Memorial Day sales start soon – here's how to save the most money

As a professional deal hunter, my job is not only to bring forth some of the best Memorial Day offers around but provide ways on getting the most bang for your buck in the process. Shopping for deals isn't necessarily difficult these days, but with so many different savings events and offers out there it can be tough make sure you're getting the best deal possible.

While big savings events like Memorial Day sales are a great opportunity to score some great deals on products, not every deal you find is worth your hard earned cash. There isn't necessarily a place to go that tells you who exactly is going to have the best deal on the product you're after.

Thankfully, there are a few helpful guidelines and shopping tips I use to make sure you are getting the best deal possible. Rules that readers just like you can use to do the same, even during other major sales like Amazon Prime Day, to maximize your savings.

From bundled product deals to open box/certified pre-owned offers, there's more ways to save than ever before. So here's some helpful Memorial Day sale shopping tips from a professional deal hunter you can use to save the most money this year.

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1. Research what products are likely to be on sale

Most major sale days feature a plethora of deals, but the best offers will be focused around specific categories and products. Memorial Day is a summer kick off sale, which means it'll be a great time for finding deals on grills, backyard furniture, small and large appliances, and other home goods.

Memorial Day appliance sales for example are some of the most searched for sales this time of year – and for good reason. They offer some of the best discounts of the year next to Labor Day and Black Friday on major appliances.

That doesn't mean you won't be able to find deals on other goods such as TVs or smart tech, it just means that some of the best offers will be focused around appliances. Determine just what exactly it is you're after this year and make sure that Memorial Day sales are going to include the best deals on them.

2. Start shopping now and check back daily

For the most part, major sales kick off earlier and earlier each year. While you won't see Memorial Day sales starting in April, many retailers will start quietly dropping new deals a few weeks before the holiday weekend actually begins in late May.

Now this doesn't necessarily mean you'll find the product you're looking for on sale before the holiday weekend. What it will do, however, is help you set a pricing benchmark on the products you're after.

Depending on the type of product and where you're shopping, Memorial Day discounts can range anywhere from 10% off to upwards of 70% off. The Home Depot Memorial Day sale, for example, can include some deals of up to 40% off appliances ahead of the actual sale.

Take note of the current price of the product you're looking for a deal on and check back daily at every retailer that carries it. More often than not, within the first two weeks of May it will eventually see a price drop of some sorts.

3. Check every store out there

When it comes to deal hunting, brand loyalty goes out the window in favor of finding the best offer possible. This is especially true when it comes to major sale days, and will often net you the most savings if you're willing to shop outside of your favorite places.

Depending on what exactly you are looking for, chances are it's available at multiple online shops or retailers. Electronics, for example, are going to be available at the Best Buy Memorial Day sale as well as other places like Amazon, B&H Photo, and even Newegg.

In many cases, however, one retailer may feature a deal on certain products that the others aren't. Deal exclusivity is a thing, and when it comes to major sale days it doesn't happen as often but is still a possibility.

Take note of all of the stores that carry the product you're hunting for a deal on, and check back daily throughout the month. If you're lucky, you may come across an early deal that's worth the buy.

4. Set a savings benchmark for yourself

Determine just how much of a percentage off you are looking to save on each product and stick to it. As a deal hunter, I try to keep this percentage from at least 20% or higher. You may be looking for more, but it's important to keep realistic expectations going into Memorial Day sales.

Some products offer little savings in terms of money, even during Memorial Day sales, so it's a good idea to identify just how much off the price is worth your money. For each shopper out there, this threshold will vary but just knowing how much of a discount you're looking to find will help you save the most money.

The hard part can be setting realistic expectations of how much products are actually going to be discounted. Your best bet is to go in a bit on the lower side and go from there. Memorial Day furniture sales, for example, offer a good amount of dollar savings but the actual discounts may only be around 10 to 15% off.

This percentage off may not sound like much up front, but when the actual dollar savings is in the hundreds it can be worth the buy.

5. Use current deal prices as indicators

Almost every online store has a deals or savings section, usually containing a varied mix of clearance, open box, used and limited time offers. These deals help to provide a good guess as to how much similar products may be on sale for come Memorial Day.

Do some research now into what products you're looking for on sale and see what similar products are going for right now. In many cases, the current deal pricing is a safe indicator as to how much a product will be discounted come the actual sale day. 

Amazon's deal section is a great place to start your research, as it provides the largest product offering to browse through with deals on TVs, smart devices, home goods and more. It even provides a quick way to filter through products by how much they are discounted, something other stores often don't provide.

Where you'll want to start researching all depends on what type of deals you're after this year, though. Mattresses, for example, aren't easily available or on sale at Amazon so you'll have to do some searching to find the best places to shop for them.

6. Check for open box and used offers

Don't be ashamed to browse open box, pre-owned and certified refurbished products for discounts. Even with Memorial Day deals kicking off soon, they still may not be quite what you were hoping for.

Open box products offer some pretty large discounts if you know where to find them, since the items' packaging may have been damaged during transit. In some cases, retailers will take up to 50% off some open box products just to get them out of inventory.

Not all products can fall under these categories, however. Some electronics and home goods won't be available via pre-owned or refurbished means due to regulations, but products such as appliances and electronics are fair game.

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