It's not time to shop for Halloween bargains or Christmas presents when it's 110 degrees in the car. So here's a list of the things to buy in September, as recommended by
DealNews.com.
Patio furniture: It's finally a great month to buy patio furniture. September will see an increase in the number of outdoor furniture sales and deals on seasonal outdoor items from retailers like Target and Sears, which took up to 60 percent off their stock of outdoor furniture last year. Kmart stole the show slashing up to 90 percent off its collection of outdoor items, including patio chairs and tables.
Free caffeine: Mark Sept. 29 on your calendar, as several food chains will offer a free cup o' joe in honor of National Coffee Day. In past years, Krispy Kreme and Waffle House held celebrations and other chains and cafes might do the same this September.
New car models out this month: As many manufacturers release new car models in September, industry experts claim dealerships will slash prices on their older models. However, Forbes says the deals get substantially better (10 percent to 20 percent off sticker) in October and later, as the new model pipeline pressure rises.
No big appliance deals: Conventional wisdom says "buy large appliances in September and October as this is when manufacturers (LG, Maytag and Whirlpool) debut their new models." However, DealNews archives show double the number of Editors' Choice deals on these items appear in November because such items will be in Black Friday sales. More than twice as many deals from department and home improvement stores in November will discount washers, dryers and vacuums.
New iPhone price points: Apple is expected to announce a new iPhone this month, meaning previous generations are about to be price-reduced. This means that the two prior iterations will most likely drop to $99 and $0, respectively, with a 2-year contract extension. However, rumor has it Cupertino plans to release a budget iPhone replacing one of these price points - cheap iPhones for September.
Older tablets discounts: The iPad mini is also expected to get a refresh this month, creating nearly instantaneous deals on first-generation minis from resellers. If Apple keeps the original around at a lower price, stores like Best Buy could discount the 16GB WiFi model ($266), at a new all-time low. Likewise, Amazon will update the Kindle Fire HD tablet, meaning a new price for the previous generation ($159) if the store maintains last year's pricing structure.
Haswell Core i5 laptops cheapest since launch: The back-to-school crunch is over, but this doesn't mean laptop prices are up again. To the contrary, deals will remain low or plateau until the next shopping holiday: Black Friday. A 15-inch Intel Core i5 Haswell processor laptop fell to a new low last month ($458), about $60 more than a Core i5 Ivy Bridge system, but it's 16 percent less expensive than July's best deal and the lowest price seen to date for the Haswell.
HDTVs, PC computers at great prices
HDTVs in 32-inch to 55-inch versions abound at new lows and desktop PCs still pull a larger load cheaper than flyaway cousins.
Prime time for 32-inch HDTVs: Chances are good several big-screen TVs will fall to lower price points around Black Friday. September is still the best time to buy smaller 32-inch, 1080p LCD HDTVs. In 2012, September deals beat the best Black Friday promotions by 6 percent. Look for deals in the $169 range (last year's low) and make sure it's actually 1080p. A recent 32-inch 720p set resurgence at $169 is no deal.
Big-screen HDTVs at all-time lows: Although they haven't reached all-time lows as they did in July, 55-inch 3D LCD HDTVs did fall to their second-lowest price of the year ($700 in August). Shoppers won't see other rock-bottom deals on these until the holidays, but look for deals below $729, the category average. This price point should get you a name-brand 55-inch 3D TV with built-in Wi-Fi and app support. While 55-inch LCDs are not at their cheapest now, 60-inch plasmas are. Prices have fallen this summer, with August bringing the best deal at $600.
Desktops still shine: Desktops are a dying breed, having been bumped by mobile platforms, but there are still users who prefer PCs for their heavy computing needs. For the past two years, September has been the best time to buy dual-core desktop PCs. With prices starting at $200, this month boasts deals better than Black Friday's best offers. However, higher-end quad-core models see the biggest price cuts in November when they will be marked down to around $320.
Set up an email alert at
tulsaworld.com/dealnewsalerts now to stay abreast of the best buys of September. For more price trend information, check
tulsaworld.com/dealnewspricetrends
Tulsa World consumer writer Phil Mulkins wants to know which topics interest you. Call 918-699-8888, email your suggestion to
phil.mulkins@tulsaworld.com or mail it to Tulsa World Consumer, PO Box 1770, Tulsa, OK 74102-1770.
Original Print Headline: September offers big deals
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