Shop Smart: Tips from Master Shoppers

A successful lawyer needs to be an expert in many areas. In addition to legal knowledge, a successful lawyer needs to be a master marketer, a crackerjack at client relations, a talented techie, a proficient paper pusher and a skilled shopper.

Skilled shopper?

You read that correctly. A successful lawyer needs to be a skilled shopper. A lawyer is running a business, and a business needs "things." The better the attorney is at shopping, the more financially sound his or her business is.

If you search Google for "best time to buy things," you will get more than 51 million results. Many sites will tell you what months are the best to buy particular items. According to Consumer Report's "Best Time to Buy Things," some items go on sale when new models are introduced; other items go on sale in the same month every year based on tradition, such as January white sales.

Air conditioners and snow blowers

August is a good time to buy air conditioners, for example, according to Consumer Reports. August is also, ironically, a good time to buy a snow blower. So, if your office is in need of one of these items, don't delay.

Office furniture

Whether it is your first office or simply time to redecorate (and successful lawyers know that an office can't be decorated just once in a lifetime; you will have to re-furnish it occasionally to continue to present a successful front to your clients), you will need office furniture.

Office furniture can be a big expense, so you will save a lot of money if you are a savvy shopper.

According to Life Hacker's "The Best Time to Buy Anything During the Year," May and August are good months for office furniture sales.

Technology

When should you buy new technology? Well, according to Consumer Reports, April is a good month to purchase desktop and laptop computers and September is good for computers and printers. Life Hacker suggests November and December for electronics, the first quarter of the year for computer monitors, and the third quarter of the year for computers.

Conclusion

Needless to say, there are many other office expenses, and sources offer suggestions regarding sales on each of those items. What is clear is that there are more opportune times to buy virtually everything that you might want to purchase. And if you want to maximize your funds for ultimate success, you need to pay attention to these sales.