When is the Best Time to Buy a TV?
Similar to how you buy coats after the winter season, stock up on golf supplies in the fall, and you always hit up appliance deals around Mother’s Day – there are best times to buy TVs! If you’re considering buying a new TV for your home, the best time to buy a TV matters if you’re looking to save tons of money!
Considering the ideal times to purchase a television, today, we will unveil the three best time periods each year to do so. Additionally, you will learn how to save money in the TV buying process while also getting the most bang for your buck!
The Best Times to Buy a TV
When it comes to buying a new TV, the best TV sales happen during Super Bowl season, the spring, and of course – Black Friday!
Why these times, you might be asking?
Similar to how it seems like Apple’s new iPhone’s always come out around September/October, new TV models are typically released around March/April each year. Knowing this will help you capitalize and save… starting with the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl Season
When: January & February
Super Bowl season, TV, it only makes sense, right? Surprisingly enough, at first thought, you would assume it would be the most expensive time to buy a TV since almost every adult watches the Superbowl! However, it is one of the best times to buy a TV – especially the bigger ones!
Whether you watch the big game for commercials, football, or the halftime show, it doesn’t matter; Super Bowl season is a great time to purchase a brand new television. There are several reasons for this.
New models come out in early spring, and with the holidays now long gone, TV retailers use the Super Bowl as a marketing opportunity to offload old stock and sell as many TVs as possible. Traditionally, the slowest quarter for retail stores is the first quarter. TVs are marketed heavily around the Super Bowl, meaning you can save money in the process!
Spring Time
When: March & April
Remember what we said about new TV models being released in the spring? This means retailers and TV manufacturers want you to buy; thus, they incentivize consumers to buy these new models with special offers and promotions and the old models.
Like how you can scoop up a brand new car – just last year’s model – the same is true for TVs. Looking to unload their overstock from the year before, many big-box retailers offer specials for last year’s models. Unless you’re some TV connoisseur, the model doesn’t matter… how much you save does!
Knowing the TV release cycle is key to saving big when you go to purchase your next flatscreen!
Black Friday
When: The Friday & Monday after Thanksgiving
Black Friday is almost synonymous with TV deals! Seriously though, go to a Walmart or hit up Cyber Monday, and you will be bombarded with amazing TV deals the day after Thanksgiving!
Knowing consumers are looking for deals and willing to spend, TV’s are priced quite nicely to incentivize consumers to purchase brand new TVs! Creating a ripple effect, TV models and brands compete with one another to offer the best deals around Black Friday, making it one of the best times to buy a TV!
Not to mention, with the winter bringing more cool weather and with people stuck inside, TV watching goes up in the winter, therefore more are looking to up their TV game.
Other Ways to Save Buying a TV
So now you know the best time to buy a TV, but what if it’s July and you need a TV in a pinch? Here are some additional ways to save money when you’re buying a new TV.
Compare Online
You don’t need a college degree to compare the prices of TVs online; you need a smartphone, so always use the internet to your advantage. Simply start searching, comparing, and pricing TVs online. You can search for a TV by size, like “Best 65” TV deals,” or you can start with brands.
Write down the prices of the TV’s and begin to compare models, sizes, and brands. Keep in mind, though, it might be a good idea to try it with cookies on and cookies off! Companies can use internet browsing data can be used against you in the purchasing process. For example, when it comes to fights, browsing data is often used against you! For TV’s, start with exploring with cookies on, but see if turning them off can get you a better deal later!
Visit the store
After you have done your research online, visit a store. Sometimes when you visit the store, you can find much better deals. A $600 TV online might be $500 in the store, especially if they’re trying to make space in the store. Otherwise, many stores are implementing buy now, pay later programs through their company or third-party service.
Another positive to going in the store is you can get price matches! Be sure to look at price matches before going to the store, but also, going to the store means you can explore open box deals!
Don’t be afraid of open-box deals.
Open-box deals will save you a ton of money when you’re buying a TV, making going to the store and asking about open box specials one of the best times to buy a TV! Here is how open-box works:
- Someone buys a TV in-store or online.
- They return said TV for whatever reason in working condition OR they realize there is a minor scuff, ding, or dent.
- Because of the minor damage or the return, TVs can b heavily discounted.
- You buy the item and save tons of money!
Just make sure you know the terms such as “As Is” and the return policies before buying an open-box TV.
Budget
One of the best ways to buy anything over $200 is always to have a budget and save for it!
If you can’t budget for something, it might be a warning side you don’t need it. So before you buy a TV, set a small goal to budget for it. Perhaps you put $50 an account for a year or $100 in savings account for six months before getting your new TV!
By doing this, you are also rewarding your positive behavior [SAVING] with positive reinforcement [NEW TV].
Quality matters
Sometimes when buying a TV, there is a natural inclination to purchase the cheapest TV. However, price isn’t the only factor you should consider when you buy a new TV. Quality and brand names do matter in some cases, and while you don’t have to get the top of a line TV, you shouldn’t always resort to the lowest price.
Name brand TVs are known to last longer while simultaneously perform better!
Make Money to Buy a TV
Wait, make money to buy a TV; what does that even mean?
Something available for all of us is the opportunity to make money online and outside of our careers. Many people have side hustles to stick to their financial goals while also buying new things (like a new TV) or travel more.
Figuring out a way to make money on the side of your career is always a great idea. You can use the extra income to put towards your television purchase. Remember, the best time to buy a TV is when you have the cash in hand to do so!
Final Word
Now that you know all the information one could ever need as it pertains to buying a TV at the right time of the year, keep in mind a few things before purchasing a new television.
In most cases, a new television is a want, not a need. It’s best to practice the art of budgeting, planning, and saving before merely buying a new TV. One of the reasons many people feel like they’re broke or living paycheck to paycheck is because they make impulse purchases. TVs, cell phones, and other purchases are the difference in hundreds of dollars over the year that could be saved.
Keeping this in mind, ever now and then we need to upgrade our home’s TV, so be sure to purchase yours during these times:
- Early spring when new models come out
- Black Friday or Cyber Monday
- Around the Super Bowl
- Or, explore open-box deals year-round!
This article originally appeared on Your Money Geek and has been republished with permission.
