THE BEST DAY TO SHOP

You may prefer to shop on Sundays because it fits your schedule or you choose Tuesday afternoons because the stores are less crowded. Maybe it's time to rethink your strategy and instead shop on the day that offers the best deals. What day is that? It depends on what you're buying. SmartMoney did the legwork and figured out the best days for the deepest discounts. That means that prices for the exact same item in the exact same store could be lower on Monday than they are on Friday. Here is SmartMoney's advice on what to buy on which days:

Sunday
Appliances: Prices for washers, dryers, ovens and refrigerators are about 1 percent to 2 percent cheaper on Sundays, which works out to about $10 saved on a mid-range model.

Groceries: While most grocery stores publish their weekly sales circular on Wednesdays, Sunday is the best day to shop. Clip coupons from Sunday's newspaper for more savings.

Personal Care Items: You'll find the best deals on toothpaste and deodorant at the drugstore chains on Sundays. You must go early to get the best deals.

Skirts and Dresses: Skirts sell, on average, for 77 percent off the retail price, while dresses are discounted, on average, 54 percent.

Monday
Cars: Cars are cheapest on Mondays as dealerships are more willing to negotiate. This holds true whether weekend sales were lackluster and they want to make up for that or whether weekend sales were robust and they want to continue it.*Sunday

Electronics: Computers, televisions, digital cameras and even video games are between 2 percent and 4 percent cheaper on Mondays.

Tuesday
Airfares: Since most domestic fares are posted on Monday evening, there is a scramble by the other airlines on Tuesday morning to match prices. The number of cheap seats peaks at about 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

Thursday
Clothing: Both brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers tend to begin their weekend sales on Thursday. You'll find the best deals and the most in-stock items. However, there are exceptions. See Monday.

Saturday
Books: Books are 11 percent cheaper on Saturdays; they are priced at their highest on Fridays.

Posted in: