Back to school, part 2
Whether your "kids" are in grade school or college, September is the month when they (and you) are bound to realize they left off a few items from the back-to-school shopping list.
It's a cycle that retailers and office supply stores are familiar with -- and they keep the back-to-school specials going through September, says Daniel Butler, vice president of merchandising and retail operations for the National Retail Federation.
Look for deals on everything from pens and notebooks to backpacks and insulated beverage containers, plus dorm-room staples such as desk lamps, small tables, bookcases and bedding. You may see a little less selection than in August. And when the stuff is gone, so are the sales, Butler says.
Two-wheeled conveyances are on sale, too, in September.
"There are great deals on bicycles right now," says Hillary Mendelsohn, author of "thepurplebook" series of shopping guides and founder of ThePurpleBook.com. After the back-to-college crowd has returned to school and the weather stars getting cooler, look for discounts of 20 percent to 30 percent, she says.
Bicycle discounts will be deepest in areas where the winters get cold and riding isn't as popular during colder months, she says.