Mark Di Vincenzo - Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There

For Sale

To Do List

Bon Voyage

All Work and

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Reading, Writing, and Rithmetic

Serious Stuff

I live with a wonderful woman who occasionally wakes up in the middle of the night and stumbles around our dark bedroom in search of paper and a pen and then spends the next few minutesor hoursscribbling down the terrific ideas that popped into her head while she was trying to sleep.

This happened at about three-thirty one summer morning in 2007, and a few hours later, after I awoke, she turned off her hair dryer, picked up a legal pad, rushed over to me, and said, Youve got to listen to this! This was an idea for a book I should writeabout the best time to do things. After she explained it to me, she handed me her notes, and I read her early-morning scribbles and concluded that it really was a great idea. Then I proceeded to do absolutely nothing with it. I was writing another, very different book that excited me, so I put her book idea on the back burner. But it didnt want to settle for that position. I couldnt stop thinking about it.

People are always talking about the best time to do this or that, or buy this or that, or go here or there, and I couldnt help but think that they would want answers to the questions my wife wrote on that legal pad and others that I added to her list.

So about a month later, I wrote the first draft of a book proposal, the seed for Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That, and Go There .

Buy Ketchup in May Fly at Noon couldnt come at a better time. A credit crisis and recession have gripped the world, stifling economies. Pay raises arent keeping pace with cost-of-living expenses, the rising prices of everything from heating oil and gasoline to milk, eggs, and bread. The worlds largest banks, tangled in bad mortgage debt, have been reduced to begging for money from their governments. Homeowners are watching and agonizing as the value of their homes drop, and many cant pay their mortgages. Retirement nest eggs are shrinking as stock markets in the United States, Europe, and Asia experience record-setting fluctuations. And if that werent bad enough, health-care costs and health insurance continue to soar. All of this has contributed to an increasing hunger by most everyone to save money however, whenever, and wherever they can.

Enter Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon .

The book provides dozens and dozens of money-saving tips about the best time to buy everything from shoes and Champagne to horses and houses. Youll also learn the best time to ask for a raise, hunt for a job, and go to garage sales.

But Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon isnt just about saving you money. Its also about saving you time, making you smarter, and giving you information to help you live longer and improve your relationships.

In this book, youll discover the best time of day to do a cardio workout, make love, eat a snack, and take a nap. The best day of the week to go to a restaurant, fire someone, and see the Mona Lisa . The best time of the year to go to Disney World, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Rushmore.

Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon is crammed with hundreds of practical tips.

I should point out that Im not a source for any of the information in this book. Im a long-time journalist who never includes his opinions in the stories he writes. Same goes for this book. The answers within came from expertspeople I either interviewed or whose findings I came across in books, magazines, or academic and scientific journals. To the best of my knowledge, everything in this book is accurate, but sometimes experts are wrong, and sometimes they disagree. So when it comes to serious issues, such as your health and your finances, dont replace what you read here with the advice youll receive from your doctor, lawyer, financial adviser, and others who are licensed to help you make important decisions.

I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as Ive enjoyed researching and writing it.

Let the questions and answers begin!

T here really is a best time to do just about anything and everything, and thats especially true when it comes to buying things. This chapterthe longest in the booktells you the best time to buy everything from shoes, appliances, and bread to bicycles, NFL tickets, and cars, and like the rest of the book, it explains why the best times are the best times. Youll also find out the best time to shop at thrift stores, warehouse stores, and flea markets and the best time to return merchandise, negotiate a discount, and buy an extended warranty. Follow this advice and save anywhere from a few bucks to thousands of dollars.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME OF THE DAY TO BUY SHOES? Late afternoon. Thats when your feet have swelled and are at their largest size. Buying shoes in the late afternoon means theyll fit just fine in the morning when your feet are at their smallest. But more importantly, it means theyll fit after a full day of being on your feet when you need them to be most comfortable. Shopping tip: Your feet look like theyre the same size, but chances are one is slightly larger than the other. So when you try on shoes, buy the size that fits the larger foot the best. Did you know? Feet can increase in size as you get older. Theyre not growing, but tendons and ligaments often get stretched out over time. If you havent bought new shoes in a while, have your feet measured first.

WHEN IS THE BEST MONTH TO BUY SNEAKERS? April or November. Athletic shoe companies sponsor charity walks and races throughout the year, but many are in April, when nonserious runners start hitting the pavement again. Sales tend to accompany these races. Check for November sales at big-box retailers, which need to make room for winter boots and shoes. Money-saving tip: Keep an eye out for store closings. Thats when you may see $120 sneakers sell for as little as $20, and it suddenly makes sense for serious runners who go through three or four pairs a year to buy ten or twelve.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME AND DAY OF THE WEEK TO BUY CLOTHING? Thursday evenings, approximately six weeks after items arrive in stores. If clothes havent sold about six weeks after they arrive in stores, managers start lowering the prices. These sales often occur as part of weekend sales, which usually start on Thursday. Shop after work or on your lunch hour on Thursdays; by the weekend, most everything has been picked over. Another view: Wednesdays. Some national chains, including Gap and Banana Republic, put clothes on sale midweek. Best day of the year? December 26. Department stores tend to slash prices that day. FYI: There are good deals to be had year round at department stores for those shopping for off-season garments.

WHEN IS THE BEST MONTH TO BUY SWIMSUITS? September. Swimsuit sales tend to start in August, but by September, department stores badly want to get rid of swimsuits and other summer items. If they dont do so by September, swimsuits often are sold at a loss to discounters, which store them in their warehouses and start selling them in May for a lot more than what you would have paid in September.

WHEN IS THE BEST MONTH TO BUY A WINTER COAT? January or February. Coats and winter clothes go on sale then. The longer you wait, the lower the pricesretailers will need to make room for spring clothing. Keep in mind: The longer you wait, the worse the selection will get.