More than once I have had to go to a store, buy something that I like and then find it at a 50% discount during the settlement season. That lack of prevention has caused me, in addition to great frustration, a desire to make better use of my money by identifying what I should buy and when to do it.

Although it is a good idea to get items at a lower price when your demand is low (eg a coat during the summer or a swimsuit in winter), we can still improve our aim to become true hunters of sales.

To make your next trip to the mall a success and do not miss any of the best sales, I share the following tips:

Department stores

Whether you are looking for clothes, shoes or other accessories, remember that shops must take out the remainder of the season to make room for items that arrive with the new one. Consequently, January and June are the months you should contemplate. The first outputs the autumn-winter items, while the second marks the end of the spring-summer season.

Do not forget that these offers attract many people, so to speed up your purchase process I recommend:

• Go with a clear idea of ​​what you want, even monitor it in advance to verify the discount.
• Identify the area where the products that interest you are located. Although businesses change distribution, you will waste less time searching.
• The longest row in the store is not that of the box but that of the testers. Therefore, find out what your size is in that brand and be guided by that to avoid making changes.
• Remember that many of the times discount garments can no longer be returned. So check the closures, buttons and seams so you don’t get a surprise.

Online shopping

We already know that digital platforms have a different behavior from their commercial premises. For this reason, the Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO), in collaboration with other groups, developed HotSale, a campaign for digital commerce that offers discounts and promotions on different items. In 2017 it was held from May 29 to June 2 , however, these dates may change for next year.

But, being online shopping, we must consider the following:

• Be careful with the information you offer, remember that the page needs to comply with certain security measures so that you are not vulnerable to theft.
• Verify that the sites are official and that the businesses are linked to this initiative.
• Save your digital vouchers because they will be necessary if you need to clarify.
• There are items that are better to buy in physical to check the quality of the product, this may apply to some clothing or footwear, as well as children’s items of little known brands.
• Instead, entertainment purchases, electronics and the like could give you better discounts from your online store.

The good end

Inspired by Black Friday in the USA is a successful campaign to boost the national economy through consumption. This Federal Government initiative with the private sector will take place from November 17 to 20 . Surely many of us already plan to take advantage of these dates to make important purchases before the Christmas season. However, it is worth taking some recommendations to get more out of it.

• Not all are products. Every time you can get more discounted services this season, for example: restaurants and transport.
• Verify that the stores where you make the largest purchases are authorized and participate in the program.
• Check prices before buying. Take advantage of the tool Who is who in the prices that Good Finance offers to give you an idea of ​​the total cost.

Cars

One of the biggest purchases we will make in our lives will be the acquisition of a car. It is better to contemplate at what time to do so to make better use of our resources. In general, the last quarter of the year is a good time to get it, especially if you had already considered using your bonus as part of the hitch.

If you are looking for the best offer, consider the following:

• Models with low turnover are more likely to have better prices at the end of the year.
• Many companies prefer to close their season with high sales, so there will be more offers between October and December. In addition, they should leave room for next year’s models.
• Sellers are constantly pressured to reach their goals, therefore, if you go with them at the end of the quarter, they are more likely to be willing to offer you a discount.
• Try to go to the dealership during the week so you have more personalized attention.
• Evaluate whether it is better for you to buy a new car than a used one, considering that the first one is devalued by up to 20% when you leave the agency.

Self Service Stores

Supermarkets are not exempt from seeking to improve their numbers and acquire new customers by having a season of attractive sales or promotions. July is the month where we find a lot of discounts for daily consumer products. However, many times the number of options can be overwhelming, therefore, I suggest you do the following:

• Look for promotions that give you more products for less, but take advantage of them for non-perishable or high-consumption items. That is, it is better for you to have many toothbrushes than three refrigerators.
• Another option that you can apply is to go shopping with friends or family and distribute the consumption among several so that the unit cost is reduced. This technique can also be used in price clubs, of which we already talked about in a previous entry.
• If you have an electronic wallet, you can take advantage during this month, as some purchases give you more points.

At the end…

No matter what you are going to get, the discount season has an effect on us that makes us believe that our purchasing power is greater. However, this does not imply that we should get out of our budget and much less, borrow with loans that we cannot pay and fall behind.