Save Money All Year Long

Summer Camp

Four weeks at a typical sleepaway summer camp costs $3,200, and an average camp raises its price 5 to 10 percent a year, according to Jeff Solomon, executive director of the National Camp Association, a New York City–based organization that offers guidance in choosing a camp. To lower costs, lock in your rate the year before. For a month or two after the end of each summer session, many camps offer early-bird specials, letting you sign up for next year's camp at current prices. (This deal generally doesn’t apply to one-week specialty sports camps.) Some camps may even let you lock in a lifetime rate if you're willing to commit to―and pay for―several years in advance.
 
 
 

New Car

Buying used is almost always a better deal, but if you have to know that you're a car's first driver, buy new in the fall. Automakers release new models in September, when they generally slash prices on the previous year's cars. You can save a lot by buying last year's model, especially if the car has been extensively redesigned, says Phil Reed, the author of Strategies for Smart Car Buyers. You can save even more money by waiting until December and buying one of the last old models on the lot.