Watch CBS News

The Best Times To Buy Everything

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- WCCO-TV previously reported on the best things to buy this season. Now our experts spill the best times to buy.

From airline tickets to the latest and greatest in electronics, here's a calendar that could save you in the hundreds.

To find out what the airlines don't want you to know, WCCO-TV went to one of only a handful of people in the world who analyzes data from 500 airlines every hour on the hour.

"We have the world's largest database of information on airfares," said co-founder of farecompare.com Rick Seaney.

The first rule: start checking three and a half months before your departure date.

"You can shop all the way up to about 14 days before departure. That's when airlines start to treat you like a business traveler and the rates go up dramatically. They go up even more dramatically at seven days before departure," Seaney said.

If that's not specific enough for you, Seaney says his research actually points down to an exact day, even the exact hour to buy.

"The perfect time to shop for domestic tickets is Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time," Seaney said.

On Monday night, at least one airline starts a sale, and the people that match sales come to work around Tuesday at 1 p.m. It then takes two hours for their sales to post.

Switching our focus to apparel, WCCO-TV went to a Twin Cities image consultant to get the retail low down. Stylist Alice Sydow with "I've Got Your Style" says, if you're looking to save, don't get anything fresh off the rack.

"You can purchase cologne and perfume over your holiday season and then also during Mother's Day and Father's Day," Sydow said. When you wait for these holidays, you also get a free gift with purchase.

Sydow also recommends snagging sales on jewelry now. She says you see big sales on bling during the days following Valentine's Day.

From women's paradise to the man cave, our experts say tell your husband to wait when it comes to buying the latest and greatest in electronics.

"You want to be on the cutting edge, not the bleeding edge," said WCCO Radio's Tech Talk administrator Doug Swinhart.

He recommends waiting at least three to five months before pulling the trigger on electronics.

"It's like buying a new house. Whoever is the first owner of the house gets all of the foolishness, next owner comes in -- well, there's nothing to do," Swinhart said.

As for when to buy hardware, Swinhart says it's best to wait until early summer. August signifies back-to-school time, followed by the Christmas mob, and then the mad rush surrounding tax time.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.