This week we’ve been looking at the best times of year to purchase all sorts of items, from used cars to video games. Today we turn our attention to summer, the best time to make over more than one area of your life.

1. Home Renovation and Furniture

Summer’s warm weather and sunny days generally make this the perfect time for outdoor home renovation projects. While you can stock up on supplies all year-round, it may make the most sense to carry out your project in the summer instead of doing so during the unpredictable fall and spring seasons. If you’re looking to hire someone to help you carry out this project, you can generally find better service during these summer months.

Summer may also be the time to update the interior of your home with new furniture. Showrooms generally put new furniture models on display in August, meaning that anything that hasn’t sold by July is probably going to see a price reduction.

2. Swimming Pools and Playground Equipment

Both of these things tend to take up a significant amount of shelf space, which means many stores want to get them out the door to make way for the coming holiday inventory. This need for more space can result in steep discounts for consumers who are still interested in adding a bit of fun to their summer. Even if you don’t have time to assemble that swing set or install that water slide, you can store it for the following year.

3. Gym Memberships

Go to the gym in January, and you’re sure to see a flock of new fitness freaks looking to make good on their New Year’s resolutions. But by the time June comes around, a good number of them will have let their exercise plan fall by the wayside. This means gyms need to make up for canceled memberships, and many of them do that by offering low monthly rates to new members If the price sounds high at first, don’t be afraid to negotiate for a better deal.

Do you generally use the summer months for your outdoor home renovation projects? Have you saved big money on a gym membership by joining in June?