From the Inside Out
RONALD'S RISK

At 50 cents a roll — instead of the regular retail price of $4 — buying wrapping paper after New Year's is an easy way to save. The same holds true for buying half-price inflatable pool loungers and patio furniture after Labor Day weekend. In fact, bargain lovers know that there's a smart time to buy just about anything. For example, those looking for a great deal on a car should shop on weekday mornings in September. Shrubs and trees are cheapest on in the Fall. We talked to the experts, and found the best time to buy everything from airline tickets to televisions.

Airplane Tickets
When to buy: On a Wednesday morning, 21 days (or a couple of days earlier) before your flight.
Why — Airlines make major pricing changes (and run fare sales) every week, typically on Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings. About 21 days out from your flight, you'll see plenty of deals out there as airlines scramble to fill seats, says Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com, a consumer travel advice Web site. Don't wait much longer, she cautions; prices jump significantly from 14 to seven days ahead of departure.

Appliances
When to buy: During a holiday weekend.
Why —You'll find sales on select models all year long, but retailers bring out the big guns for holiday weekends, says Carolyn Forte, homecare director for the Good Housekeeping Institute. But don't worry about spending your Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends shopping for a new fridge — smaller holidays like Columbus Day and President's Day have their share of sales, too.

Books
When to Buy: Thursday
Why — Price compare between major chains Borders and Barnes & Noble. The former releases its weekly sales and coupons on every Thursday; the latter, every Tuesday.

Broadway Tickets
When to buy: Hours before the curtain rises.
Why — How does a $25 front-row seat to for a smash hit musical sound? Several musicals offer same-day ticket lotteries that offer up orchestra seats at inexpensive prices. If you'd rather not gamble on getting a seat, wait in line at the famous TKTS Booth in Times Square. There, you can get tickets for hit musicals for up to 50% off. On a recent night, prime seats were available for "Hairspray," "Rent," "Sweeney Todd" and "Beauty & the Beast." (For the right times to drop by TKTS, and other ways to save, see our column A Midsummer Night's Dream.)

Cars
When to buy: Weekday mornings in September.
Why — By September, all the next year's models have arrived at the lot, and dealers are desperate to get rid of the current year's leftovers, says Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com. It's the prime time of year for incentives and sales, not to mention bargaining. "Any car that's been on the lot for a long time loses its value in the eyes of the car salesman," he says. Heading to the dealership on a weekday morning also helps because there's low foot traffic, meaning you'll have ample time to negotiate and fewer people trying to buy the same car. The more demand, the less willing a salesman is to go down on price, says Reed. (For more, see our column Summer Car Savings.)

Clothing
When to buy: Thursday evenings.
Why — That's the day when stores stock their shelves for the weekend, and when many retailers start their weekend promotions, says Kathryn Finney, author of "How to Be a Budget Fashionista: The Ultimate Guide to Looking Fabulous for Less" You'll find great prices and the best selection. "It's an effort to get people to shop in the middle of the week," she says. After an item lingers in stores a month or more, retailers start dropping its price to get it out the door, adds Kathryn. These season-end clearances tend to be the same month that designers host fashion weeks (February and September) to preview the next fall or spring collections. So smart buyers can check the catwalk to see if any of this season's trends — say, leggings or military-style jackets — will still be hot next year, and then scoop them up on clearance. Hitting the mall on a weekday ensures you'll get a good selection. "On the weekend, you'll only get picked-over stuff because the stores don't have time to restock," she says. By Thursday, most of the weekend sales have begun, but everything available is on the floor.

Computers and electronics
When to buy: Just after a new model is launched.
Why — When the latest and greatest of a product is released, you'll often see prices drop on what had previously been the best thing out there, says Tom Merritt, executive editor for CNET.com, an electronics review web site. Case in point: When Apple released the Nano prices for the now-discontinued Mini dropped 12%, from $199 for a 4GB to about $175. So keep your eyes open for announcements from major manufacturers. Want a little less work? Time your purchases for after big annual technology show like MacWorld and the International Consumer Electronics Show (next held Jan. 7-10, 2008 in Las Vegas).

Department Store Wares
When to Buy: Saturday evening
Why — Department stores have a lot to mark down for their Sunday circulars, so they frequently start the process on Saturday evenings before store closing, says Kathryn Finney.

Dinner Out
When to Buy: Tuesday
Why — Most restaurants do not receive food deliveries over the weekend. "Sunday is the garbage-can day of the week," says Kate Krader, senior editor at Food & Wine Magazine. "No doubt, they're cleaning out their fridges. Tuesdays, they're starting fresh." Dining out on that day offers the best odds you'll get a meal worth paying for, no matter your price point, she says.

Entertainment
When to Buy: Wednesday
Why — Many movie theaters, amusement parks and museums offer discounts to consumers who visit midweek. Six Flags theme parks offer a $12 discount to AAA members — three times its usual discount of $4. AMC Theatres offers members in its free AMC Movie Watcher reward program a free small popcorn on Wednesdays.

Gas
When to buy: Thursday morning
Why — The price of oil isn't the only factor influencing costs at your local pump. Consumer usage plays a role, too — and weekend demand is high, says Jason Toews, co-founder of GasBuddy.com, a price-monitoring site. Prices usually swing upward on Thursdays as travelers fuel up to head out the following day. By hitting the pump before 10 AM you'll beat the rush and the price jump. (For more ways to save, see our column Save on Gas.)

Groceries
When to buy: Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
Why — Experts say that since the sales are set on Wednesdays, buyers can sometimes get overlapping savings Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. Grocery stores also are usually less crowded then and the produce isn't too picked-over. Teri Gault, founder of The Grocery Game, a consumer savings program, adds that heading to the store close to closing time means you'll also have access to sales on fresh items that must be sold by the end of the day, such as meats and baked goods.

Hotel Rooms
When to Buy: Sunday
Why — There are two kinds of hotel managers, and the kind who won't give you a discount on your room rate has Sundays off, says says travel expert Peter Greenberg, aka The Travel Detective. Call the hotel directly, and ask to speak with the manager on duty or the director of sales. These employees are open to negotiation, he says. They'd rather have a booked room at a discounted rate than an empty room.

Shrubs, Trees and Other Plants
When to buy: Fall
Why — Take a break from raking up leaves to purchase trees, shrubs and other perennials for your yard. Prices nosedive after midsummer, as garden supply stores and nurseries try to clear out their stock. You can also get great deals on bulbs during the fall. Just store them according to the package instructions for best planting results next spring. For more, see our column Cheap Landscaping Tricks.)

Televisions
When to buy: Six to 12 months after a particular model is launched.
Why — A new TV drops in price after a few months on the market, says CNET's Merritt. Although there will be newer models out there, it's unlikely they'll offer any significant improvements to justify that brand new price. "The technology is proceeding at such a pace that the models out there are not going to be obsolete anytime soon," he says. (For more, see our column The World Is Flat.)

~By Kelli B. Grant
SmartMoney.com

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