What to buy and not buy in May

Things will be looking better for sales in May with Mother’s Day and Memorial coming up.

Stores will be stocking up on summer clothing, patio furniture, and outdoor cooking items, so spring inventories will start going on sale in May.

Look for deals on appliances and mattresses for Memorial Day sales and for Mother’s Day compare prices for reduced prices on flowers and clothing.

Here are some suggestions from Offers.com on what deals to look for in May.

Appliances and refrigerators

Appliance sales abound in May, especially on refrigerators. Stores reduce their prices in May on the previous year’s refrigerators to get ready for new models.

Spring clothing

Since spring offerings include a lot of outerwear and footwear to get people through the cool, rainy spring season, you likely will be able to find trench coats, rain boots, and wind-breakers. Check your favorite stores for clearance selections either at the store or online.

Cookware and home goods

With graduation and Mother’s Day in May, you’ll find deals on small appliances and dishware plentiful.

Jewelry

After Mother’s Day, jewelry prices often fall. Some sales may be offered before Mother’s Day, too.

Mattresses and bedding

Like Presidents’ Day and Labor Day, Memorial Day, a three-day shopping weekend, is a good time to shop for a mattress.

Star Wars Day items

“May the fourth (force) be with you” is turning into a day, May 4^th, for sale prices on Star Wars products. While most sales are for one day, some retailers offer Star Wars sales throughout the month.

What not to buy in May

Computers and electronics

Wait until August to buy. Retailers and brands such as Apple release back-to-school sales in July and continue to lower prices as the opening of schools approaches. You may be able to save hundreds of dollars on a laptop if you wait for a sale. You’re likely to save even more if you wait for Black Friday sales in November, usually the best time of the year to buy computers.

Grills and outdoor furniture

If you can wait until after Labor Day to buy these items, you should be able to find them for 40 percent to 50 percent off.

Summer clothing

You’ll find better deals around mid-summer when stores want to make room for winter items. In addition, back-to-school sales often feature summer clothing.

Swimsuits

Wait, if you can. The back-to-school sales are when stores want to get rid of the swimsuits that haven’t sold, so the prices are more likely to be at their lowest.

Happy sale shopping during May. Remember to compare prices because as I’ve warned many times “marked way up and marked way down” doesn’t mean you’ll be saving any money.

Comments

[Rebecca Forstadt Olkowski]

I need to pick up some summer resort wear for my daughter's wedding in Cabo during January and now is the best time to do it.

[Rita]

Now you'll have a good selection. Fall will bring sales on summer wear, but the selection will be limited.

[Jennifer]

Usually, mobile phones are also on steep sale for Mother's Day. Christmas, Mother's Day, and back to school are usually the three big sales pushes for mobile carriers.

[Rita]

Yes, it's always good to be comparing prices. The big holiday times are known for the best sales, especially Black Friday, but keep comparing prices all the time to spot deals.