may only be able to purchase so many of the same items.

If you’d rather miss the crowds, Rogers says that you can still expect decent sales after Christmas, as long as retailers have an inventory left over.

• By Choosing Open Box Models

There’s one more thing you can do to find the best offers and ask for some damage discount. In certain larger appliances, minor scratches, teeth and dings do not impact output at all and may not even be noticeable when the appliance is assembled. But these small damage spots tend to yield 10% to 20% discounts that you can use to save even more money. While you’re looking at it, make sure you check for any harm discounts on the different types of items you’re looking at.

• By Buying Online

Although online shopping allows you to search for pricing in multiple stores in a matter of minutes, you can’t actually see the appliance in person. Buying online is perfect when you’ve done your homework, and you know exactly the brand and model you want in the past.

If you buy online, the best time of the day to buy is 3 p.m., and the best day to buy is Thursday. Retailers are more likely to lower prices than that.

It’s also a good idea to take advantage of online shopping events and deals like Cyber Week and Amazon Prime Day. You can even get cash back or gift cards from sites like Rakuten or Swagbucks.

Compare prices using different browsers when shopping online. An appliance deal viewed on Firefox might be priced differently when viewed on Safari. Most retailers offer extra discounts if you pay for your credit card. (But only apply if the credit score can support another card.)Sometimes appliance repair stores are slightly outdated or defective — but heavily discounted — appliances. Check with your service guy before buying retail. If you can’t shop on sales days, you can notice the next time the store goes to lower prices. You can do this by looking at the metal price stand next to the appliance, which is always filled with cards showing the price and date of upcoming sales.

When nothing works, price match:

•  Price Matching Policy Does

When you can’t wait for big sales, there are still places you can save on massive appliances. Lowe provides price matching for any item you find online or in another store, so if you want the same product for less, be sure to ask. If consumers find the same product from any local or online retail competitor with a lower daily price or advertised price, Lowe’s will match it. Discounts may vary by location, so the prices for the products of the competitors will be matched to localized prices only. Please be sure to read the store’s price match guarantee in advance.

If you haven’t yet found a better alternative to sell to your rivals, you can still apply for financing across most of the big box stores.

We hope our article pleased the smart shopper in you and helped you in knowing the best times for buying appliances.