What to Buy in March and Save

The month of March brings with it warmer temperatures with spring just around the corner, and retailers follow suit with some of the hotter deals you can find all year long.

March is a unique month in the sense that you’re two months removed from the holidays, only a few weeks past Valentine’s Day, and already thinking about vacation planning or beefing up your summertime wardrobe.

On one hand, you might be paying off that holiday debt you incurred not all that long ago, along with the spending (or overspending) that was done on Valentine’s Day, but can’t help but consider what March brings to the table as far as how spending can save you money if you’re buying the right things.

With summer just around the corner, and those temperatures creeping back up to reasonable levels, you might not only be thinking about summer clothing and vacation, but what about outdoor projects, such as landscaping, buying lawn and patio furniture or giving the house a fresh coat of paint to go along with that spring cleaning you do annually.

Simply put, March has a lot of moving parts, whether you’re still managing the holiday fallout, February 14 debt or looking toward what summer can offer from a products and services standpoint.

The tough part about convincing yourself that spending money in March is advisable is how much the average person spent on the holidays this past season. The number sits at approximately $1,054 of new debt that was created in the months leading up to December 25.^[1]

That sort of debt doesn’t sound awful, but you’re also talking about more than just a month or two to pay it off completely.

Also, that figure of just over $1,000 spent is much higher than the average projections for 2017, approximately $660.^[2]

Needless to say the holidays play into how you’re going to spend your money the following year an beyond, March included.

You also have to factor in Valentine’s Day being not far removed from the start of March.

Roughly 19.6 billion dollars was spent across the board on Valentine’s Day, according to a 2018 projection, with $143 spent on gifts per person.^[3]

While the $143 pales in comparison to the holiday figures, they’ll certainly play into how much you plan on spending in March, even if the deals abound on certain products and services.

And that’s really what spending in March boils down to: being able to discern between what’s worth skipping and ultimately the products are marked up way too high and actually would be avoidable at best.

While some put on strict spending limits or close the checkbook completely after the holidays, savvy shoppers realize that if there is need involved or the discount is far too lucrative to pass on that spending money actually saves you if you were opting to buy a product at a different time during the year, when it’s going to cost you more.

Here’s a glimpse of what’s worth buying in March:

Tax Timing: Why tax software is worth buying

So obviously you’re thinking, why is tax software on the list? I thought shopping was supposed to be fun, enjoyable and downright blissful.

Tax Day, this year on April 17, is just around the corner, and the heavy hitters of the tax world are really in full blown, hard sale motion to get you to purchase tax software from them, including almost an across the board wooing session for a free 1040EZ form filing as well.

Most tax software and subsequent providers use the “free” label to get you in the proverbial door, with opportunities to up sell you on other services they provide.

And with that, tax season is all about competition outdoing the opposition to the point that consumers can reap the benefits with discounts and other promotions as a result.

Best Buy and H&R Block teamed up, for example, to give individuals a gift card when the settle in with “the Block” when you buy sale priced software.^[4]

Another player in this forum is Tax Act, which is offering $10 off all of its software that isn’t the 1040EZ form (which is free).^[5]

Aside from the 1040EZ form being free at Tax Slayer, they have pricing that starts as low at $17 to file, and actually puts together a timely and helpful guide to be able to find out exactly which software works the best given your work status.^[6]

Timing is extremely important as far as software purchasing goes. Some of the tax software companies might offer a modest, last-minute before April 17 filling day discount, you’ll see more savings if you start thinking about and purchasing tax software as far out from the actual April 17 deadline.

You might not be in a rush to file, however, but consider the difference in price in March versus April as a means to not procrastinate, no matter how painful it might be.

Cruise Controlled: Why discounts cruises makes March ideal for travel

Vacation planning starts in the spring, not coincidental when you consider the temperature changes on the horizon.

While most individuals, couples and families alike tend to take vacation in June, approximately 51 percent say that is the month they’ll travel, you can’t look past the lucrative nature of March.^[7]

Namely, the cruises.

February and March are huge cruise months in terms of booking and going in the same month.

March can offer fares as low as $169 for 3 to 5 nights, per person, with destinations to the Bahamas as just one choice.^[8]

In addition to the cost of fares being so reasonable, March also sports one of the more opportune times to be granted and given upgrades for better, more spacious rooms or even nights for free as part of a package deal.

Once March comes and goes, you’ll really see the cost of a cruise spike significantly versus booking and going in March. The closer you get to summer, the more the price has a tendency to increase.

And not only is March a fantastic month to book a cruise, but always make sure you book on the best day possible. Yes, booking cruises can be narrowed down to getting an even better rate based on the day you book it.

You can save, on average, 17 percent more on the total price if you opt to book the cruise on a Thursday.^[9]

Luggage Nuts: If you’re not buying luggage in March, you’re crazy

You just heard how important it is to start thinking and booking vacations, specifically cruises, in March, so what seems like the perfect compliment to that purchase?

How about luggage to go along with it? Not only is luggage priced affordable in the month of March, you also have to consider not only cruses being booked but vacations you’ll take in the summer, and not overspending on a new carry on bag or luggage as a result.

Also, Spring Break isn’t far away, and that’s what entices retailers to up the ante on better bags, suitcases and duffels in the month of March, much better pricing than you’ll see the entire year.

If history is any indicator about luggage and how it is priced in March, look no further back than a couple years ago, when the likes of JC Penny, Columbia and Samsonite offered discounts of up to 50 percent off luggage.^[10]

This year, Columbia seems poised to do more for luggage deals with a $74 bag marked down to $54.90, while another is priced at $24.99, down from its $30 original.^[11]

You can endure the cost of a vacation, cruise or other trip and not have to worry about upgrading or replacing your luggage if you do so in March.

Exercise Options: Forgo gym membership in March and opt for home equipment

So you wanted to hit January hard with your New Year’s Resolution to lose weight and drop a few excess pounds put on during the holidays.

January is the best month for fitness, specifically gym memberships and joining a health club with discounts on monthly rates and more notably waived enrollment or other fees that you have to typical pay when you join.

But if joining a gym in March is still on the horizon, you may want to think of a different way or means to get in shape before summer.

Namely, staying put at home.

No, that doesn’t mean become one with your couch but instead saving more money on home equipment, and March is the best time to do just that.

Gym membership fees, including that sign on charge, are back to stay in March and won’t be off the table again until it’s too late, namely summer months when business is at a standstill (who joins a gym in the summer anyway; the idea is to get in shape beforehand).

And with that, you can save a bundle on buying home equipment versus the gym counterpart.

Take Dick’s Sporting Goods, for example. This renowned and highly regarded retailer is discounting home equipment between 40 and 50 percent off, such as SOLE treadmills priced at $1,799.99 down to $999, 44 percent off the retail price.^[12]

One of the reasons fitness equipment is marked down in March is the weather factor, assuming that buying a treadmill is going to be relatively pointless when it’s warm enough out to walk outside for free. The other factor is older models being cleaned out and off the floor in favor of newer ones set to debt in the Fall.

Fitness deals aren’t just specific on exercise equipment, either, as March also is tailor made to lace up and start running. Sure, the treadmill deal is hard to pass up, but much like luggage and spring break or vacations go hand in hand like peas and carrots, so do running shoes and, well, running on that treadmill.

That’s why you’ll want to not only work on your fitness via an at home machine or DVD workout program but also running shoes. Various top retailers offer running shoes in March at 50 percent discounts off the regular price.^[13]

March comes in like a lion but out like a lamb, suggesting the weather might be rockier in the beginning of the month, but calms quite nicely as the month comes to a close.

Lion and lamb aside, you can be a serious spending and saving beast if you select wisely and make March a month worth paying noting, even if it seems like one of the quieter months from a product and spending perspective given where it falls between the holidays and summer.

Despite the fact that March might not be as flamboyant and noteworthy as other months as far as purchases and products go, you can’t argue with timing being everything, and the month of March being no different.

If you’re opting to go against the grain and buy something “out of season” and sit back and let the third month of the year come and go, then beware the idleness of March, and be prepared to miss out on deals that only come around once per year.

From tax software to luggage and everything in between, they might be the flashiest or most glamorous items, but those with the foresight and acumen to want to save money and get what they need, you’ll be hard pressed to want to pass on practicality and purpose when saving money is the end result.