Know exactly when to buy

Price-seasonality buying guides for the things you actually shop for — backed by real month-by-month data, not guesswork.

Best month
Avoid
Typical price

Best things to buy this month

When Is the Best Time to Buy Patio Furniture?
The deepest markdowns on patio and outdoor furniture show up in September and October, when retailers clear summer stock to make room for fall and winter inventory, while March and April bring the widest selection at close to full price.
- January: Typical price
- February: Typical price
- March: Avoid
- April: Avoid
- May: Typical price
- June: Typical price
- July: Typical price
- August: Typical price
- September: Best month
- October: Best month
- November: Typical price
- December: Typical price
When Is the Best Time to Book an Airbnb or Vacation Rental?
Book Airbnb and other vacation rentals 60 to 90 days out to secure the home you want, holiday weeks and festival dates 6 to 12 months out, but shoulder-season and off-peak stays can often wait until a few weeks before check-in. The day of the week you book barely moves the price; the day you check in does.
- January: Typical price
- February: Typical price
- March: Avoid
- April: Typical price
- May: Typical price
- June: Typical price
- July: Avoid
- August: Typical price
- September: Best month
- October: Best month
- November: Typical price
- December: Avoid
When Is the Best Time to Buy a Water Heater?
For a planned replacement, water heaters are cheapest during the fall model turnover (September–October), Black Friday, and January's post-holiday clearance — but since most water heaters are bought as emergency replacements, seasonal timing often matters less than simply having a plumber lined up before the old one fails.
- January: Best month
- February: Typical price
- March: Typical price
- April: Typical price
- May: Typical price
- June: Avoid
- July: Typical price
- August: Typical price
- September: Best month
- October: Best month
- November: Best month
- December: Typical price
When Is the Best Time to Buy a Smartphone?
The best time to buy a smartphone is typically late September through October, right after Apple's iPhone launch discounts the outgoing model, with a second strong window around Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November.
- January: Typical price
- February: Best month
- March: Typical price
- April: Typical price
- May: Typical price
- June: Typical price
- July: Best month
- August: Avoid
- September: Typical price
- October: Best month
- November: Best month
- December: Typical price
When Is the Best Time to Book an All-Inclusive Resort?
For Caribbean and Mexico all-inclusive resorts, September and October are consistently the cheapest months to travel, since hurricane season depresses demand right when the weather is still warm.
- January: Typical price
- February: Typical price
- March: Typical price
- April: Typical price
- May: Typical price
- June: Typical price
- July: Typical price
- August: Typical price
- September: Best month
- October: Best month
- November: Best month
- December: Avoid
When Is the Best Time to Buy a Car?
The best time to buy a new car is October through December, when dealers discount the outgoing model year to make room for new inventory and push to hit year-end sales targets. Used-car deals follow a related but distinct pattern that extends into January and February.
- January: Typical price
- February: Typical price
- March: Typical price
- April: Typical price
- May: Typical price
- June: Typical price
- July: Typical price
- August: Typical price
- September: Typical price
- October: Best month
- November: Best month
- December: Best month

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