Memorial Day weekend shopping offers some great deals, and not so great ones

Memorial Day weekend is getting closer and retailers will roll out the deals, offering some spending relief amid inflation.

While it seems like most everything will be marked down over the long holiday weekend, it’s good to know what and where the best deals really are.

Money saving expert Andrea Woroch goes over what to buy this Memorial Day weekend, and what items to skip.

What to buy

Home Appliances: The best time to buy pricey home appliances is over long holiday weekends like Memorial Day where you can find big savings and financing deals. For example, May is Maytag Month from now through May 31, offering up to 30% off Maytag appliances at Lowes, Home Depot, Best Buy and local retailers. Plus, you can get a $200 rebate when you buy three select appliances.

Mattresses:  You can find major savings on a new mattress from brands like Beauty Rest and stores like Mattress Firm. Many mattress retailers will also offer discounts on frames and bases, free delivery and 0% financing. You can earn cash back too, like 4.25% at Mattress Firm through CouponCabin.com.

New Cars:  Car deals are finally coming back to auto lots, with Memorial Day promising savings on both financing and lease options. While you can expect competitive prices, look out for financing deals to sweeten the deal further. 

Home Furniture: Home furniture retailers offer big price cuts during Memorial Day, some of which you can score ahead of the holiday weekend. Ashley Furniture has listed their “Spotlight Deals” with 50% off select furniture and keep an eye out for more sales from Wayfair and speciality home good stores like West Elm and Pottery Barn.

Winter and Spring Apparel: As winter winds down and even spring fashion takes a back seat, Memorial Day offers clearance deals on spring and winter clothing. Prep for next winter for kids by sizing up. 

What to skip

Personal gadgets and laptops: Amazon’s Prime Day predications suggest the popular two-day sales event will launch around July 11, when you can find a wide selection of discounts on personal gadgets like headphones, tablets and smart watches, and deals on home electronics like TVs and speakers.

Outdoor Entertaining Essentials: With the beginning of summer around the corner, stores know people have outdoor entertaining on their minds. You may see a few small sales on select grills and patio furniture to make you think these goods are on sale, but most are at their peak price point. Wait until end of summer for the best savings.

Summer Clothing, Sandals & Swimwear:  You may see some small sales of 10 to 20% off summer clothing and sandals but the real deals will hit mid summer, around July 4th. Get by with what you have or grab a used option from resale sites like Poshmark for now.  And, Victoria’s Secret’s Semi-Annual Sale has become a popular sales tradition with shoppers, which hits stores each June, where you can expect big savings on swimwear and lingerie.

Three ways to save more

Open a new credit card: Getting a new card ahead of Memorial Day can help you pay for a big ticket purchase with free money.

Look for coupons and cash back: Signing up for store newsletter can get you an additional 10 to 25% off or search deal sites like CouponCabin, where aggregate Memorial Day coupons are all in one place.

Tap into free rewards: Sign up for retail loyalty programs to earn exclusive sales and cash towards future purchases.