Best things to buy in September

Every month of the year, certain items are discounted due to overstock, holiday sales, or transitions from one season to the next. Here are the shopping highlights for September in Seattle stores.

The items listed below are typically offered during the month of September. Shopping may be limited to online purchases. But there are still deals to be had.

For status of individual events, check the Greater Seattle on the Cheap virtual and live event calendar to find out what’s happening every day.
For information about stores, check our list of What’s open and closed due to the WA stay-at-home order.

September Holidays & Special Events

September 7, 2020. Labor Day (Federal holiday).
September 4, 2020. First day of school (Seattle).
September 9, 2020. First day of school (Everett, Bellevue, Tacoma).
September 11 (also referred to as 9/11, remembers terrorist attacks in 2001 at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Pennsylvania)
September 22, 2020. Fall equinox (Start of the autumn season in the Northern Hemisphere)
September 18-20, 2020. Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year). Any public events will be on our calendar.

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Discounted seasonal items to buy in September

Summer gear and accessories. After Labor Day sales are done, the rest of September you will find the last holdouts on all kinds of outdoor items and summer-related goods such as barbecues, garden and camping gear, bicycles and accessories, patio furniture, and more. The pickings get slim after Labor Day sales have ravaged the seasonal stock. But you can find screaming deals on outgoing goods. So, check out your current gear and think ahead to what you might need to replace for next year.

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Home goods. Several types of home goods are also good buys, especially at Labor Day sales, including mattresses, indoor furniture, and home appliances. In addition, leftover stock from items typically found on wedding registries are also a good buy. Think china or dishware, housewares and décor items, and small appliances.

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New products to buy in September

Ski Bonkers Sale. The annual SkiBonkers sale every Labor Day Weekend in downtown Bellevue is a great pre-winter sale of new skis, snowboards, and winter sport accessories. It’s the longest running annual ski and snowboard sale in the Pacific Northwest. Expect to see steep discounts on equipment, apparel, and accessories for all ages and levels of skiers and snowboarders.

Laptop computers. The four best months to buy computers are August, September, November, and December. Which month is best depends on your goals: price or features. In August and September, the best deals are on the outgoing models. You don’t get the latest and greatest features, but you will find outgoing models more than adequate for most students and anyone with average computing and internet surfing tasks. Which is most of us. But, if you are into gaming or programming, then you usually want the latest, greatest computer with the highest speed, maximum storage capability, and latest cutting-edge features. If you can wait just a bit, prices will drop for November Black Friday or December Christmas gift shopping deals.

Another option for the truly frugal is InterConnection. The non-profit organization refurbishes and sells low-cost computers, with FREE shipping to continental U.S. addresses. Anyone can visit the retail store or shop in the interconnection.org online retail store or the retail store in Seattle. You’ll find refurbished laptops, desktop computers, and peripherals (mice, keyboards, monitors, etc.). A refurbished computer is generally 30 percent less than a comparable new one. Plus, a refurbished computer helps the environment by reusing electronics and keeping them out of the landfill.

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Back-to-school supplies. It’s a very good idea not to buy all the back-to-school supplies for the year in August. Rather, buy the minimal needs to get the kiddos started, and then buy again when prices drop. Such as right after school starts. Like…now.

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New & used car shopping. Now through December is one of the best times of the year to get a deal on a brand new car, though it’s not necessarily the lowest price.

If the latest new model is your goal, then fall is the best time to buy. Prices are lowest at the end of the month and the end of the year (October-December). So, start shopping in September, but hold off on your purchase for a month or so.
If the lowest price new car (regardless of model) is your goal, then late summer you’ll find discount prices on outgoing models, and September with the lowest prices.
If a good used car is your goal, the best time to buy tends to be later summer to late fall, when buyers of new cars will want to trade in or sell their older car.

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Holiday airfare and travel luggage. September is the time to peruse tickets for flights over the upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s holidays. After September, prices start to increase every month. The highest airfares are always those within 30 days of your trip.

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Wine. Grapes are harvested in fall to make wine. Which means existing inventory needs to be moved to make room for new stock. This makes September a good time to shop for wine. Think ahead and stock up on a case or more for the holidays, whether for parties or gift giving. Buying by the case saves you an additional 10%-15% over buying individual bottles. As long as you can store it in a cool location (55°F-65°F), it keeps months, if not years.

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Coffee. National Coffee Day occurs every September 29 and International Coffee Day is every October 1. Keep in mind that ground or whole bean coffee lasts only 6 months in your pantry (less if the temperature fluctuates above 70°F) or up to two years in a freezer. Coffee goes “bad” by losing flavor and aroma, so if you aren’t particular, then you may not notice the effects of longer storage. But there’s no reason to buy more than a year’s worth of anything—it just ties up money you might want to spend on something else. If you prefer instant coffee, it lasts a long, long time. So stock up once a year and be done with it. By-the-way, the freezer in your refrigerator (32°F) is not nearly as cold as a standalone “deep” freezer (-10°F to +0°F), so storage life in the former considerably shorter (6 months to 1 year).

Seasonal produce. Washington grown produce in season includes:

Fresh fruit at peak season in September include grapes, melons, plums, and the season’s first apples and pears.
Outgoing vegetables. You’ll see the last of corn, eggplants, peppers, tomatillos, and tomatoes. So buy early in the month because if the weather turns, these crops can disappear suddenly.
Vegetables and herbs at their peak in September include greens of all kinds, rabe (flowering green vegetables, often broccoli), cabbages, cucumbers, artichokes, broccoli, green beans, carrots, turnips, onions, and all kinds of green herbs.

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Season Tickets. There’s really nothing like live theater. Seattle has a wonderfully vibrant theatre culture with many choices in content and price from classics to leading edge. Many Seattle live performance seasons run fall through spring, making September a good time to plan some entertainment options for the next year. Season tickets can be a great buy, even for those on a budget. They offer great entertainment value as well as supports the vibrant Puget Sound art community. You often have a choice in the numbers of performances you see, as well as substantial savings over single ticket purchase, lower (or no) ticket fees, plus the ability to exchange tickets if your plans change, and other benefits for season ticket holders. For lower cost when buying theatre season tickets, look for flex passes, half-season or mini-subscriptions (less than a full season), and preview tickets (prior to opening night). Here are a few suggestions:

ACT Theatres (multiple programs to engage audiences, develop new works, and keep art accessible)
ArtsWest (provocative theater as a powerful agent of change).
Edmonds Driftwood Players (mystery, drama, comedy, musicals).
Intiman (theatre that wrestles with American inequities).
Meany Center at UW Seattle. Choose your own package of four or more performances from a variety of programs.
Pacific Northwest Ballet (classics, new, and innovative productions).
Seattle Opera (classics, new, and innovative productions). Opera goers ages 21–39 are invited to join the BRAVO! young professionals group with lower pricing.
Seattle Repertory Theatre (diverse perspectives, classic and new works).
Seattle Shakespeare Company (classic theatre drama)
Seattle Symphony (various series, classics to pop). Many choices, such as classic masterworks, “pops” series, and family concerts. Many other choices available.
Tacoma Little Theatre (quality, live theatre experiences to foster meaningful community interactions)
Tacoma Musical Playhouse (American musical theater)
Taproot Theatre Company (brightening the spirit, engaging the mind and deepening understandings through theatre)
The 5^th Avenue Theatre (musicals).
Thistle Puppet Theatre ( professional puppet theatre for families)
Village Theater (classics, new, and innovative productions).
Other possibilities: ACT, Theater Schmeater seasons run from spring to the end of the year, so check later this year for next season subscription information.
For more theater suggestions, visit Theatre Puget Sound. Membership includes discounts to theatres and related businesses.