The Best Things to Buy in September

Put big-ticket items on your list of things to buy in September. With the first cool winds of fall come sales on major consumer products. Retailers are looking to clear shelf space ahead of the holiday season and juice spending in the lull after kids return to school. Labor Day presents the best discounts on many items until Black Friday rolls around. Here are the best September deals to seek out.

Labor Day sales kick off the action early in September. This is one of two times a year when mattress retailers offer deep discounts on piled-up inventory (the other prime time is around Memorial Day). Shoppers may also find some better-than-normal deals on bedding and bath supplies, such as towels, over Labor Day weekend and throughout the month.

September promises low prices on flights for the winter holidays. The best deals on plane tickets usually surface about eight weeks prior to the departure date. For Thanksgiving, that would mean the last week or two of September, but start looking for cheap tickets and convenient times now if you plan to travel during that busy season. Be sure to factor in airline fees when comparing prices.

Broadway Week is Sept. 5 through Sept. 18. Take advantage of the chance to buy two tickets for the price of one for select shows. (For anyone thinking they can finally afford to see “Hamilton,” sorry, the mega-popular musical is not included in the promotion.)

If you aren’t set on a current car model, this is the time to buy one from the previous year’s lineup. The older models are taking up space on dealers’ lots, and they’ll be looking to move metal fast to make room for new vehicles arriving in short order.

New-model bikes are released every September, so this is a good month to find deals on older models. As with cars, retailers are looking to clear space for the new wheels and offer big discounts on current inventory.

September is a good month to buy large appliances (washer, dryer, dishwasher, stove). New models for the upcoming year will be hitting showrooms soon, and retailers are eager to sell off older stock. These appliances are still new and perfectly functional, and trends don’t come and go in this industry as quickly as they do in others.

Rumor has it that the new iPhone 7 will be announced on Sept. 7. There is also a new MacBook Pro in the works, and September is historically the month when new Apple products are unveiled. This suggests that older-generation models will see steep discounts in the month of September. Be on the lookout if you’re an Apple user in need of a new iPhone or laptop.

Summer plants, trees, and shrubs can be picked up for dirt-cheap prices this month, because garden centers are stocking up on fall and holiday plants. With cool temperatures on the way, September is the right moment to fill out landscaping with perennials. Summer flowers are at rock-bottom prices, as well, and there’s still a little time to enjoy them.

Discounts on lawn mowers, grills, swimsuits, and other summer gear will deepen in September. Sales on yard decor and outdoor furniture also heat up this month and continue into October. But don’t wait too long to snatch a deal — the selection could be thin.

Once most students have started classes, school supplies start going for lower prices. This includes big-ticket items such as desktop computers. Selection may not be what it was in August, but shoppers won’t beat the prices in September.

Jeans are so closely identified with back-to-school that, come September, denim goes on sale as stores seek to unload surplus inventory.

This is the last chance to enjoy low prices on summer produce such as corn, peaches, plums, nectarines, peppers, mangoes, green beans, lettuce, and tomatoes. September will also see the first fall produce hit grocery stores. Look for cheap prices on apples, berries, beets, cantaloupes, cauliflower, eggplants, grapes, honeydew melon, pears, squash, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, figs, and dark-green leafy vegetables such as spinach.

National Coffee Day is Sept. 29. Dunkin’ Donuts, Caribou Coffee, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Krispy Kreme, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Starbucks, and Tim Hortons have all offered a free cup o’ joe in years past.

September is National Chicken Month, National Potato Month, and National Rice Month. Food holidays honoring bacon, cheese pizza, guacamole, cheeseburgers, and lobster also fall in September. Be on the lookout for deals on these items at the supermarket and local restaurants.