This past week we witnessed the beginning of “March Madness”. It’s the time of year where we pick our college basketball brackets, hope for no upsets, and see teams like Oregon and Florida Gulf Coast become instant bracket busters. I thought it would be fun to do a little March Madness of our own here at Your Smart Money Moves by giving you five items that are must buys in March. Far too often, we make purchases for items that we need but buy at the wrong time of the year. This can be very costly when it comes to managing your overall household spending plan. Here are five bracket busters for you to look for this March.
- Winter Clothes And Coats– Now that winter in winding down, most of you will be putting your winter clothes away in the back of the closet or shoved into boxes in the basement. If you were thinking about getting that really cool North Face jacket or some new sweaters for your wardrobe, now would be a great time to look for those purchases as the latest fashions from last year’s winter will be placed on clearance soon! You’ll also see discounts on things like boots, hats, scarfs, and gloves, all of which can be excellent purchases. You can even make some early Christmas gift purchases now and have the surprises ready to go in nine months time.
- Luggage– Even though many families throughout the country are vacationing for spring break, this is typically the time when luggage companies decide to roll out new luggage lines and get rid of the old ones. Most of vacationing is done during the summer and winter seasons, so if you were thinking about replacing a particular bag or an entire set, this could a fairytale beginning in your smart money moves March madness.
- Gas Grills– In a few months, these will be hotter than the temperature outside as everyone likes to get their grilling on from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Winter and early spring tends to be the best times to make a gas grill purchase even though your overall selection may be somewhat limited, at least until you see the major home improvement stores increase their lines over the next month. If you were considering making an investment in a new backyard gas grill, now would be a great time to save some green while still getting prepared for your grilling season.
- Video Games– The absolute worst time to go out and buy new video games is during the holiday season. Video Game makers release all the latest and greatest games to entice us to fill our kids stockings stuffed with Madden 2013, the latest Call of Duty, and so much more. However, once everyone makes their returns to the game stores and uses up the Game Stop gift cards, March is the perfect time to get a discount on new video games. You can do this at department stores or specialty stores, but you should be able to snag a 3-point deal on these anywhere now.
- Frozen Food– It seems like we have a month for just about everything in today’s day and age. Did you realize that March is actually National Frozen Food month? You would think that frozen food may be discounted more during the winter time, but this month many frozen food makers offer special coupons. You may also want to check out www.nfraweb.org as companies like Hussman have a Facebook Freezer Giveaway special this month! The shot clock is ticking, so make a move now.
Who knows which four teams will end up in the final four dance over the next few weeks? Only time will tell. However, as the month of March closes out, use these five smart money moves to make some deals that will make the most of your family budget.
Written by:
CFP®, AAMS®, AWMA®, CRPC®, CMFC®, CRPS®
Editor in Chief of Your Smart Money Moves
Co-CEO and Founder of oXYGen Financial, Inc – The Leaders in Gen X & Y Financial Advice and Services
Ted Jenkin is one of the foremost knowledgeable professionals in giving financial advice to the X and Y Generation.
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