Timing lesson
Buy or wait?
Some things really do go on sale at the same time every year. Here's the calendar we teach from. It's a guide, not a guarantee: a real A-grade price beats a good month every time.
This month: October
Tech
Buy only an A or B
Early Black Friday deals start. Buy an A now; wait on a B or C.
Home & Outdoor Power
Buy only an A or B
The October Prime event brings power-station deals. Buy an A.
Home & Tools
Wait if you can
Black Friday tool kits are weeks away. Wait unless it’s an A.
Appliances
Good month to buy
Model-year clearance keeps going, and early Black Friday appliance deals start.
The pattern, category by category
Tech
TVs and laptops get their deepest, broadest sales around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. TVs also dip before the Super Bowl and as last year’s models clear out in spring. Laptops go on sale for back-to-school in July and August.
Today's graded Tech deals · Black Friday laptop deals · Black Friday TV deals
Home & Outdoor Power
Portable power stations go on sale around the big shopping events: Prime Day in July, the October Prime event and Black Friday. Outdoor power gear tends to clear out at the end of the season. Don’t wait for a storm, though: when demand spikes, prices don’t fall.
Today's graded Home & Outdoor Power deals · Black Friday power station deals
Home & Tools
Tool brands save their best battery-and-kit bundles for Father’s Day, the spring home-improvement sales and Black Friday. Between those, a “sale” is often just the everyday price with a red tag.
Appliances
Appliances follow the holiday-weekend calendar: Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day and Black Friday. New models land in the fall, so last year’s models get marked down in September and October.
Today's graded Appliances deals · Black Friday appliance deals
Month by month
Tap a month to see the call for each category.
January
- TechGood month to buyTV sales run up to the Super Bowl, and last year’s models start to clear as new ones are announced.
- Home & Outdoor PowerBuy only an A or BQuiet month. Take an A if you see one; otherwise wait for spring.
- Home & ToolsBuy only an A or BPost-holiday lull. Kits rarely beat their Black Friday prices now.
- AppliancesBuy only an A or BSome New Year sales, but Presidents’ Day is a few weeks away.
February
- TechGood month to buyThe pre–Super Bowl TV sales are the best TV prices until fall.
- Home & Outdoor PowerBuy only an A or BOff season. Fine to buy an A; no reason to rush a C.
- Home & ToolsWait if you canSpring home-improvement sales are close. Hold off unless it’s an A.
- AppliancesGood month to buyPresidents’ Day weekend is one of the regular appliance sale weekends.
March
- TechBuy only an A or BLast year’s TVs keep clearing as new models arrive. Laptops are in between sales.
- Home & Outdoor PowerWait if you canSpring sales are coming. Wait unless you need it now.
- Home & ToolsWait if you canThe big spring tool sales usually land in April. Wait if you can.
- AppliancesBuy only an A or BBetween holiday weekends. Take an A; wait on anything less.
April
- TechBuy only an A or BOlder TV models keep clearing. Laptops are better in July and August.
- Home & Outdoor PowerGood month to buySpring outdoor-power sales start as mowing season begins.
- Home & ToolsGood month to buyHome-improvement stores run their big spring tool sales.
- AppliancesWait if you canMemorial Day is next month. Wait if your old one still works.
May
- TechBuy only an A or BQuiet for TVs and laptops. Prime Day is in July.
- Home & Outdoor PowerGood month to buyMemorial Day sales cover outdoor power and backup power.
- Home & ToolsBuy only an A or BFather’s Day tool sales are next month.
- AppliancesGood month to buyMemorial Day weekend is a regular appliance sale weekend.
June
- TechWait if you canPrime Day is next month, and other stores answer it with their own sales.
- Home & Outdoor PowerWait if you canPrime Day is next month. Power stations are a Prime Day staple.
- Home & ToolsGood month to buyFather’s Day is one of the big tool-deal weeks of the year.
- AppliancesBuy only an A or BFourth of July sales are a few weeks away.
July
- TechGood month to buyPrime Day and the competing sales, plus back-to-school laptop deals.
- Home & Outdoor PowerGood month to buyPrime Day is one of the main power-station sale events.
- Home & ToolsBuy only an A or BSome Prime Day tool deals. Check the grade: many are everyday prices.
- AppliancesGood month to buyFourth of July weekend appliance sales.
August
- TechGood month to buyBack-to-school is a good time for laptops.
- Home & Outdoor PowerGood month to buyEnd-of-summer clearance on outdoor power gear.
- Home & ToolsBuy only an A or BLabor Day sales are coming. Take an A; wait on the rest.
- AppliancesWait if you canLabor Day is next month. Wait if you can.
September
- TechBuy only an A or BBack-to-school is over and Black Friday is coming. Buy an A only.
- Home & Outdoor PowerBuy only an A or BSeason’s ending. Clearance on outdoor power; power stations wait for fall events.
- Home & ToolsBuy only an A or BLabor Day tool sales, but Black Friday kits are usually better.
- AppliancesGood month to buyLabor Day sales, and last year’s models get marked down as new ones land.
October
- TechBuy only an A or BEarly Black Friday deals start. Buy an A now; wait on a B or C.
- Home & Outdoor PowerBuy only an A or BThe October Prime event brings power-station deals. Buy an A.
- Home & ToolsWait if you canBlack Friday tool kits are weeks away. Wait unless it’s an A.
- AppliancesGood month to buyModel-year clearance keeps going, and early Black Friday appliance deals start.
November
- TechGood month to buyBlack Friday and Cyber Monday: the broadest TV and laptop sales of the year.
- Home & Outdoor PowerGood month to buyBlack Friday is a main power-station sale event.
- Home & ToolsGood month to buyBlack Friday is when the best battery-and-kit bundles show up.
- AppliancesGood month to buyBlack Friday appliance sales, often starting early in the month.
December
- TechBuy only an A or BSome Black Friday prices come back for the holidays. Buy an A.
- Home & Outdoor PowerBuy only an A or BHoliday sales repeat some Black Friday prices. Take an A or B.
- Home & ToolsBuy only an A or BHoliday tool deals are common. Check the grade before you buy.
- AppliancesBuy only an A or BYear-end sales happen, but Presidents’ Day is the next big weekend.
The teacher's rule
The calendar tells you when to look. The grade tells you whether to buy. If a deal is an A today, you don't need to wait for a holiday. If it's a C during a "big sale," the sale is the costume. Black Friday is Nov 27 this year; start with our Black Friday guide and Black Friday vs Cyber Monday.
Shopping for someone else? Try the gift finder.