Smart Ways to Save Money on Household Appliance Purchases

Shopping for appliances can be exciting or frustrating. Appliance tags spout features you may never use, and sales can be overwhelming.

Whether you’re redoing your kitchen or replacing broken appliances, there are affordable ways to make your dollars go further. Smart ways to save money on household appliance purchases include negotiating, buying bulk, and using credit cards with 0% APR offers.

1. Know Your Needs

If you’re building a new home or replacing older appliances, deciding what features are most important for your lifestyle can seem overwhelming. Appliance tags spout features you’ve never heard of, and the choices can get even more confusing with options like rebates, apps, and energy efficiency ratings.

Before you hit the store, step back and figure out what kind of appliances you need. Buying the latest models may seem appealing, but they’re often less durable or energy-efficient than basic appliances.

It’s a good idea to time your purchases around the holidays or sales events. But you can find appliance discounts year-round, like a Dyson promo code if you know where to look.

For example, you can save money on appliances if you buy them from a store’s “scratch and dent” section. These products have minor cosmetic damage, but they still work well. You can also save a lot by purchasing floor models or appliances used as demos in the store. These appliances usually come with a warranty, too.

2. Shop Around

Appliances can be expensive, but many shoppers must consider the total cost. They also may buy whatever is nearest to hand when they need something, which can lead to higher energy bills in the long run.

A smarter approach is to shop around and plan. If you’re in a pinch, your best bet is to wait until an appliance goes on sale, but if you plan and follow some smart tips, you can save a lot more money.

The right time of year can also be important. Many retailers and manufacturers hold big sales at the end of each year, typically centered on holidays like Black Friday or Cyber Monday. And the sales tend to be better for seasonal appliances, such as air conditioners in summer and heaters in winter.

Also, watch for floor models and merchandise with minor blemishes, which can be offered at lower prices. These deals may not rival the discounts on a new appliance, but they can help you cut costs and avoid paying for extra features.

3. Look for Discounts

Replacing or upgrading appliances doesn’t have to break the bank. With a little planning and strategic shopping, you can find discount appliances that fit your needs. Here are a few things to remember as you search for the best deal.

Don’t wait until your current appliance breaks down to start shopping. Instead, plan to see if you can find deals on the models you need during the right times of year. Air conditioners, for instance, are usually most expensive in mid-summer, while heaters tend to be on sale during the winter.

You can also save money by purchasing floor models or refurbished appliances, asking for price matches, shopping during three-day holiday weekends, and comparing prices online. Additionally, look for coupons and rebates that can significantly reduce the cost of an appliance. Finally, consider what other perks come with your purchase, like free delivery and installation, points, or gift cards. These bonuses can be worth the extra expense. The more savings opportunities you can take advantage of, the better your overall deal will be.

4. Shop Online

Many people approach appliance purchases the same way they would a car or a computer:

Wait for a sale.
Use national rating organizations to identify top-ranked brands.
Visit a store to see the appliances in person.

That strategy can work in the short term but comes with drawbacks. First, the salesperson might try to talk you into upgrades, bells, and whistles you may not need. It’s also difficult to envision how an appliance will fit into your space and through doors, stairways, and halls from just a website image.

Another drawback to this type of shopping is shipping and delivery costs, which can run hundreds of dollars on bulky, heavy items. To reduce these costs, shop online with retailers that offer free shipping on all appliances.

Liquidation sales, often coinciding with retail holidays or model-year-turnover events, can be a good time to score major appliance discounts. Also, look for deals on floor models and scratch-and-dent merchandise, which you can find on consumer-to-consumer marketplaces.

5. Look for a Better Deal

Appliances are expensive, but you can save if you’re smart about when and how you shop. Look for sales, and consider bundling and comparing prices online to ensure you get the best deal.

Holidays can be a great time to buy appliances, particularly air conditioners and heaters. Stores are looking to move old inventory and make room for new products in the winter, so they often offer deep discounts on these models.

You can also get deals around holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Independence Day, and the weekend before Thanksgiving. These are times when retailers may have quotas to meet and need to clear out older products, giving you more wiggle room for negotiation.

Conclusion

If you’re purchasing a high-ticket item, ask to see if the store will match a competitor’s price. Some will, but you must bring the competitor’s price in writing. If purchasing a new appliance, check whether it has an energy efficiency label, such as ENERGY STAR. This label indicates that the manufacturer’s product uses less electricity than comparable models, which can help you lower your utility bills over time.