Many items follow the same sales cycle every year.  Stocking up on items when they are at their lowest prices is a great way to save serious money. Here is a big list of what to buy in September.

A general rule to follow is that if an item is in low demand, it will also be at the lowest price.  The same applies in reverse- if an item is in high demand, it will be at its highest price.

Here are the things you should buy in September and a few things you should skip.

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What to Buy in September:

School Supplies:

Stores often order more school supplies than they need, which means September is a great time to find a deal.  These items also need to be cleared out to make way for Halloween and Christmas items.

Tip- Buy extras and save for teacher appreciation days, and to have them on hand when the kids need to replace items.  School supplies also make great stocking stuffers 🙂

Summer Clothing:

With summer coming to an end, expect to find some great deals on summer clothes.  Labor day is known for clothing sales, but you should be able to find deals all month long.

If you have kids, now is a great time to buy for next year.  Don’t forget to buy a size or two larger.  

Tip- Buying bathing suits for girls to use next season almost never works!  Wait until spring and look at a store like Once Upon a Child.

Denim:

Just like with school supplies, denim will go on sale once the back-to-school rush is over. 

Appliances:

Appliance manufacturers often release new models in September and October, which means older models will go on sale to make way for the new models.  Pair that with Labor day sales, and you should be able to get a pretty good deal on most new appliances such as washers, dryers, dishwashers, and stoves.  The only exception to this is that refrigerators go to their lowest price typically in May.

Grills:

As summer comes to an end, stores will want to get rid of their grill inventory to make way for winter items.  The selection will be limited, but the prices will be great for grills and grilling items like charcoal, bbq tools, and lighter fluid.

iPhones: (maybe)

Apple often releases a new iPhone in September, which means the older models will go on sale.  There is some debate on whether the September sales or Black Friday sales are better, though.  

Bicycles:

Companies typically release their new bicycle models in early autumn, which means the old models will go on sale.  Bikes also tend to be in low demand at the end of the summer, which is another reason they’ll go on sale.

If a bike is on your Christmas shopping list, you’ll want to purchase it in September or October.

Mattresses:

Just about any month with a holiday is a good time to buy a mattress.  If you need a new mattress, you should be able to find a good deal.  If you don’t NEED one right away, the absolute best time to buy a mattress will be Memorial Day weekend.

Bedding:

Bedding is another item (like mattresses) that tends to go on sale every holiday.  However, the absolute best time to buy is in January.

Airfare:

A general rule is that airfare will go on sale about 8-weeks before a travel date.  If you are looking to travel for Thanksgiving, September will be the month to buy your tickets.

Travel

The time between summer and the winter holidays is slow for the travel industry.  This means you can generally find some good travel deals.  Fall is known to be an excellent time to book a cruise.

Health and Beauty Products

Some health and beauty products are seasonal, which means stores will be trying to get rid of summer items to make room for fall items.  Products that typically go on sale in the fall are:

• Summer makeup colors
• Razors
• Shaving Cream
• Hand sanitizer
• Some shampoo and conditioner
• Facial tissues (stock up after back-to-school and before cold/flu season)
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray

Cars:

New car models are released in September, which means dealers will start dropping the prices on last year’s model.  If you need a car, wait until the end of the month for the best price.

Fan Gear:

Fall marks the start of football and tailgating season.  The two best times to buy fan gear are at the very beginning of a sports season and at the end of the season.  You will probably find better deals once the season is over, but if you want to support your team during the season, buy the gear now.

Movie Tickets:

September 3rd  is National Cinema Day, and many movie theaters offer discounted tickets.

Broadway Tickets

September 6 – 25 is broadway week, and you can get BOGO tickets to Broadway shows.

Plants

Summer plants will be cheap this month because garden centers will be making room for fall and holiday plants.  

Gardening Gear:

Fall is a great time to buy items like gardening gloves, hoses, leaf blowers, trimmers, seeds, soil, pots etc.  Take an inventory of the equipment you have that will need to be replaced before next spring.  Also think of the items you seem to have to buy every year like soil and gloves!

Outdoor Furniture:

Labor Day weekend will be the best time to buy outdoor furniture.  However, just like with grills, selection will be limited.

Camping Gear:

Even though I think fall is prime camping time, stores start putting camping gear on sale in September.  Now is a great time to stock up for an upcoming trip, Christmas or next year.

Sunglasses:

Even though most of us probably wear sunglasses year-round, summer is considered the end of the season for selling sunglasses which means you’ll find some great deals.

Other Summer Items:

Stores will be putting most summer items on clearance.  Be sure to look for fans, air conditioners, bug spray, sunscreen and pool supplies.

Tip- Be sure to check expiration dates. Don’t buy more than you can use before it goes bad!

Food to buy in September:

Food items follow a sales cycle too. Stocking up on food is a great way to lower your grocery bill. If you want more tips, read my post on How to Save Money on Groceries.

Coffee:

Did you know there is National Coffee day on September 29th and International Coffee day on October 1?  Whether you choose to celebrate one or both, you should be able to find some fun coffee deals in the last week of September and the first week of October.  Watch for free coffee deals at doughnut shops and convenience stores.  

Soup

Fall is typically the best time to stock up on canned soups

Anything Apple or Tomato

Both apples and tomato products will be at their lowest prices this month.  Look for apple pies, apple sauce,  apple cider, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste

Cook Out Foods

Labor day will be the last time grilling, and cookout foods go on sale until Memorial day.  Look for deals on ketchup, mustard, buns, grilling meat, chips, 

Back to School Foods and Snacks

Anything that falls into the “easy to pack in a lunchbox” category will go on sale this month.  Other convenience foods like quick breakfast items will go on sale too.  Look for peanut butter, jelly, frozen waffles, granola bars, single-serve snacks and chips, cereal, juice boxes, fruit snacks, etc.

Pizza

September 5th is National Cheese Pizza day, and 20th is National Pepperoni Pizza day which means you might find some good deals on frozen pizza this month.

In-Season Fruits and Vegetables:

September marks the end of summer fruits and veggies and the start of the fall items.  This means it’s a great time to buy lots of fresh produce! Here is a long list of food to buy in September.

• Acorn Squash
• Apples
• Artichokes
• Beets
• Butternut squash
• Cantalope
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Eggplant
• Figs
• Grapes
• Green beans
• Honeydew melon
• Lettuce
• Mangoes
• Mushrooms
• Nectarines
• Okra
• Peaches
• Pears
• Peppers
• Persimmons
• Plums
• Pomegranates
• Pumpkins
• Spinach
• Sweet Potatoes
• Swiss chard
• Tomatillos
• Tomatoes

.

WHAT NOT TO BUY IN SEPTEMBER:

It’s just as important to know what NOT to buy in September as it is to know what you should buy.  Here are a few items to skip.

Halloween Items: (buy in October)

Yes, you’ll see stores flooded with Halloween items but try to wait until early October to purchase them.

Tip- Waiting until a few days before or right after a holiday to stock up on items is a great way to save money, BUT the selection will be very limited.  I recommend buying what you need well before the holiday, then check the clearance section after the holiday to re-stock items you’ll need for next year.

Fall Decorations:

Mid-October will be the best time to buy Halloween and fall decorations.  Mid- December is the best time for Christmas decorations.

TVs: (buy in November)

There will be a few TV deals in September for the kids going to college, but the best prices will be during Black Friday or before the super bowl.

Diamond Jewelry:

September is typically a very bad month for jewelry.  Most deals happen around November for Christmas, Winter, which is the engagement season, and Valentine’s, or May-July for the wedding season.

Electronics:

You will see electronic deals for Labor day, but you’ll see better deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Whole Turkeys and Hams:

If you’re craving turkey or ham, you’ll want to wait a few more weeks.  November is when turkey will be at its lowest price of the year.  You’ll find deals on ham around Christmas and Easter.

Fall Clothing: (buy in November or December)

As tempting as the new fall clothes can be, you’ll want to wait until it actually gets cold.  Fall clothes will go on clearance towards the end of fall.

Holidays in September

Random holidays are a great way to find fun deals. Here are a few holidays that are happening in September that stores may use to attract customers. Add any holidays that include specific foods to your list of possible things to buy in September. (I found all of these on the National Today website)

• Better Breakfast Month
• Bourbon Heritage Month
• Disaster Preparedness Month
• National Chicken Month
• National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
• National Cholesterol Education Month
• National Food Safety Education Month
• National Honey Month
• National Organic Month
• National Papaya Month
• Pain Awareness Month
• Save your Photos Month
• Sexual Health Month
• Sourdough September
• World Candle Month
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• National Rice Month
• National Potato Month
• Healthy Aging Month
• Sept 1: Cherry Popover Day
• Sept 1: National Tofu Day
• Sept 2: College Colors Day
• Sept 3: International Bacon Day
• Sept 3: National Tailgating Day
• Sep 4: Eat an Extra Dessert Day
• Sept 4: National Macadamia Nut Day
• Sept 4: National Waffle week
• Sept 5: Labor Day
• Sept 5: National Cheese Pizza Day
• Sept 6: National Coffee Ice Cream Day
• Sept 7: Buy a Book Day
• Sept 7: National Acorn Squash Day
• Sept 7: National Beer Lovers day
• Sept 7: National Salami Day
• Sept 8: International Literacy Day
• Sept 8: World Literacy Day
• Sept 9: Emergency Services Day
• Sept 9: Colonel Sander’s Birthday
• Sept 9: International Box Wine Day
• Sept 9: National Wiener Schnitzel Day
• Sept 10: National TV Dinner Day
• Sept 11: Grandparents Day
• Sept 11: National Hot Cross Bun Day
• Sept 12: National Chocolate Milkshake Day
• Sept 12: National Video Games Day
• Sept 12: Sexual Health Week
• Sept 13: International Chocolate Day
• Sept 13: National Celiac Disease Awareness Day
• Sept 13: National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day
• Sept 13: National Peanut Day
• Sept 14: Gobstopper day
• Sept 14: National Coloring Day
• Sept 14: National Cream Filled Donut Day
• Sept 14: National Eat a Hoagie Day
• Sept 14: National Food is Medicine Day
• Sept 15: National Cheese Toast Day
• Sept 15: National Double Cheeseburger Day
• Sept 15: National Linguine Day
• Sept 16: National Guacamole Day
• Sept 17: International Eat an Apple Day
• Sept 17: National Apple Dumpling Day
• Sept 17: Oktoberfest
• Sept 18: National Cheeseburger Day
• Sept 18: Rice Krispies Treats Day
• Sept 18: Wife Appreciation Day
• Sept 19: Talk like a Pirate Day
• Sept 19: National Eye Health Week
• Sept 19: Recycle Awareness Week
• Sept 20: National Fried Rice Day
• Sept 20: National Pepperoni Pizza Day
• Sept 20: National Punch Day
• Sept 20: National Queso Day
• Sept 20: National String Cheese Day
• Sept 21: International Day of Peace
• Sept 21: Minature Golf Day
• Sept 21: National Pecan Cookie Day
• Sept 22: Fall Equinox
• Sept 22: Hobbit Day
• Sept 22: National Ice Cream Cone Day
• Sept 22: National White Chocolate Day
• Sept 23: National Baker Day
• Sept 23: National Snack Stick Day
• Sept 24: National Hunting and Fishing Day
• Sept 24: National Public Lands Day
• Sept 25: National Cooking Day
• Sept 25: National Lobster Day
• Sept 25:  National Quesadilla Day
• Sept 26: Better Breakfast Day
• Sept 26: Johnny Appleseed Day
• Sept 26: National Chimichanga Day
• Sept 26: National Dumpling Day
• Sept 26: National Pancake Day
• Sept 26: Family Week
• Sept 27: National Chocolate Milk Day
• Sept 27: National Scarf Day
• Sept 28: National Drink Beer Day
• Sept 29: National Biscotti Day
• Sept 29: National Coffee Day
• Sept 29: National Starbucks Day
• Sept 30: Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day
• Sept 30: National Chewing Gum Day