Presidents’ Day Sales Offer the Best Deals Around

Presidents’ Day falls at one of the best times of year for great consumer deals. The middle of February is when retailers begin to get serious about making room for the current year's spring items by clearing out last year's stale merchandise. That can mean a bonanza of low prices for shoppers who know what to look for. You probably won't see candy or flower prices drop until after Valentine's Day, but the deals in other categories should be too good to pass up.

Stock up on Seasonal Items

No matter what the groundhog says, February is the unofficial end of winter and beginning of spring for retailers. You will find great deals on things like snow shovels and ice scrapers. This is the best time of year to replace aging winter equipment with something brand new. That way you’ll be ready when the harsh weather hits again next year. Since these sales are typically meant to get rid of stock on hand, you may not see a wide variety of brands or styles. The prices, however, ought to make up for the lack of variety.

Expect Outerwear Discounts

President’s Day weekend is a good time to stock up on coats, gloves, scarves, hats and sweaters. Retailers are anxious to make space for lighter clothes to be ready for the rush as soon as the weather starts to warm up. Although deals may be easy to find, the right size and color might be more difficult to track down on clearance racks. Be prepared to hit more than one store if you're looking for something specific.

Get Great Deals on Last Year's Electronics

All the major electronics companies unveiled their latest creations last month at the national Consumer Electronics Show. Those brand-new updates will be hitting store shelves in early spring, so retailers need to get rid of earlier models to make room. Since the old models do not have all the bells and whistles of the latest and greatest model, they are usually offered at a stark discount. Rumors about a March release of the iPad 3 could make February prices on the iPad 2 plummet.

Watch for Falling Laptop Prices

One of the hottest new electronic trends at the Consumer Electronics Show this year was the Ultrabook. Ultrabooks combine the sleek portability of a tablet with the computing power of a laptop. If projections are correct, the sale of Ultrabooks could cut deeply into the laptop and desktop markets. You might find the prices on traditional laptops and desktops plummeting during Presidents’ Day weekend as retailers try to prepare for the impact of the Ultrabook on overall sales. The price of Ultrabooks might keep them from hitting the laptop market too hard, though, since they should cost twice as much as a mid-range laptop.

Clean up on Exercise Equipment

Exercise equipment retailers always beef up their stock at the turn of the year to be ready for the scores of customers resolved to get in shape. By the time February arrives, most of those who vowed to work out more often have gone back to their usual routines and the exercise equipment retailers end up with a bunch of exercise machines they need to sell quickly. Prices tend to fall throughout February as retailers attempt to get rid of their excess stock.

Refurbish Your Sock and Underwear Drawer

Everyone needs new socks, underwear, towels and bedding once in a while. February is the ideal time to schedule those purchases since Presidents’ Day always brings monster sales in fundamentals. These basics might be in stock all year, but the stores like to drop their prices to bring in more traffic on Presidents’ Day. Make a list and use this weekend to fill up your intimates' drawer. Prices tend to be up to 50 percent off, so you can bring home twice as much for the same money you would have spent in January.

Shop for Bedding and Linens

Spring cleaning is right around the corner, which makes Presidents’ Day a great time to stock up on fresh linens. Sometimes referred to as a white sale, new bedding is typically on clearance in January and sales continue through February. You will also find good deals on throw rugs, pillows, and other comfort items. Presidents’ Day is a good time to shop for everything you need to redecorate a room or to simply freshen it up with new curtains. Fabric stores offer decent sales on uncut fabric during Presidents’ Day weekend, which is convenient for experimenting with a new look for the spring months just ahead.

Jessica Bosari is a freelance writer and blogger for various publications and her own telecommute writing jobs blog. You can read more of Jessica's work here. If you have any comments or questions about SavingTools or about saving money, leave your comments in the form below or email jessica@savingtools.com. Thanks!