In August Buy School Supplies and Stocks

ATLANTA (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/MCT) —

August is a great month for deals, and not just because it includes a weekend of tax-free shopping.

“[Shopping] starts to pick up in August. There are quite a few good deals,” says Mark Di Vincenzo, author of a popular book on deals.

Some deals make more sense than others when viewed through the law of supply and demand, he says.

While there is a great demand for backpacks this time of year, the average price has gone down instead of up.

“Backpacks have been getting discounted over the last few years. Retailers have been using backpacks to lure shoppers into their stores,” Di Vincenzo says. Some retailers offer backpacks with discounts of 40 percent to 60 percent off, as well as other incentives.

Laptops follow a similar trend, he says. Laptops are a back-to-school essential for college-bound students and some high school students. You can find this must-have for 10 percent to 20 percent off this month, along with bundle deals such as free printers or free software. Small electronics such as mp3 players may also go on sale this month as models come out in September and October in anticipation of the  winter shopping season, Di Vincenzo says.

The more obvious items on sale this month include lawn mowers and summer accessories.

A few weeks before Labor Day you should see good deals on flowers and plants. “Nurseries don’t want to get stuck with them, and they realize after Labor Day there is very little planting going on,” Di Vincenzo says.

And remember, August is a month with no holiday or special occasion. That means it is the last month of the year to get true sales on jewelry, says Di Vincenzo. In some cases you may find discounts of 20 percent to 30 percent.

Finally, for the investors among us, Di Vincenzo says stocks are another good thing to buy in August. “August is the worst-performing month of the year for stocks. If you are serious about buying low and selling high, August is a really good month.”

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