It's July folks – do you know where your Christmas presents are? If you didn't get them before the last New Year, then put some extra cash aside for August to get those pesky holiday money-suckers.

Think about it – what happens in August? School goes back in session. And what do they do every year when school goes back in session?

They have a tax-free day and tons of sales. Gee. I wonder what would be the best thing for you to do in August. Of course, that would only be the case if you already made the huge faux pas of missing the best times to buy.

For the absolute prime times to buy, most things just take a little common sense. Apparel goes on sale at the end of every season, lawn equipment is on sale spring and fall, it's best to buy do-it-yourself in the winter, and early spring is an awesome time to get a new car.

Some things never go on sale though. It is more cost effective for a retailer to ship small “evergreen� items back to a warehouse and wait for the next season than put things like gloves, scarves, and umbrellas on sale – so you're best off getting things like that after Christmas, second hand, or at whatever sale you happen to see.

Hint hint – July is a big month for sales. Right now, retailers are trying to move their summer stock so they can make plenty of room for the “back to school� fall sales where they always move a ton of merch. The bigger sale is in late August though – so hold out if you can.

Patricia Mayo also blogs about effective communication, and is working on a free ebook to help you get a great virtual assistant at an unbelievably low cost.