Our deal-hunting colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports don’t just keep track of which products perform the best in their tests, but they also track prices on items to figure out what’s the best time to buy. What do they say are the best things to buy during the month of August? It’s a great time to pick up an air conditioner, a backpack, a dehumidifier, or a snow blower. Wait, a snow blower?

• Backpacks (and other school and office supplies)
• Air conditioners
• Dehumidifiers
• Patio furniture
• Snow blowers

Yes, thanks to the seasonal cycles of merchandise, August is a fine time to pick up both an air conditioner and a snowblower. The downside of shopping for items like outdoor furniture or air conditioners in August is that some stores might have few or none left, and you won’t have your choice of models.

Snow blowers, though: are those even in store in August? They are, and there are surprisingly good deals that you can find in some places, though CR notes that you’ll be able to find the best deals at retailers that haul last year’s models out of the warehouse to sell.

5 products on deep discount in August [Consumer Reports]

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