What to Buy (and Skip) in March

St. Patrick's Day is coming. With a bit of luck (and our tips), you can save some green.
Courtney Neidel
By Courtney Neidel 
Updated
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You probably won’t find any pots of gold at the end of a rainbow this month, but you will find plenty of deals on popular product categories.

Navigate this month’s shopping with the help of our guide to what to buy (and skip) in March.

Buy: Floor sample mattresses

New mattress models usually arrive in stores in the spring, which makes the old mattresses potentially more affordable, according to Scott Paladini, CEO and founder of Bear Mattress, an online mattress company. If you care more about a bargain than the latest model, expect to get a discount on floor samples that have been displayed and tested on the showroom floor.

Skip: Televisions

March is a month too late for blowout television deals. February delivered steep savings during Super Bowl season, including discounts of up to 30% off on select 4K TVs at Best Buy.

Your next big opportunity for TV deals will arrive in July during so-called Black Friday in July sales. Amazon, Newegg and Dell, to name a few, had summer sales last year. After that, expect plenty of electronics savings during the actual Black Friday sales in November.

Buy: St. Patrick’s Day essentials

March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, and more than a few consumers will load shopping carts with all things green or covered in four-leaf clovers.

Many major retailers discount St. Patrick’s Day essentials in the days leading up to the holiday. Stores like Amazon and J.C. Penney had such sales in past years.

As with any holiday, the longer you wait to shop, the better. Selection might be reduced, but so will prices. And if you like wearing green all year, expect even bigger clearance deals after the holiday is over.

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Skip: Spring clothing

March 20 is the first day of spring, but you should probably wait a few weeks before outfitting yourself with spring apparel. New inventory, including clothing, generally costs the most at the beginning of a season.

Instead, shop smart by stocking your closet with plenty of cold-weather staples for fall and winter. Winter clearance sales are continuing at many stores, including Cabela’s and Burlington.

Buy: Tax software

As Tax Day approaches, use March as your chance to get a deal on tax software. Retailers like Dell and Staples already have sales on tax-prep products. At Best Buy, you can get a free gift card when you purchase an eligible sale-priced H&R Block tax software. Tax Day is April 17 this year.

Skip: Furniture

March isn’t known for blowout sales on furniture, so we recommend holding off on this major purchase for a little longer.

Our best advice? Wait for Memorial Day sales in May, when big box chains and department stores will do all they can to entice customers to buy these items. If you’re willing to wait even longer, Labor Day deals in September will be hard to beat.

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Bonus: Food

Good buys in March won’t be found only at department or electronics stores. They’ll be at your local restaurant and supermarket, too.

Mark your calendar for food-related holidays, including National Ravioli Day on March 20 and Pi Day on March 14. Although the latter is inspired more by math than food, restaurants and grocery stores like to celebrate the occasion with deals on pies. Check social media for promotions related to your favorite food.