You probably don’t know this, but you’re shopping all wrong.
Don’t worry, it’s not your fault.
You have to work all week in order to have money to spend on the weekend. But if you wait until Saturday to step foot in a store, you’ve already missed out on the deals.
Catey Hill, a consumer reporter for Marketwatch, says it’s time to set a new schedule if you want to take advantage of the mid-week bargains.
Take poor Tuesday, for example. It’s solidly mid-week but not yet hump day. Three long days until the weekend rolls around once more.
No one wants to go out to dinner on a Tuesday, which is why restaurants use that day to pump out deals like free appetizers, half off bottles of wine and free kids meals. And behold, Taco Tuesday.
“Tuesday tends to be the sweet spot for restaurants,” Hill says. “So if you can switch date night from Saturday night to Tuesday night you avoid the crowds and you tend to get better deals.”
So what about groceries to fill up your plate on all those nights when you’re not eating out? Hill says Wednesday is the best day to do your grocery shopping. Not only will there be fewer crowds than on a Saturday morning but you get the double advantage of lower prices and fresher merchandise.
“Most grocery stores release their circulars and deals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays,” Hill says. “They also tend to get shipments of all the new stuff right around then. If you want the best deals with the most inventory, you’re often best off shopping for groceries on Wednesday.”
And when it comes to clothes, you can beat the retailers at their own game by being ready as soon as those ‘sale’ signs hit the store window.
“They’re hoping people will go shopping on Friday or Saturday so they release the deals on Wednesday or Thursday in preparation for the weekend. But there are so many avid couponers that are like, ‘Oh deal’s released, I’m getting this right now!’ that by the time Saturday has rolled around the inventory is much more picked through,” Hill says.
“You’re better off taking that deal and going for it right away.”
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