Memorial Day Sales: Consumer experts reveal what not to buy during holiday weekend

CHICAGO - Even though Black Friday is still six months away, retailers are ready for you to do some heavy-duty shopping over the next few weeks.

In a FOX 32 Money Saver special report, Dawn Hasbrouck takes a look at how to make the most of all those Memorial Day sales.

Who doesn’t love a good sale? But, buyers beware.

"Long holiday weekends like Memorial Day offers a lot of sales, but not everything is a good buy," said consumer finance expert Andrew Woroch.

When shopping Memorial Day sales, a good place to start is in the kitchen.

"One really good thing you want to look out for are home appliances. They are big-ticket items that are typically on sale over those long holiday weekends, but especially May makes it a good time to buy because brands like Maytag are hosting an entire month of deals." Woroch said.

As for the rest of your house?

"Mattresses are a big one. That’s just been the thing for many years," said Brian Martucci, finance editor at MoneyCrashers.com. "Another big one is home decor, indoor and outdoor. If you haven’t set up your patio for the summer, might be a good opportunity to refresh it."

While you can find good deals online during Memorial Day weekend, Martucci says you can find the best deals when you shop in store.

"When you are in a store, it’s easier to haggle. Might be able to drive a better bargain depending on what the specifics of that retailer are," Martucci said.

Martucci adds retailers may be looking to clear out their current inventory to make room for the next season’s items.  

Which is why Woroch says now is the best time to buy winter merchandise. You can find deals on everything from hats, coats and boots to snow boards and snow blowers, but the key is this.

"The earlier you shop in May for winter clearance, the more selection you’re going to find," Woroch said.

Next on the "to buy" list is cars.

"Memorial Day weekend represents a great time to buy a new car if you are in the market for it. During this time, car dealerships have the biggest inventory of outgoing models," Woroch said.

"What I also like is that it’s at the end of the month and so sales people are looking to meet their quotas. This could give you a good opportunity to haggle," she said.

Before you start doing that, Woroch says do your research.  

"I like to use apps like TrueCar estimate. This will give you a general idea of what other people in your area paid for a car you are looking at, the same make and model," she said.

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Now let’s flip the script and talk about what not to buy during Memorial Day sales. Number one on the list is home electronics.

"Amazon Prime Day typically falls in July. The predictions are if might fall around July 11 or 12, but still it hasn’t been confirmed. And we all know Amazon Prime Day is one of the best days to shop for home electronics and personal gadgets," Woroch said.

Not to mention many other major retailers hold similar sales around Prime Day.

"Also remember back-to-school sales will start in mid-July lasting through August and maybe even in to September. And that’s going to be a good time to find deals on laptops, printers," she said.  

Also on the "do not buy" list, you might want to hold off on a grill so you don’t get burned by the price.

"Memorial Day is a huge day for people to buy grills. Retailers know that, and they price accordingly," Martucci said.

Martucci says a good time to buy a new grill is after the Fourth of July.

When it comes to buying winter clothes in the summertime, Woroch says you could save as much as 80%.