September Is a Great Time to Buy These 7 Things

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This post comes from Donna Doyle at partner site DealNews.com.

September is a great time of year for people who like to shop, but also save. A combination of end-of-summer sales, back-to-school discounts and Labor Day sales means that we always see big price drops on some seasonal must-haves throughout the month.

So you can dedicate your time and money wisely, we’ve delved into the archives to determine exactly what is worth shopping for this September — from the iPhone 7 to a brand new bike:

1. Apparel

Labor Day falls on the first weekend of September, ceremoniously marking the end of summer and bringing with it an inbox full of discounts. The best of these sales and savings will be expected to fall on all things apparel, especially on summer fashion as stores try to clear out the last season’s stock. In fact, nearly one-third of all the Labor Day sales we listed last year were for clothing and accessories.

Expect to see the best of these seasonal offers at Old Navy and BCBG as both stores’ Labor Day sales have yet to be beat, outside of Black Friday deals. Click here and browse our Labor Day sale predictions for more info.

2. Previous-generation iPhones

September wouldn’t be the same without an iPhone frenzy, and this year we’re awaiting a major announcement from Apple as the beloved smartphone marks its 10-year anniversary. With the release of the much-anticipated iPhone 8 this fall (which we’re likely to see in coming weeks), we will definitely start to see more and more impressive price drops on previous generations of iPhones.

In fact, we’re already seeing Editors’ Choice prices on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus as we edge closer to the release of a new model. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a refurbished 128GB iPhone 7 fall to $514.99, while a refurbished iPhone 7 Plus fell to its best-ever price of $550 (both units were unlocked). September promises to bring even bigger discounts on these, and older, models however as data shows the month of release of any new iPhone is cause for massive discounts on older phones. Even Apple knocked $100 off the iPhone 6 last year upon release of the latest gizmos.

Bottom line: We’ll keep seeing iPhone discounts before Apple announces the new generation, but the biggest discounts will probably show up after the event. Right now, that’s still expected to happen in September.

3. 32-inch or 55-inch HDTVs

If you can’t wait until Black Friday to splurge on a new TV, September is a better time than most to shop for specifically 32-inch or 55-inch models. This month is always a top time for deals on 32-inch 1080p HDTVs, and last year was no exception. Prices fell to as low as $100 on 32-inch models — which is a cheap splurge for any freshman’s dorm room. Expect significant competition in the category.

Those in the market for something a lot larger can expect to see even better discounts on 55-inch HDTVs. Nearly half of the 50 models we listed throughout September last year earned the Editors’ Choice nod, with prices of 4K sets hitting a low of $350.

4. Textbooks

Back-to-school spending can leave you broke at this time of year, especially when you brave shopping textbooks for college. There are ways to save on these pricey titles of course, and waiting until September once you’re back in class is the best way to ensure your professors deem your textbooks absolutely mandatory. Shop online and compare prices early in September to score the best deals and consider sharing with similarly strapped fellow students to cut down on costs.

Another great way to save on textbooks is to scour the web for Kindle versions of the same titles. Amazon is currently running a promotion on new Kindles (up to $35 off) with the trade-in of an old model, so it’s the perfect time to upgrade your eBook reader too.

5. Cruises

If you’re thinking of booking a last-minute vacation, you will find some highly competitive deals on cruises in September. In fact, 20 percent of all of 2016’s Editors’ Choice cruise deals were listed in September alone.

Be aware that off-season weather is the reason for such low prices in September. That means possible last-minute schedule changes and unfavorable weather conditions. As such, shopping for travel insurance is strongly advised if you’re cruising in September.

6. Airfare

A sea-bound trip is not for everyone, so if you’d rather take to the skies for your next vacation you’ll be glad to know that September is also a top time to shop for airfare deals thanks to off-season offers. Last year we listed over 100 deals on flights in September, which is significantly more than the average month in 2016. Both JetBlue and Frontier Airlines dropped the price on one-way domestic flights to just $28, while return flights were as low as $80.

7. Bikes

Fair-weather cyclists like yours truly may ditch their bikes when summer ends, but dedicated commuters and adventurers should know that September is actually prime time to splurge on a new set of wheels. Most big biking brands release new models at the start of fall, so you’ll see significant price drops on previous year’s frames, making it a great time to save big.

In fact, last year we saw more bike deals in September than the entire Black Friday and holiday season combined. For example, we saw all-time price lows on Mongoose and Schwinn bikes, while a number of Editors’ Choice biking accessories also hit our inbox.

Those are our top recommendations for shopping in September. While you’re hitting the stores, or shopping online, however, know that there are some things you should not buy this coming month if you can hold off. Read on …Three purchases to put off until later:

1. Newly announced iPhones

If the iPhone 8 does hit shelves this September, we’d urge Apple-hungry fiends to hold off on the purchase — especially since some consumer whiz-kids reckon that the latest iteration could cost $1,000! It’s likely that we won’t see discounts on the iPhone 8 until the week of Black Friday, since it wasn’t until Nov. 22 that the iPhone 7 saw its first drop in 2016.

2. Coffee

If you’re stocking up on the good stuff, hold off a little later as National Coffee Day falls on Oct. 1 this year. In previous years, we not only saw many free cups of coffee from our favorite outlets, but stores like Starbucks also offered promotions on bags of beans and tumblers.

3. Appliances

We may see an abundance of appliance deals during Labor Day weekend, but we will always encourage our readers to hold out until Black Friday rolls around for the best in home appliance offers. Last year, just 12 percent of September’s appliance deals met the Editors’ Choice mark, which is below the monthly average.

Case in point: Last year, Home Depot’s ever-popular appliance sale saw Labor Day stock discounted by up to 30 percent. But, the store cut up to 40 percent off the same items for Black Friday. That extra 10 percent discount can make a big difference on large purchases.

What are you looking forward to buying in September? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.