8 Things to Buy After Thanksgiving

When it comes to shopping, the days and weeks after Thanksgiving are unparalleled.

You have the twin massive discount days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You have the seasonal Fall items going on massive sale to make way for the holidays. And you have discounts on things people might buy that aren’t necessarily linked to the holidays, like appliances and other capital equipment, because stores need to make room for next year’s models. Finally, the winter is the “off season” for so many things and buying in the off season can help you save a lot of money.

Here’s a list of things you should buy after Thanksgiving.

1. Electronics

The key to winning Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) is watching the circulars as they are leaked and doing some serious comparison-shopping. High-ticket electronics from brands you recognize like tablets, computers, and video game consoles from Sony, Microsoft, Apple, and more, will all tout mega-deals, the weekend after Thanksgiving. But remember, it’s best not to get carried away gorging on the great deals that pan out because it might leave you needing money closer to the holidays!

2. Leftover Thanksgiving Decorations

Thanksgiving will happen in just 52 short weeks but all those Thanksgiving-themed decorations, and many of the Autumn-themed decorations, will be deeply discounted as stores look to get rid of stock. If you’ve wanted an orange and red wreath or an Autumn-inspired centerpiece, now is the time to start snagging them because in a few short days they’ll be gone.

3. Live Christmas Trees

One sneaky good thing to buy right after Thanksgiving is live Christmas trees. Many live tree sellers will discount them initially to start moving some of their stock and then start selling them at regular price as Christmas draws near. They won’t start discounting them again until it’s time for the procrastinators to buy.

4. Big Ticket Appliances

Stores will discount large appliances as we near the end of the year to clear inventory for newer models. You can expect to see sales on refrigerators, washers, dryers and other large appliances around this time. If you are getting rid of an old appliance, you may find your local utility will haul it away for you or even pay you for them.

5. Cars

Late November is a fortuitous time for a car buyer. As the end of the year draws closer, sales people are thinking about hitting their annual quotas and willing to make deals to move cars. The next model year will have been released near the end of the summer, so previous model years that are still around in November have been sitting for a long time. The confluence of those factors makes late November and December a prime time to strike a deal.

(If you are thinking about buying a car, it’s important to check your credit since a good score will help you qualify for a better interest rate. You can view two of your credit scores, updated every 14 days, for free on Credit.com.)

6. Recreational Vehicles

The same logic for cars also works with recreational vehicles (RVs) but even more so. The winter months are also the slowest in the RV business. People hunker down for the winter and aren’t thinking about making cross-country trips — dealers will still want to sell vehicles.

7. Cookware

Cookware will be discounted because a lot of people will be cooking and entertaining, which means a lot of people will discover their cookware needs an upgrade. Retailers know this so, to win over their share of the market, they will entice shoppers with great deals around this time.

8. Tools

Tools make great gifts and retailers will often offer some fantastic deals on cheap tools. It’s a great time to pick up a tool you’ve always needed for that last project on the list but never had the heart to pay full price for.

You can save a bundle after Thanksgiving if you’re judicious in what you buy. Always comparison-shop and make sure that deal you see before you actually is a deal.

Finally, remember that there are some things that will be deeply discounted after the holidays – things that are classic gifts but rarely get used. Gift cards, exercise equipment, and many other items will be on clearance after the New Year!

Image: Eva-Katalin