Nothing like winter-weather-induced cabin fever to get your home decorating juices flowing. Spurred on by your utter contempt for everything you currently own, these inexpensive living room decorating tips will keep both your local donation center and bank account happy. Once you’ve charitably pilfered your goods away, keep reading to shop for some creative albeit budget-friendly decoration upgrades.

Carry About Vase

Toss your grandmothers keepsakes that you never wanted anyway. Replace them with these Carry Around Vases, sold as one but worth buying a couple extra. Adding height and reflective surfaces to your living room is a quick and simple way to open up the room.  These will do wonders for your coffee table or curio cabinets. Pop in a trio of wild flowers or start a miniature succulent garden to capitalize on their airy, clean appearance.

Check Prices on All Modern

Olivia + Poppy Simoney Peonies Floral and Botanical Peel and Stick Wallpaper Roll

It’s not for commitment phobes, wallpaper that is. So this gorgeous Olivia + Poppy peel + stick is a great starter version for those interested in upgrading their living room without the responsibility or expense. This type of inexpensive decoration works for dorm rooms, apartments, rentals, and small spaces. With a super sharp pair of scissors and a couple extra ounces of patience, a steady hand and weekend are all you need to master this temporary, impactful upgrade.

Check Prices on Perigold

Tucson Console Table

High on stuff but low on funds? This Tucson Console Table slides behind your sofa and gives your Roku remote, library book, Kindle, cell phone, tablet, wine glass, and growler a resting place for the evening while you Netflix and chill without the clutter. For less than the cost of a night out on the town, this gives you just one more excuse to stay in. #treatyoself

Check Prices on Target

Sunnydaze Decor Zen Ventless Bio Ethanol Tabletop Fireplace

If your recent outdoor Tinder date went as well as you expected, there’s a chance your going to want to bring them over for a glass of wine by the fireplace. But as luck would have it, your condo didn’t come with a fireplace. Or washer and dryer, but that’s another issue entirely. This sweet little tabletop fireplace brings some zen to your den on the cheap, firing up the night in a safe but affordable kind of way.

Check Hayneedle for Prices

BelleBotanica Watercolor Herbs Print Set No. 1

There is something so elegant and ethereal about this print set from BelleBotanica. It’s simple. It’s clean. It’s quick. Pick up some 5×7 inch frames from Hobby Lobby on the super cheap to square out your new art gallery. Bonus points to the weekend warrior that also plants some of these varietals on their back porch for a true upgrade.

Check Prices on Etsy

Litex Brushed Nickel Mesh Min Pendant Shade

Here’s a bright idea! Replace all the lamp shades on the pendant lights suspended from the ceiling above the coffee table in your living room! This inexpensive upgrade will make the whole room shine in a brand new way! The brushed nickel mesh also helps to give your living space a more masculine feel, which works well in conjunction with the more flowerly items seen earlier in this post.

Check Prices on Bed, Bath, & Beyond

6 Inexpensive Items to Upgrade Your Living Room this Weekend

Long before Macklemore made it cool, thrift store shopping, or just “thrifting” as I like to call it, has been saving (and in some cases making!) people a lot of money. If you’re new to thrifting at places like Goodwill, here are 20 tips that will help you make the most of your experience.

1.Go often! Part of the fun of thrifting is that you never know what you’re going to find, as they’re constantly putting out new items. We end up at Goodwill at least 2-3 a week most weeks. Some days we walk out with a cart full of awesome finds, and other days we leave with nothing. If your first visit is a wash, don’t assume your next will be the same way.

2.Be smart about which stores you shop at. I think a lot of people think thrift stores are full of junk, but you’d be really surprised at the super nice, brand-name things people get rid of. If you’re looking for higher-end items, try the Goodwill in the rich side of town. I’ll sometimes drive an extra 30 minutes to a specific Goodwill in a certain fancy suburb because I know they always have tons of designer jeans there.

3.Always check the “just donated” bins and carts first. Most thrift stores will have carts of random stuff around the store. These are items that have been priced but not yet put out on the floor. A lot of the best deals get snatched up before they even hit the shelves by people who know where to look.

4.Get coupons by donating your old stuff. Around here, Goodwill gives you a 25% off coupon whenever you make any donation, and most of the other local thrift stores offer similar discounts. You probably have stuff laying around that you would like to get out of your house anyway, and the donation process is generally easy and fast. In most cases you just drive up to their donation garage (usually behind the store), and someone comes out and unloads the stuff from your car and gives you the coupon good on a future purchase.

5.Shop on holidays for 50% off everything. Most thrift stores offer 50% off on these holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day. Definitely go early in the day as things get picked over pretty quickly.

6.Be aware of other discount days. Many stores have a seniors day every week (where seniors may get 25% off, for example), or a kids’ day (our local Goodwills offer 50% off kids’ toys and clothing every Thursday). Most stores also have 50% off certain colored tags every week. If the store doesn’t make it obvious which specials they have running, just ask! Usually you can find a list of discount days/weeks near the checkout register.

7.Sign up for free rewards programs. Many thrift stores have free “loyalty” cards you can sign up for. Some are punch card-type programs where you get a discount after a certain number of purchases, while others give you access to special sales and discounts reserved only for card members.

8.Shop thrift stores for Halloween costumes and holiday decor. Seriously, Goodwill is where it’s at when it comes to costumes. They save up all the costumes that are donated throughout the year and put them all out on September 1st (or around that date). The selection is amazing if you go early! I not only buy our familys’ Halloween costumes, but stock up on dress up outfits for the kids to play with all year.

A lot of people think of thrift stores for Halloween, but they’re also the best place to shop for other holiday decor. One of the local thrift store chains around here (Arc’s Valu Village) sets up a whole “Merry Thriftmas” area every year, with huge displays of ornaments, stockings, tree skirts, lights, decorations and more. It’s a great way to build up your collection, especially for young families.

9.Don’t pass on something just because it’s dirty. You might be surprised at how well things clean up with a little bit of effort. You can make a pair of Chucks look like they just came out of the box with a little bit of nail polish remover and laundry detergent, and can get a rusty cast iron pan looking looking good as new by simply heating it in the oven and scrubbing with steel wool. Google will tell you how to clean just about anything you can think of.

10.Thrift stores are a DIYer’s dream come true. Browse the home goods and furniture sections for cheap pieces that can be restored. Just because something is ugly, doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful with a fresh coat of paint and some new hardware. These chairs were $1.99 apiece at Goodwill and all it took was some sandpaper and a couple cans of spray paint to freshen them up:

11.Know how to spot high quality items even if you don’t recognize the brand. Widely known brands are often marked higher at thrift stores simply because the person who priced the item knew the brand was popular. But there are plenty of expensive, lesser-known brands that end up flying under the radar. Be on the the lookout for stuff that looks and feels high quality regardless of the name on the tag. For shoes, that might mean anything with a genuine leather sole. For sunglasses that means heavy duty hinges and thicker lenses. You might see a pair of $60 MRSP Oakleys priced at $20 next to a pair of $200 MRSP Maui Jims priced at $2.99 just because Oakley has the better name recognition.

12.Ask if your local thrift store has a relationship with any retail stores. Here in Minnesota, Target sends their leftover clearance items to local Goodwills. You can get brand-new clothing, toys, home goods and more for a fraction of what you’d pay at Target.

13.Be aware of return policies. Some thrift stores, like Goodwill have a 7 to 14 day return policy, while it’s final sale for some of the smaller shops. If there are no returns, definitely be sure to test all electronics before leaving the store–you can always ask to use an outlet if you don’t see one on the sales floor.

14.Don’t go looking for something specific; go looking for something awesome. If you walk into a thrift store thinking “I need to find a new cookware set today,” you will likely be disappointed. Target is where you go when you know what you need; the thrift shop is where you go when you to find that treasure you didn’t know you needed.

15.Follow your local thrift stores on Instagram/Twitter to get heads up on awesome scores. Lots of local thrift stores have social media accounts and will post when cool items come into the store.

16.Buy things to sell on eBay. You can actually make some really good money buying stuff at thrift stores and flipping on eBay, but certain types of items are definitely better for that than others. Before buying anything you intend on reselling, make sure to look up similar items on eBay to see what they’re selling for so you know it’s worth your effort. More on good items for flipping ahead…

17.Check out the watches in the glass case. Many thrift stores have a glass case with jewelry, watches, cameras, and collector’s items. My dad, who I consider to be the Thrift Store Master himself, has found some legendary deals on old watches this way. A few months ago he bought an old Seiko Mickey Mouse watch for $2.25 and sold it on eBay for over $200. A lot of the time, the only thing wrong with the watch is a dead battery, which is cheap enough to replace.

18.Get a sweet deal on a lens by buying an old film camera. Another thing to look out for in the glass case is old film cameras. Often, especially with Canon models, the lens that is attached to the camera actually works on newer digital SLR cameras. So while the camera itself might not be worth much (and priced very low), the lens might be worth hundreds.

19.Keep in mind “vintage” today isn’t as old as you might think. A lot of people assume something needs to be super old to be worth anything in the vintage market. But the reality is there are a ton of people looking to recapture items from their childhood–things from the 70s, 80s, even early 90s. Old Gameboys, old Apple computers, certain vinyl records, discontinued LEGO sets/minifigures, these are all items that are good to snatch up when you see them.

20.Be curious. I saved this one for last because it’s one of the most important. After you’ve gone thrifting a few times, you’ll realize there are all sorts of weird things out there you didn’t even know existed. It’s often those oddball items that end up being the real money makers. If you don’t know what something is, but it looks interesting or expensive, whip out that smartphone and do some research!

Annnnd of course, have fun! Enjoy the thrill of the hunt and the pure delight that comes with knowing you just got yourself one heck of a deal.

20 Thrift Store Hacks for Saving and Making Money

We’ve put together a short list of the best categories of products to find on sale during the Memorial Day weekend promotions as well as the product categories you should avoid until another month. Check it out:

What to Buy? Appliances: If you are in the market for a new refrigerator or washer/dryer set, Memorial Day sales won’t disappoint. You will see sales up to 30% early in May, accelerating up to 40% by Memorial Day weekend. You will also find stacked discounts when purchasing multiple appliances, ideal for anyone doing a kitchen renovation. Look to Home Depot, Lowes and Best Buy for excellent sales as well as deals on refurbished appliances at stores like Sears Outlet.

What to Avoid? Gas Grills: If you are in desperate need of a grill, you can find discounts on gas grills ranging 20% to 30% during Memorial Day sales. However, that’s nothing compared to the sales when the summer season draws to a close in late-August. If you can wait, you will be rewarded with grills sales that are 40% to 75% off MSRP.

What to Buy? Traditional Mattresses: This is a fantastic month to save money on a traditional mattress and improve the quality of your sleep. You will see sales on traditional mattresses ranging from 40% up to 80% on Memorial Day at retailers such as Sears, Overstock.com, Macy’s and smaller mattress retailers. You will also find solid sales at specialty stores like Sleep Number.

What to Avoid? Online Mattress-in-a-box Retailers: There are some fantastic brands in this space like Brooklyn Bedding, Purple and Casper. However, the peak discount periods for these companies are typically the same time as peak online shopping periods, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Amazon Prime Day. You would be much better off waiting to see the discounts in July and November on these mattress brands.

What to Buy? Spring / Winter Clothing Lines: You will find discounts ranging from 50% to 70% on Spring clothing lines from retailers sure as 6pm, Sierra Trading Company, Old Navy, Nordstrom Rack, Macy’s, Target, REI Outlet and other clothing retailers. It’s also a great time to get a deal on next year’s winter coat (60% to 80% off) at closeout prices at Columbia, eBay, Macy’s, and Mountain Hardwear. Look for bonus apparel deals for Memorial Day shoppers such as coupons in store flyers or freebies like tote bags.

What to Avoid? Summer Clothing Lines: These clothing lines have just been released and won’t have much more than a 20% to 40% discount off the retail price during Memorial Day sales. Swimwear will be much cheaper toward the end of the summer as well accessories like sandals and beachwear.

What to Buy? Tools: While Black Friday traditionally has the best discounts on hand and power tools, Memorial Day isn’t far behind. Look to retailers like Home Depot and Lowes to push sales on power tool combo kits as well as hand tool sets, as much as 40% off retail prices.

What to Avoid? General Electronics: Unlike tools, Memorial Day is an extremely poor holiday for deals on laptops, televisions and anything made by Apple. Laptops will go on sale in late July / early August with back-to-school sales, televisions will go on sale as the college football and NFL seasons start, then prices will drop even more in November around Black Friday. As for Apple, look to September for iPhone discounts and November for MacBook discounts. November is also good for Samsung discounts, both smartphones and televisions.

What to Buy? Camping Gear / Hiking Sneakers: If you really want to burn some calories, how about hiking up a trail and camping out for a night? May is the absolute best time to find sales on camping equipment, usually ranging from 30% to 70% depending on the product. We are also seeing amazing sales on Nike gear from stores like Finish Line and general sneaker sales on eBay.

What to Avoid? Fitness / Workout Equipment: While it might be too late to start getting in shape for the beach, it’s still a bit too early to find discounts on fitness gear. June is a great month to find discounts on last year’s fitness equipment since big-box and fitness retailers will be clearing out old inventory.

TIP: Here’s our roundup of all Memorial Day Sales this year. LINK. We will continue to update this list throughout the sale period.

What to Buy (and what to avoid) on Memorial Day 2021

Looking for the best deals before your next trip to the store with all those folks in blue vests? We’ve identified some of the best products that you can find on sale at Walmart as well as some of the worst that you will want to avoid. These picks are based on average discounts as well as the potential for additional coupons used in the transaction.

Walmart’s Five Best

1. Pantry Staples

Walmart has really inexpensive prices on boxed groceries items like cereal, chips, crackers, etc. Bags of cereal are probably the cheapest you’ll find anywhere. Even the premium cereal boxes are significantly less than a traditional grocery store chain.

You can also find additional coupons on pantry supplies at coupons.walmart.com. These can be printed at home and redeemed at the store.

2. Camping Gear / Fitness gear

We see a ton of sales on camping gear from Walmart’s Ozark Trail brand. While frequent campers may want to stick to places like REI, Osark Trail supplies work for anyone going on the occasional car camping trip or simply pitching a tent for the kids in the backyard. The quality is great for the price.

The same advice goes for inexpensive fitness equipment. Ben’s often features deals on inexpensive weightlifting benches, weight sets, etc. This is excellent for anyone who wants to give exercise a try without making a huge financial commitment in equipment.

3. Auto Supplies

In addition to offering inexpensive oil changes, Walmart often offers sales on motor oil as well as car cleaning supplies, detailing kits, etc.

If you are interested in an additional discount, Coupons.com frequently offers printable coupons for $5 to $10 off certain motor oils that are redeemable only at Walmart.

4. Craft & Art Supplies

Walmart has a impressive craft/art supply department, far better than what you can find at Target. You can pick up knitting supplies, beads, even fabric for less than what you’d pay at Michael’s or JoAnn Fabric.

5. LEGOs

Walmart is known for frequently marking down LEGO sets, usually in the 20 to 30 percent range. You can also find great deals in their clearance sections if you remember to check.

These clearance deals are usually not offered online and are very YMMV, totally dependent on location. Some discounts will even reach up to 50 percent on expensive LEGO sets.

Walmart’s Five Worst

1. Organic / Health Food

While Walmart has excellent prices on the common foods in your pantry, the opposite is true for organic food. That includes produce, milk, yogurt, snacks, etc. It’s difficult to find and generally marked up quite a bit.

I’ve heard Walmart has been making an effort to change this, but my experience has been disappointing when you are looking for mostly healthy food items. The same goes for organic baby food; you can find better deals at Target.

2. Clothing

Yes, clothing (and shoes) at Walmart are ridiculously cheap. Unfortunately, they’re also ridiculously cheaply made and generally lacking in the fashion department.

While Target has managed to come up with a nice marriage of low prices and trendy styles (especially in the women’s apparel department), Walmart still has a long way to go.

3. TVs and Laptops

Aside from Black Friday, where Walmart will offer crazy cheap doorbuster prices on off-brand laptops and televisions, Walmart generally doesn’t have the best deals on electronics for the other eleven months of the year. You’re better off getting a deal on a brand-name TV at eBay, Best Buy or Amazon.

Note: The refurbished deals that Walmart offers online can be a good deal on name-brand models. However, be aware some customers have complained about the condition of Walmart’s refurbished products.

4. Walmart-brand Diapers

I once tried a pack of their store brand diapers while on vacation and the quality was truly awful. Cheap? Yes, but definitely not worth the hassle. Target is a much better option for picking up diapers; Amazon as well.

5. Blu-rays / DVDs

Years ago, Walmart used to have the best DVD deals. Specifically, the $5 bin was an easy place to pick up something new to watch. Lately, Walmart isn’t the best place to get a good price on movies, especially new release titles.

You can find much better deals from Amazon (who discounts for people that preorder) and Target (who often includes gift cards with popular new releases).

5 Best / 5 Worst Products to Find on Sale at Walmart

Shopping on President’s Day this weekend? If so, we’ve got some great tips for you. Many of these deals can be found starting on Friday, Feb 12th and going all the way through President’s Day on Monday, Feb 15th.

Check out our picks below:

Don’t buy Spring Apparel. Spring Apparel lines started rolling out during January, but still aren’t going to be discounted heavily for a couple months. It’s unlikely that consumers will see more than 25 percent off retail prices on Spring clothing.

What to buy instead? Winter Apparel. Over the entire week leading up to President’s Day, expect discounts up to 80 percent off retail on items like winter coats and cold weather accessories. Look to retailers like REI and Columbia to lead this charge as well as big chains like Macy’s and Kohl’s to participate as well.

Don’t buy Patio Furniture. As the warmer months are approaching, patio sets and other types of furniture like outdoor beds will be priced at a premium rather than a discount. It’s also unlikely that consumers will find discounts on last year’s models as inventory has dwindled due to closeouts in November, December and January. The same advice goes for gas grills as well.

What to buy instead? Mattresses and Indoor Furniture. As always, President’s Day is fantastic for purchasing a new mattress with discounts reaching as high at 60 percent at major retailers like Macy’s. In addition, new furniture models are arriving in stores pushing older models off the show floor into the clearance section. Look for discounts between 15 to 25 percent on indoor furniture at major chains.

Don’t buy Jewelry. Not surprisingly, jewelry stores are reaping the rewards of Valentine’s Day, the holiday directly preceding President’s Day. Any existing sale will likely be no more than 10 to 20 percent off. Wait until August and September for the best jewelry discounts.

What to buy instead? Valentine’s Day Candy on President’s Day. Desperate to shift the seasonal shelves to Easter candy as soon as possible, retailers will heavily discount candy and other sweets starting early President’s Day morning. Look for discounts up to 80 percent off retail prices. Complex flower arrangements that didn’t sell on Sunday may also be heavily discounted.

Don’t buy Toys for Kids. Toy sales have almost completely dried up after an aggressive holiday shopping season. While many retailers will have general site-wide sales for President’s Day, toy prices will be at full MSRP and won’t offer the same level of aggressive discounts as November and December.

What to buy instead? Electronic “Toys”. Of course, adults will be delighted at discounts on electronics such as televisions, smartphones, tablets and laptops. Look for discounts from 25 to 40 percent on last year’s models. This trend will only get more aggressive in March as the Japanese fiscal year comes to a close. However, be aware that inventory dwindles as discounts increase.

Don’t buy Luggage. In general, luggage will be at full price on President’s Day, perhaps between 5 to 10 percent off retail. If you really need to replace a set of luggage, look for discounts to kick in around mid-March as new models roll into stores in time for summer travel.

What to buy instead? Spring Break Travel Deals. Assuming you are visiting an area with low COVID transmission or have been vaccinated already, travel is typically priced well several weeks before most Spring Break holidays around the country. Look for aggressive discounts on both airfare and hotel bookings as well as combined packages from sites like Priceline, Travelocity and Kayak.

Don’t buy Home Improvement Materials / Gear. Deals on home improvement materials typically spike toward the end of February / start of March. The same can be said for tools used for home improvement. However, tools prices bottom out during November, typically during Black Friday sales.

What to buy instead? Home Goods. Often labeled as White Sales, prices on items like comforters, towels, sheet sets and similar items plummet as retailers close out winter lines of these products. In addition, look for solid sales on kitchen\ items like cookware and small appliances as well as decorating items like lamps, small end tables and wall art.

What not to Buy on President’s Day (and what to buy instead!)

As Amazon shifts to prioritize household essentials and medical supplies, the retail giant is shifting non-essential products to significantly slower shipping. Some products are projecting delivery dates during late April 2020 as of yesterday.

Of course, you can always check other online retailers to find what you need. You can check the main Ben’s feed for the best deals, but several companies are offering storewide discounts during the coronavirus quarantine period.

Here’s a list of our top stores for multiple product categories (In alphabetical order):

Appliances

• Best Buy: Ideal for both large and small appliances.
• Bed, Bath & Beyond: Ideal for small appliances.
• CostCo: Ideal for large appliances, includes free hook-ups and haul-away.
• Home Depot: Ideal for large appliances, especially appliance sets.
• Lowe’s: Ideal for large appliances, especially appliance sets.

Baby / Kids Products

• Buy Buy Baby: Ideal for anything baby related.
• The Children’s Place: Ideal for infant, toddler and kids clothing.
• The Honest Company: Ideal for diapers, cleaning products, feeding and more.

Clothing / Accessories

• Adidas / Nike: Ideal for footwear, sportswear.
• Ashford: Ideal for watches, jewelry.
• Columbia: Ideal for outerwear, jackets, sportswear.
• Kohl’s: Ideal for general clothing.
• Nordstrom Rack: Ideal for general clothing, discount brands.
• Olympia Sports: Ideal for sportswear, sneakers.
• Target: Ideal for inexpensive clothing.

Electronics

• Best Buy: Ideal for general electronics.
• B&H Photo & Video: Ideal for general electronics.
• Costco: Ideal for large televisions, game consoles.
• eBay: Ideal for refurbished / renewed / open box deals on 2nd and 3rd gen electronics
• Newegg: Ideal for computer components.

Food in Bulk

• Boxed.com: Ideal for pre-packaged food, household supplies.
• CostCo: Ideal for drinks, dry goods, canned food, snacks and household supplies.
• Sam’s Club: Ideal for drinks, dry goods, canned food, snacks and household supplies.

Home Decor / Furniture

• At Home: Ideal for home decor.
• Overstock: Ideal for large furniture, home decor.
• Target: Ideal for home decor, inexpensive small furniture
• Wayfair: Ideal for large furniture, home decor.

Office Supplies

• OfficeMax / Office Depot: Ideal for all types of office supplies, home and business related.
• Staples: Ideal for all types of office supplies, home and business related.
• Target / Walmart: Ideal for basic office supplies.

Pet Food / Supplies

• 1-800-PetMeds: Ideal for flea / tick prevention, prescribed medicine
• Chewy: Ideal for pet food, treats.
• PetCo: Ideal for anything pet related.
• PetSmart: Ideal for anything pet related.

Sporting Goods

• BackCountry: Ideal for snow gear, biking, surfing and travel gear.
• Cabela’s: Ideal for hunting, fishing and camping gear.
• Dick’s Sporting Goods: Ideal for all sports.
• MooseJaw: Ideal for camping, hiking, outdoor activities.
• REI: Ideal for outdoor clothing and footwear.

Tools / Home Improvement

• Harbor Freight: Ideal for hand tools, power tools.
• Home Depot: Ideal for hand tools, power tools, large home improvement projects.
• Lowe’s: Ideal for hand tools, power tools, large home improvement projects.
• Sears: Ideal for hand tools, power tools, lawn care.
• Target / Walmart: Ideal for small home improvement projects.

Toys / Games

• Fat Brain Toys: Ideal for educational toys.
• GameStop: Ideal for video games
• LEGO.com: Ideal for anything LEGO related.
• shopDisney: Ideal for anything Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars related.
• Target / Walmart: Ideal for general toys, board games, video games

Want to avoid Amazon’s new shipping delays? Use these online retailers instead

EDIT: Best Buy has shifted their policy again. All in-store shopping is cancelled, but you can still use free curbside pickup. (Or free shipping on $35+ orders)

Citing a spike in electronics purchases due to the increased number of Americans working from home, Best Buy will be launching a new way to interact with customers on Monday, March 23. (Best Buy also reduced store hours to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. as of today)

Similar to the way an Apple Store employee is assigned to a customer at an iPhone launch, a Best Buy employee will escort a customer (from a distance of 6 feet away) around the store to pick up an item. Roughly 10 to 15 customers will be allowed in a Best Buy location at any given time.

Presumably, this means customers will be lined up outside the store if the location is particularly busy. Of course, curbside pickup will still be available if a customer wants to order something online and grab it without leaving their car.

This means Best Buy will have fewer employees in each store each day. The company has pledged to pay employees not working a full two weeks pay during the period with shorter hours. In addition, the company’s absence policy has been relaxed, in case anyone need to call out sick.

Best Buy announces Coronavirus plan to allow 15 customers in a store at a time

Happy New Year! Or is it? In the world of deals, January might seem like a bit of a let-down, but it’s actually a pretty good time to find solid discounts for several reasons: 1) retailers will be eager to lure back shoppers who have gift cards to spend, 2) the annual Consumer Electronics Show in early January will drop prices on “old” tech products, 3) the Super Bowl is just around the corner (February 2nd) and that means TV sales and 4) retailers traditionally want to liquidate seasonal items like Christmas decorations. Here are some of the best deals to buy in January:

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

To buy Christmas decorations and wrapping paper. If you’re an extreme planner, then you’ll be ready for the traditional January sales on all the stuff that’s left over. Look for sales at department store chains like Macy’s and JCPenney and retailers like Michael’s and Cost Plus World Market.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Super Bowl LIV (54) lands on February 2nd, and that means the annual round of sales on big screen TVs. Outside of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the best deals of the year on TVs are in January. You’ll find the lowest prices of the past 12 months during this period.

After CES wraps up in Las Vegas on January 10th and the shiniest 2020 model lineups have been introduced, the pressure to move TV inventory is increased. New models usually start making their way to stores as early as February.

Speaking of CES…

The little old trade show that takes place in Las Vegas every year and rocks the tech world will also have an impact on tech deals. As with TVs, new gadgets will be finding their way into stores soon after being announced at CES and you’ll start seeing the steepest deals of the older products’ life cycles.

Current generation laptop and desktop PCs typically get a dip in prices in January. If there is one constant in the world of tech, it’s that patience always pays off and the price will go down, sometimes dramatically, after the initial months of release. Only a few products, like gaming consoles, have freakishly long life cycles and hold their prices for years (plural).

Time to Spend Those Gift Cards (But Wait for the Sale)

Retailers don’t count gift card purchases as sales until those cards are redeemed, so they’ll be looking to lure customers back as soon as possible after Christmas and into January.

Anywhere between 35% to 45% of holiday gift cards are redeemed in January, which is not terribly high, and retailers are keen to remind their customers to use them — and that means more more discounts for you.

Resolve to Save More

Not surprisingly, the beginning of the new year sees plenty of deals on fitness-related products while people still have the motivation (and the memory of their new year’s resolutions) to spend on their future coat hangers,. (Just kidding.)

Last year, we saw a lot of good prices on fitness equipment, supplements and gadgets from stores like Amazon, Walmart, REI and Bodybuilding.com (including a rare 30% off sitewide discount).

January is not only a good month to improve your body, but also your home. Aside from July, this month is an excellent time to look for deals on furniture because new year models will be arriving in stores in February.

Don’t Forget Deal Alerts

If you want to make sure you don’t miss any upcoming  January deals on Ben’s Bargains, don’t forget to set up deal alerts (registration required). You’ll receive an instant email and get the first chance to jump on a great deal before it disappears. And the best deals are gone fast!

You’re also welcome to send us tips or suggestions. Good luck!

– Mike Flacy contributed to this report.

Waste Not, Want Not: Best Deals to Buy in January

If you are looking for deals this holiday weekend, there are definitely certain product categories that you should keep an eye out for. Regarding start times, Kristin Cook, Managing Editor of Ben’s Bargains, says “Early Memorial Day sales started on the 18^th this year, but most sales will kick off starting on Monday the 21st and run through Memorial Day weekend.”

Here are our picks for what not to buy on Memorial Day (and what to buy instead).

Gas Grills

Any sales you see on grills on Memorial Day will be a pittance compared to the sales at the end of summer. On average, you will see discounts on gas grills ranging up to 20% during Memorial Day sales, not the 40% to 75% sales that will pop up as the summer season draws to a close post-August.

What to Buy Instead: Appliances: Typical to most major holidays, retailers like Home Depot, Lowes and Sears offer discounts between 30 to 50 percent on on major appliances like refrigerators and washer/dyer combos. Look for discounts on small appliances as well, which should be discounted at the highest percentage until Labor Day. Price match retailers against each other for competitive pricing and look for expanded discounts related to store credit cards.

Summer Clothing Lines

These clothing lines have just been released and won’t have much more than a 20% to 40% discount off the retail price. Swimwear, in particular, will be much cheaper toward the end of the summer.

What to Buy instead: Spring / Winter Clothing Lines. You will find discounts ranging from 50% to 90% on Spring clothing lines from retailers sure as 6pm, Sierra Trading Company, Old Navy, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Target, REI, Kohl’s and other clothing retailers. It’s a great time to get a deal on next year’s winter coat at closeout prices.

Pool Supplies / Floats

This is the season when everyone is getting their pool back in order, thus discounts on pool gear will be minimal. The same goes for all the fun toys that you toss into your pool; floats, beach balls, etc… Discounts on these products usually hit as the busy summer season, typically late August / early September.

What to Buy Instead: Travel Deals: Instead of outfitting your own pool, book a deal at a hotel where you can lay by their pool. We typically see deals ranging from 40 to 60 percent off hotels and flights during Memorial Day weekend sales. Look to sites like Expedia, Kayak and Travelocity for weekend sales.

General Electronics

Memorial Day is usually an extremely poor holiday for deals on laptops, televisions and anything made by Apple. Laptops will go on sale in late July / early August with back-to-school sales, televisions will go on sale as football season starts, then prices will drop even more in November. As for Apple, look to September for iPhone discounts and November for MacBook discounts.

What to Buy Instead: Mattresses. This is a killer month to spend money on a new bed rather than what screen you will be staring at while falling asleep. You will see mattress sales ranging from 40% up to 80% on Memorial Day at retailers such as Sears, Overstock.com, Macy’s and smaller mattress retailers.

Fitness / Workout Gear

If you have been lax on your New Year’s resolution to get in shape for the beach, you have our permission to wait one more month. Big-box and fitness retailers will be clearing out old products during June, hence you will find discounts that match January’s clearance events.

What to Buy Instead: Camping Gear / Sneakers. If you really want to burn some calories, how about hiking up a trail and camping out for a night? May is the absolute best time to find sales on camping equipment, usually ranging from 30% to 80% depending on the product. We are also seeing amazing sales on Nike gear from stores like Finish Line and general sneaker sales on eBay.

What Not to Buy on Memorial Day 2018

As the 2016 shopping season approaches, we will start to see flash sales and discounts that rival or even beat Black Friday prices as October comes to a close. Deals such as $400 tablets marked down to $99, $60 video games marked down to $5, etc… These type of deals will only get more frequent as we move into November, thus it’s important that you start to budget out the money you want to spend on gifts (or yourself) this holiday season.

With that in mind, there’s an extremely useful trick to saving even more money on holiday purchases that the majority of shoppers typically overlook each year, discount gift cards. While it requires a predictive strategy to deciding where you want to spend your holiday purchasing dollars, you can easily save 10% on holiday purchases, perhaps even 20%.

As of late, the best place to score solid discounts on gift cards has been eBay. For example, GiftCardMall recently ran an eBay promotion yesterday that offered a $100 Toys R Us gift card for a 15% discount at $85. By purchasing two cards (the limit), a parent that needed to shop for toys now has $200 of purchasing power at Toys R Us for just $170.

In addition, you can tie that into a service like eBates or Upromise to get an extra 1% back, bringing the cost down to $168.30. (You will also earn 2% in eBay dollars that can be redeemed the following quarter.)

Of course, a 15% percent discount for a Toys R Us card is fairly rare. On discount gift card sites like Cardpool and Raise, the typical discount on a Toys R Us card is between 5 to 7 percent. The same goes for other popular merchants, like Walmart, Target and Best Buy. (That’s not much better than some credit card rewards programs.) You have to watch deal sites to spot the flash sales that discount cards between 10% to 20%. For example, GiftCardMall followed up that Toys R Us sale with a Sears gift card on eBay that’s 15% off.

The best way to approach this method of spending is to analyze your holiday shopping bills over the last few years. Figure out where you most frequently spend your holiday shopping dollars as well as the total dollar mount spent at each store. This will allow you to guesstimate where you will make purchases this year.

In addition, be on alert for stores that sell gift cards to other retailers. Toys R Us, for instance, sells gift cards in the store for other merchants. You can turn your 15% discount at Toys R Us into a discount at Amazon or another popular retailer. You can also use gift card exchange services on sites like Cardpool or GiftCardZen to exchange that card for another merchant’s card.

Three Extra Tips

1. Most merchants will also allow you to combine multiple gift cards into one, making it easier to keep track if you are purchasing multiple cards at a time. You can also use multiple gift cards on retail sites during the checkout process, although limits differ between retailers. Check out Ben’s Complete Guide to Managing Gift Cards for more information.
2. Wait for the best sales during November to take advantage of your recently purchased gift cards and remember that you don’t have to spend all of it. Most retailer gift cards have a fairly long shelf life and can come in handy over the next several months. Just think of it as an instant discount on anything you purchase.
3. The best time to score discount gift cards, beyond flash sales, is after major holidays. For instance, check the week after Christmas to see a flood of unwanted gift cards being listed on various discount sites as well as eBay. Due to the increased volume, you can score some excellent deals. Combine that with planning out your purchases over the next few months to maximize your spending power even more.

The secret to saving 10% to 20% on top of Black Friday sale prices