What to Buy (and Skip) in April 2026

April is for humor, and good deals on gardening supplies and vacuums.

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Updated Mar 27, 2026

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Don’t buy anything. Save your money. It’s the NerdWallet way. End of story.

April fools!

We know it feels like everything is getting expensive right now. Use April sales to spend strategically.

Here are a few categories to shop for, and a couple to skip.

Buy: Grills, gardening tools and mulch

On your mark. Get set. Mulch those beds! OK, nobody likes to put down mulch, but what’s worse is spending too much on those 2 cubic feet bags. Spring is doing its thing this month, which makes it a good time to take advantage of spring sales at home improvement stores.

Home Depot’s Spring Black Friday sale runs April 9-22, for example. Lowe’s typically has a big spring sale during the month of April, too. Smaller and local hardware stores will probably also have deals.

Look for discounts on gardening supplies, plants, patio furniture, grills, power tools and more.

Skip: Kitchen appliances

Appliance deals abound during Memorial Day sales in May. We say wait until then to buy a new fridge, dishwasher or even small kitchen appliances.

Memorial Day is May 25 this year, but sales usually start a few days before the holiday, and extend a few days after. Memorial Day appliance sales traditionally take place at big-box chains like Best Buy and Home Depot.

But don't settle for just the behemoths. Ask local appliance retailers to match prices or beat big-box deals.

Buy: Vacuums

If you discover during the spring cleaning season that your old vacuum isn’t getting the job done, and you held off last month, now can still be a good time to buy a new one. You’ll find plenty of vacuum sales and home cleaning deals this month.

Discounts may not be as steep as they were on Black Friday, but check home cleaning brands and third-party retailers for deals. In the past, Dyson has offered clearance discounts of up to $150 in April.

» MORE: What to buy every month

Skip: Summer essentials

Stores will advertise and stock them, but it’s not a great time for swimsuits, sandals and summer wear yet. Prices for seasonal items tend to be highest at the beginning of the season and lowest at the end.

Try to hold out a few more months. You can expect midseason sales after demand has cooled. Plus, June marks semiannual sale season. That’s when stores such as Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works typically offer the summer installment of their twice-annual blowout sales.

Buy: Beauty products

Keep your eyes peeled for markdowns on makeup and other beauty products this month. For example, Sephora’s big savings event starts April 10.

Bonus: Earth Day

Earth Day is April 22, and while we don’t always associate the observance with sales, it can be an apt time to shop sustainably. Think deals on nontoxic products and items that reduce consumption, such as natural skincare creams and toilet-paper-saving bidets.

If you want to spend, consider shopping for ethically made clothing, or a piece of cookware that will last, so you can feel good about what you buy in April.

April is also National Humor Month, so try to have a laugh. They’re free. 😂

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About the authors

Tommy Tindall

Tommy Tindall is a lead writer and content strategist covering how to make money — and how to keep it. He’s recorded and written about his experience testing popular gig jobs like driving for Uber, delivering with DoorDash and full-service shopping for Instacart. He loves making an extra buck, but laments the hours of awkward silence he endured as an Uber driver (never again).

Cool kids might call him a content creator because he makes YouTube videos for the NerdWallet channel and app, but he himself is no longer very cool. Ask him about budgeting apps — he's tried most of them, but still prefers a good ole Google sheet to track spending. Then be sure to smash that “like” and “subscribe” button.

Before NerdWallet, Tommy held decidedly more boring jobs at Fannie Mae and Booz Allen Hamilton. Today, he feels super privileged to write for you, the consumer.

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Lisa Mulka

Lisa Mulka is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance content. With more than 15 years of writing experience, Lisa most recently authored a book on personal financial literacy and served as lead writer on the FDIC’s Money Smart for Young People program. She holds a bachelor’s in creative writing, and master’s degrees in written communication and in educational technology. Lisa lives with her husband and two children in Michigan, where she spends her free time teaching the next generation of writers at Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth.