New fitness equipment is often on sale in January, but you may be able to find used gear that’s practically new for a much lower price. (Photo by Getty Images)
Are you all tapped out after the holidays? Well, join the club. Our wallets are empty too.
Still, there are a few things that you should contemplate buying in January, because they’ll be on sale. Really on sale, not like the phony Black Friday deals that were marked up and then discounted. Here are some things that you might still want to buy:
1 Gym memberships: If you’ve been thinking about joining a gym for your health, there’s never a better time than right after the new year, when fitness centers offer great deals, to take advantage of all those resolutions out there. Not to worry, most people will sign up and never go again. But if you’re determined to get healthy, this is the time to buy in. At this writing, Gold’s Gym had already started its 2024 promotion with a half-price offer of $17.48 month and no enrollment fee. Note that sometimes you can negotiate with the sales people and get an even cheaper deal, so give it a try. Plus, nearly all gyms offer free passes, so you can try before you buy.
2. Weight loss programs: Again, trying to scoop up those New Year’s resolutions, diet plans typically offer free enrollment fees and other deals to get you in the door. It’s a good idea to look up the actual success rates of the program you’re considering, which they are now required to report.
3. Holiday stuff: If you’re the canny kind of person who buys in advance and stores things, then stop by your local party store and pick up those New Year’s Eve horns, plates, napkins and hats now for half price, along with Christmas wrapping paper, stockings, bows, lights, decorations and other clearance items.
4. Smart TVs: With after-Christmas tech sales and the approaching Super Bowl, which usually launches a bunch of discounts, this is a good time to buy that TV that you didn’t get for Christmas. New products launch in March, so dealers are starting to clear out the older models.
5. White sales: Yes, they’re old-fashioned but most of us still need bed linens, unless we’re sleeping in a teepee. Check department stores like Target, Macy’s and Kohl’s for discounted towels, sheets and comforters.
6. Winter clothing: As you know, winter officially started on the Dec. 21 solstice, so that means, of course, that the stores are getting ready to put out their swimsuits and other summer wear. January is the time to hit those clearance racks for coats, sweaters, gloves and such, because there will still be plenty of cold weather to come. If you wait until Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, you’ll probably find some good deals.
7. Outdoor goods: Now, you’re unlikely to find a discount on snowboards in January, because that’s high season for snow. But REI, for example, typically has some great sales on things that maybe you’ve been ogling but were too expensive, like coats or camping gear.
8. Fitness equipment: Yes, that rowing machine and elliptical are likely to be on sale in January. I just want you to ponder one thing: Most people who buy these devices never keep up with them, so if you look on resale sites like CraigsList, Offer Up and Facebook Marketplace, you might find something virtually brand new for half the price.
9. Airplane tickets: Just after Christmas, airlines tend to drop their prices sharply for travel in the upcoming months. This is a great time to snatch a deal, which is why it’s useful to have a chat with your travel buddy and think about where you’d like to go, and then sign up for airfare alerts on sites like Kayak.com.
10. Luxury hotels: People don’t travel much in January, unless they’re going skiing, so it’s a good time to grab a room at a fancy hotel that you’d normally never be able to afford. Check the fancy national park lodges — they’ll often have the cheapest prices of the year. And if there’s a beautiful beach resort you’ve been hankering after, it will cost half of what you would pay in July. Beware of convention cities though — they might be having trade shows that jack up all the prices.
11. Calendars: They’re generally going to be on sale in January since the year has already started, but don’t wait until they’re all sold out.
12. Toys. As you might guess, stores need to get rid of all those unsold toys from Christmas displays. Even before Christmas, Walmart was already discounting many toys 20%, with deeper discounts on the way.
Enjoy your January! And watch for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, when many department stores have sales.
Originally published at Marla Jo Fisher