February Sales – Best Things to Buy and Not Buy

Ah February.  The month that gives us Valentine’s Day and Presidents day as reasons to go shopping.

For many this is a reason to spend extra money, but if you subscribe to the SavingFreak way of life you will use the sales in February as a chance to replace worn out items at rock bottom prices, or finally make a purchase that you have been waiting to make.

With that in mind, here are the items that you should consider buying in the month of February and a few items you will want to hold off until better deals come around later in the year.

Best February Sales

The key to each of these items is to make sure you are checking a wide variety of stores.  Each year it feels like somebody rises to the top with the absolute best deal.  We just have to find it.

Winter Apparel

Winter apparel is making its final clearance and closeout pricing for the year.  If you need new stuff for next year then now is going to be your last chance to get it as a new item.

Your best bet for stores are going to be the big box department stores like Macy’s and JC Penney, but do not forget to check out the outdoor and sports stores that carry winter apparel, because their deals can be just as good.

Tax Software

The three most popular tax software packages are Turbotax, TaxAct, and H&R Block.  All of them go on sale in January.

The tax software companies know that if they are going to get the most people to buy they need to get the early filers.  These people have time and choices so the software providers have to come to the table with discounts.

The longer you wait the worse the deal gets and last minute purchases almost always end up going for full price.

Expect to see up to 40% off the regular price for all three of these tax prep software services.

Televisions

It used to be that the television manufacturers would hold prices until after the Super Bowl because so many people were going out to upgrade their televisions before the big game.

With the high definition television market now fairly well saturated, February sales on televisions are now pretty common.  While they will not beat Black Friday prices, getting a television in February has become one of the better buys of the year. 

Right now I expect the best price savings to be on 55″-60″ televisions with 4K and smart TV capabilities.

Video Games

New video game titles are released in late fall or early winter. This time frame is chosen so they can build up enough press to get snatched up as Christmas presents.

Once we hit February the sales start on even the most popular games of December.

Ski-Trips

Spring is coming and the ski resorts know it.  Last year you could Frontier Airlines had one way flights to ski destinations for $34.

There were also hotel deals in ski areas like Salt Lake City that cut more than 20% off normal pricing.  So if you love skiing and want to get away for a weekend, February is a great time to find a deal.

Mattresses

This is usually a down time of year for mattress companies so they are willing to negotiate on pricing.  You can many times get up to 50% off the regular retail price and even get them to kick in some extras like pillows or a mattress cover. 

The best deals will come in the President’s Day sales.

Home Goods and Bedding on President’s Day

Just like winter apparel bedding and home goods go through cycles.  The new bedding sets are going to be introduced in Spring so last years bedding is going on sale for President’s Day.

Since the styles do not change that quickly, you can find a lot of great bedding sets, towels, and even home improvement items during the President’s day weekend.

Valentine’s Day Gifts

There is fierce competition for the items that are traditionally purchased on Valentine’s day and if you need something now there will be some price benefits to waiting until the day before.

However, the real deal on Valentine’s day gifts are the days that come right after Valentine’s day.  Going to need Valentine gifts for your kids class NEXT year?  Buy them on February 15th or after.

For smaller stores this goes mostly for Valentine’s day themed jewelry and other gifts.  In the big box retailers you can get as much as 90% off by shopping places like the Target Clearance section.  At Target you can also get an additional 5% off using the credit or debit Target RedCard.

What Not to Buy in February

Each month there are items you should avoid.  While there are no genres of products that are bad this February, there are some things I wouldn’t buy right now because the market conditions are not right.

iPads

I am not a big fan of Apple products in the first place, but now is definitely a bad time to purchase an iPad.  The rumors are that a new version is only a few months away.

This means that the iPad you can buy right now at full price is going to go on a deep discount once the new model is released. Frequently these old model tablets will go on a big sale for Black Friday.

if you can, wait nine months the deal will be really awesome in November.

Electronics

While this somewhat goes along with iPads, electronics deals are not great in February. Televisions are the only real sale items so hold tight til the better deals come in.

Flowers

I know it sounds crazy, but discounts on flowers happen after February. This is one of the months where the florists don’t need to offer discounts.

Cruises

In normal years the cruise industry sells well during the months that follow February. With spring break and summer vacations on the horizon you will not normally see good deals.

Since I am releasing this during COVID, this is not really true right now. The cruise industry is trying to get back on its feet and is offering deep discounts for those brave enough to travel.

Luggage

March is the month where the luggage manufacturers release their new lines. Expect the current luggage to hit the clearance section then.

Spring Clothes

Spring clothes are just coming on the racks and will be full price for a while. We need to wait until summer begins until we see these items on the sale and clearance racks.

Upcoming Sales

March

St. Patricks day is not the only reason to celebrate in March. There are multiple items that will be available in March sales including chocolate, travel, frozen foods and more.

April

April brings deals on spring clothes and the thrift stores fill up with good stuff. The April sales also include snow equipment and freebies on tax day and earth day.

May

Memorial Day sales are typically the highlight of May, but there are other May sale items to look out for.