CLEVELAND — February brings one of the top sales weekends of the year with President's Day. But there are plenty of other opportunities to get deals throughout the month.
"You've got the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, and you have President's Day, and retailers always like to plan their sales around different holidays and events," said Edgar Dworsky, founder of Consumer World. So which deals are the best to snag in February, and which aren't worth your time?
Early February is typically a good time to snag a deal on a new TV. But buyer beware. According to Kimberly Palmer from NerdWallet, some of the sets on sale aren't necessarily the most top of the line.
"We see a lot of discounts on TVs that are not the highest quality or they're discounted because they are not as popular," Palmer said. To make sure you're getting a good deal, Palmer recommends you, "research the quality. So you are getting what you want, instead of a cheaper version."
Then, once you have your new TV for the big game, you can stock up on snacks — they're on sale too.
You can expect even more deals once President's Day rolls around, including deals on a new ride. For most car dealerships, President's Day weekend is the first official sales event of the year.
You can also rest easy, with lots of mattress sales the holiday is famous for those sales. For Palmer, the key to shopping those deals is research. "You want to start doing your research ahead of time," she said. "So you know where you want to buy, and then you want to either visit in person or click to buy online."
Every year around this time, you can find sales on home goods, but that's especially true this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Retailers know how much time everyone's spending at home. "That includes thins like kitchen items, linens, even furniture. Anything you need for your home," Palmer said. "It's a perfect time to buy in February because we see such big discounts." The same is true for winter clothing as well.
While it might be a good time to stock up on clothes for next winter, the opposite is true for springtime clothes and springtime items, despite how tempting it may look. That means prices for things like garden related items or anything for your outdoor patio area are higher in February
You might also be tempted to splurge on your loved ones ahead of Valentine's Day, but as you might expect, prices for jewelry, chocolates and flowers tend to go up. If you still need to get something for your loved ones, you can find deals at the supermarkets, or wait until after the romance of Valentine's Day.
No matter what you're buying though, how do you make sure you're getting the best price? If you're using Amazon, Dworsky suggests a site called CamelCamelCamel. This tool can look at anything sold on Amazon and show you its price history, whether its from Amazon or third party sellers. Dworsky says this helps you figure out, "is this one of the best prices that's been offered, or really a not so great price?" That'll help you decide whether you should pull the trigger or hold off.
And finally, since everyone has to file their taxes, you might as well save some money while you do it. Feb. 1 is employers' deadline to send out W-2s, so this month, tax software companies are giving discounts for early filers.
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Editor's Note: The below video aired on January 18, 2021