Business is cyclical. Here are the best things to buy in January …
There are good deals to be found year round for just about anything. However, it's the nature of business that a lot of deals happen at the same time during the year.
Best things to buy in January
Here are things that you can find good deals on in January:
- Fitness equipment and memberships. Some times of year are fertile for change, and perhaps the quintessential change for this time of year is to try to get into better shape. Gyms know this, and will be looking to make concessions to get people into memberships while they're still excited. Same thing with stores that sell exercise and fitness equipment.
- Winter clothes. Now that the cold weather has begun and the holidays have passed, retailers have inventory to move before the weather gets warmer again. (Case in point: we found a number of fuzzy pants on clearance for our daughter around this time.) Look for discounts and clearance deals on sweaters and heavy coats.
- Tax software. Yeah, I'm SURE you're happy I reminded you that mid-April is just around the corner, but some of the best deals on tax software are shortly after the holidays into the new year. (I didn't see many discounts closer to the tax deadline which is, unfortunately, when I usually get motivated.) Time to get some H&R Block Software, or perhaps something by Intuit TurboTax. (I've used both and they're both excellent.)
- Valentine's Day stuff. No sooner are the Happy New Year hats on the clearance racks than the red heart-shaped boxes of candy are on the shelves. (Actually, even before that! We saw Valentine's Day displays three days after Christmas!) Swarovski watches, jewelry, and similar items are discounted earlier in January, and prices for flowers and confections get slashed closer to the end of the month. (Striking while the love is hot, and all that.)
- Televisions. The first 4k TVs I saw around the holidays a couple of years ago were over $3,000. Now they're way below a grand, and they'll keep getting cheaper. The “older” models like the 720p and 1080p — still really nice TVs IMHO — are downright … affordable. Pretty soon the 720p's will be only at garage sales, and 1080p will be low-end. Having the annual Consumer Electronics Show in January helps to whet appetites for the latest and greatest so more downward pressure on the models already out there.
- Most things electronic, actually. Video game consoles, wireless speakers, wearables like smart watches and fitness trackers like the FitBit, headphones.
