9 Things on Deep Discount in September

We’ve finally made it to that point in the calendar marking the unofficial end of the summer and the beginning of the autumn season — not to mention the return of college football!

Of course, you know September is typically when they start rolling out the pumpkin spice lattes, right?

If you’re someone who likes to save money — and who doesn’t? — another favorite returns this month: September is National Coupon Month. Check out our favorite promo codes and coupons here.

Here’s a look at the savings you can enjoy this month. Shop wisely and you’ll make this a September to remember for your wallet.

Here Are the Best September Deals

1. Appliances

Starting right around Labor Day, you can traditionally find bargains on stoves, microwave ovens and other appliances. Alongside Black Friday, Memorial Day and Independence, Labor Day is one of the linchpins in the calendar for appliance deals.

We’re already starting to see deals on some items including refrigerators. So if you need to replace a major appliance, now is a good time to look. Be sure to check out the ClarkDeals.com appliances category for the best deals.

2. TVs

Now that one of Clark’s favorite seasons is nearly upon us — football season — you’ll find price drops on TVs to make your football-watching experience even more enjoyable.

Good places to look for deals on TVs include Walmart and Best Buy in addition to warehouse clubs such as Costco and Sam’s Club. And Clark says there’s no need to be concerned about buying a brand-name TV. 

“I find that people often way overpay for flat screens because they think they are hurting themselves if they buy a brand they don’t know much about. But the reality is you hurt yourself more if you pay more for a TV since, as prices drop, screen size gets larger and capability gets better. So you’re best off going down on brand and up on screen size, or down on brand, keep the same screen size and then keep more money in your pocket.”

See our list of the best deals on TVs right now.

3. End-of-Season Sales

With summer on the way out, now is the time to catch some change-of-season deals.

Look for deals in particular on air conditioners, chains, leaf blowers and lawnmowers.

Sometimes to get the best deals on end-of-season merchandise, you’ve got to be willing to haggle a little bit. ClarkDeals.com Managing Editor Charis Brown notes that her husband was able to get $500 off the price of a riding lawnmower because it had a small mechanical issue that he was willing to fix himself. Sure, it took a little elbow grease, but what savings!

4. Holiday Travel

Airfares over the summer were ridiculously expensive. Not to mention all the flight delays and cancellations! Thankfully, the nightmare that was travel during the summer is going to get steadily better in the fall, Clark says.

The industry’s solution to its recent problems has been to pare back flights so travel can be more reliable. That’s precisely why the consumer champ advises buying travel for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s during this month.

“Airlines will be reducing their flying schedule through the fall, which means lower-cost tickets will be soaked up earlier,” he says. “So it’s important not to procrastinate.”

Just one word of advice: The more flexibility you have in your schedule, the better it will be for your wallet.

The Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday and Monday following it historically are the highest volume traffic days of the year and the airfares typically reflect that. So if you can switch travel days even just a little bit around Thanksgiving, you should do it. Clark’s been monitoring prices and says you can cut your fares by an average of 58% just by using this strategy!

5. Early Christmas Shopping

While we traditionally think of November as the best time of the year to save on Christmas shopping, Clark says you can add September to the list this year.

“There is massive overstock that retailers are working off. They ordered so much merchandise that [got delayed] and people continued buying. But then when people lost interest in buying more stuff, all that stuff [stores had ordered] finally made it to the retailers. So they are just overwhelmed with it now.”

That means, of course, deals for you! Target and Walmart in particular have both said they have excess inventory, and are having to do steep markdowns in the name of inventory reduction.

Another benefit of shopping in September for the holidays? You won’t be forced to pay package surcharges of $1-$6 that will be starting in October from USPS, according to Clark. Even if you get “free shipping” later in the holiday shopping season from an online retailer, chances are the cost of the item you’re buying will be jacked up to account for those package surcharges behind the scenes, according to Clark.

So all signs point to the same idea: “September is kind of front-loading a bit [for your] Christmas shopping,” the consumer champ says.

6. Cell Phones

September is the month when new plans and new phones typically come out. In fact, the next iteration of the iPhone is likely to be announced shortly. So that means older models will be discounted as retailers try to make shelf space.

So if you’re in the market for a new phone, your timing is right this month. If you want to save even more, consider buying a previously-owned phone. Here are some deals on popular smartphones at Clark Deals.

7. Food

September is a month that’s usually overflowing with either discounted or free food thanks to a variety of food holidays.

Here are some days you may be able to score free or discounted food:

• National Cheese Pizza Day: Sept. 5
• National Guacamole Day: Sept. 16
• National Cheeseburger Day: Sept. 18
• National Coffee Day: Sept. 29

Never miss another free food opportunity when you sign up for the ClarkDeals.com newsletter!

In addition, mark your calendars for September 3 — the inaugural National Cinema Day — when AMC, Regal Cinemas and other movie theater chains across the country will be offering $3 tickets for any movie in any format for one day only!

Finally, September 17 is National Museum Day, and many museums offer free admission.

8. Plants

As home improvement stores and nurseries get their autumn stock in, you’ll typically find they put their perennials on discount, according to ClarkDeals.com Senior Editor Sarah Jordan.

“The nice thing is that you can plant bulbs in the fall and they’ll come back for spring,” Sarah says.

9. Grills

We are also seeing discounts on grills at the moment with retailers clearing out warm-weather merchandise. You’ll find markdowns on charcoal grills and gas grills as well as Kamado ceramic grills. See our most up-to-date list of the best grill deals here.

Final Thoughts

September is a time when the temps are dropping, and the prices on many items are as well!

Want to see what’s on sale now? Check out today’s best deals from ClarkDeals.com.