10 Items That Cost Less in the Winter

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- For certain products, the hottest prices can be found during the coldest time of year -- and not necessarily because of holiday sales.

The timing of big sales may seem random to some consumers, but in reality stores operate on a fairly constant and predictable schedule from one year to the next. Typically, retailers offer the biggest discounts on products when they go out of season to get them off the shelves. The same is true when a line of products is introduced. This occurs periodically throughout the year, but the chillier months tend to see prices cut on a wide range of products and services.

Why pay more in six months when you can get it for less now? Home remodeling is among the items and services cheaper in the chillier months.

We spoke with several shopping experts to find the products that tend to be cheapest from now through the end of the winter, meaning early March. We'll take you through the best sales you can expect for the rest of this year and early into the next.

1. Outdoor furniture and equipment
Most families are more interested in covering up their outdoor furniture and packing lawn equipment away than they are in looking to shop around for more, which is precisely why you're more likely to find good deals on whatever's left over in stock.

"A lot of summer items like patio furniture, grills and lawn equipment that still haven't been sold are heavily reduced right now," says Howard Schaffer, vice president of business development for Offers.com, an online coupon aggregator. "These are not the most ideal gift-giving items, so retailers mark them down because they have new inventory coming in and they want to get rid of these big bulky items."

You can already see the price drops taking place at certain stores. Sears has cut the price on some of its patio furniture by as much as $500 or more, and Wal-Mart is offering sales of 10%-20% off barbecues online.

2. Toys
No matter what retailers might have you believe, not all products end up being that much cheaper during the holiday season, but one category that really does cost less this time of year is toys.

"You can get really amazing toy sales now because stores know so many people are buying toys right now and they want you to buy theirs," says Julia Scott, the blogger behind the popular deal site BargainBabe.com. "You'll see discounts on toys at most stores, whether it's the big chains like Wal-Mart and Toys R Us or drug stores like CVS and Rite Aid."

Shoppers should pay close attention to store circulars and Web sites in mid- to late-December in particular to spot the best promotions on toys when they come out.