Fall is a wonderful time to enjoy hiking, biking, gardening and cooking with the wealth of seasonal produce now available. It’s also a great time to stretch your dollar by shopping for supplies to do all of the above.
My shopping goal this fall is a bicycle. My 35-year-old (yes, you read it right) road bike, an original Apollo Mark lV, met its end in a repair shop whose owners scuttled away in the middle of the night, taking my beloved steed with them.
Now that my mourning period is over, I need to get back in the saddle and, fortunately, deals abound as the season winds down. Expect to save 20 to 30 per cent or more on bikes at most price levels.
Here are some other items that are a fall shopper’s delight:
Al Fresco
Forget BBQs, instead look for reductions on patio furniture and everything to do with dining in the great outdoors. Selection can be sketchy but the trend today is mix and match.
RVs
If you are thinking about RV’ing next summer or want to upgrade from a tent, you’ll find an array of mark downs especially on motorhomes.
Holiday gifts
Small decor items, candles, tableware and paper products that smack of summer can be 50 per cent off or more at this time of year, but they are a delight to receive in the depths of winter.
Clothes
Fall into winter. Lots of clothing items that come out in mid-August for the fall will start being reduced in a couple of weeks to make room for winter fashions. Most fall pieces will work brilliantly right through the winter.
Perennials
Even though fall is absolutely the best time to plant shrubs, trees and flowers, the garden centres are forced to reduce prices drastically to clear out stock.
Downtown shopping
There are excellent buys in cities. Check out the tourism website of your favourite urban spot and look for packages that combine hotel, entertainment and dining.
