6 On Your Side: Consumer Confidence, What to Buy in February

(ABC 6 News) – Have your heart set on saving money this month? With Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day almost here, you can expect sales on top-ticket items like mattresses, smartphones, and tablets.

Consumer Reports reveals the best ways to save on products this month.

Despite being the shortest month of the year, February has plenty of opportunities to score savings on purchases big and small.

Consumer Reports tracks the prices of many of its tested products all year long, so it knows exactly when they go on deep discount. Here are the products to look out for in this month’s Best Time to Buy.

If you’ve been putting off getting a new smartphone to replace your busted-up old one, now might be the best time to do it.

“Samsung is going to be revealing its newest smartphone, the Galaxy S23, at the beginning of this month. Whenever any new phone hits the market, we often see those previous models start to go on sale, and you’ll see lots of trade-on specials across all the major carriers,” Samantha Gordon, Consumer Reports Shopping Editor said.

If you want a larger screen, look no further than a deal on a new tablet. This Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite aced CR’s tests and is as low as $299 at Amazon.

Tired of having to troubleshoot your old printer? February might be the time to get a new one. This Epson EcoTank is as low as $229.99 at Amazon, and Office Depot.

This inkjet printer has very inexpensive printing costs and the tanks hold plenty of refillable ink, meaning you’ll spend less on printing year after year.

And towards the end of the month, look for Presidents’ Day sales events on big-ticket items like dishwashers and mattresses.

“You should never pay full price for a mattress, so if you’re in the market for one right now, wait until the end of the month. That’s when all of the major brands are going to have their best discounts,” Gordon said.

This mattress from Helix is a CR top-rated innerspring and a queen-sized is as low as $1,899 at Helix Sleep. CR says based on its tests, this mattresses’ durability is top-notch, meaning after eight years of simulated use, there are no noticeable changes in support and only minor changes in firmness.