How I Saved $700 on a Washer and Dryer Set

Need a new fridge, oven, or dishwasher? Large appliances are so expensive that they feel like a major life commitment, but if you plan ahead and time your purchase right, you can literally save hundreds of dollars. Today I'm going to show you a ton of different ways you can save at least 20% on your purchase — or sometimes as much as 30% - 75%.

And it's not just about timing your purchase to coincide with Lowe’s Black Friday appliance sales or Home Depot appliance sales, though that helps, too.

Instead, you need to learn when new models come out so you can swoop up last year’s model at a reduced price. You also want to claim government rebates for green purchases, and consider whether you can give up some cosmetic appeal in order to get 50% off the list price — or 75% off if you’re shopping somewhere like Lowe’s Outlet! You can even haggle on appliance prices, believe it or not. 

Download the KCL app for deals on kitchen appliances, or text HACKS to 57299 for more money-saving tips.

How I Shaved $700 Off of a Washer/Dryer Combo

I was recently in need of a new washer and dryer — the old set had been in my house longer than I’d been on Earth. Those things can be expensive, though, so I timed my shopping for when new models would be released. For washers and dryers, that’s usually sometime in March or April.

When the new models get released, that's when you’ll see older model year appliances get marked down — sometimes way down. Case in point: I scored this stackable electric LG washer and dryer set for $700 off! It was normally $2,399.99, but I was only charged $1,699.99 just because I bought the prior year's model. That's 29% off!

This trick works for more than just washers and dryers. If you’re buying a new fridge, you’ll usually see new models rolled out twice per year — once in March or April, and then again in June or July. It can work for dishwashers, too, but those don’t have as firm of a timetable. You'll often see new dishwasher models rolled out any time of year.

Other Ways to Save on Appliances

Timing your purchase to coincide with a new model release isn’t the only way to save on major appliances. Let’s go over some more expert tips so you can learn where to buy inexpensive appliances and lock in a great deal.

Buy open-box appliances at Best Buy to save more than $1,000 on a set.

You know that washer dryer set I bought? There was a way I could have gotten it even cheaper. Since it was from Best Buy, I could have opted for an open-box model. Open-box models are either in good shape but they were returned, or they're in good shape because they’ve been refurbished. They come in different grades, but Best Buy guarantees all of them under warranty. 

Here are the prices and grades I could have scored on that particular set: 

• Excellent condition: $1,260.99 ($1,139 off regular price, or 48% off)

• Good condition: $989.99 ($1,410 off regular price, or 59% off)

• Fair condition: $842.99 ($1,557 off regular price, or 65% off)

TIP: You can shop for Home Depot open-box appliances, too.

Shop mid-grade new model appliances to save $150 - $800.

Sometimes the savings come with the new model itself. The trick to finding the savings is to shop a middle-of-the-road model. You don’t want to look at the cheapest option, but you don’t want to look at the fanciest one, either.

For example, if you were shopping for a fridge, a mid-grade model would probably have french doors and maybe an ice maker — but no extra bells and whistles. Think: it’s more than basic, but it doesn’t have an AI assistant built into the unit. By using this shopping method, we’ve seen savings of anywhere from $150 to $800.

Time your purchase with Presidents Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day sales for $600 - $1,000+ off.

You can save big bucks by shopping sales, too. The best ones for appliances tend to happen during President’s Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day sales. For the 2024 Lowe’s Presidents Day Sale, you could get $1,600 off a Frigidaire 4-door French Door Refrigerator — plus you got an additional $75 off for every $750 you spent on major appliances. That was an additional $150 of savings, for a grand total of $1,750 off.

During the 2024 Home Depot Memorial Day Sale, you could get a Maytag French Door Refrigerator for $1,498 — which was $1,001 off the sticker price. Plus, you also got instant savings of $100 thanks to the holiday sale. That means the total savings came out to $1,101.

And the last Best Buy Labor Day Sale in 2023 featured a deal for $400 off the GE Profile All-in-One Washer/Dryer. Plus, you got a $200 Best Buy gift card with your purchase as a promo, so all in all that was $600 in savings.

Save on delivery and haul-away fees by shopping at Costco.

One thing we tend to forget about is the fee for hauling away old appliances. In most cases, companies will charge upwards of $50 to haul away your first appliance — on top of delivery and installation fees for your new appliance.

But if you purchase a large appliance through Costco, the price you pay often includes delivery, installation, haul away, basic installation parts, and a two-year warranty. Other companies will charge you extra for all of the above.

Plus, Costco Executive membership perks offer you the ability to earn 2% back on your purchases.

Visit Lowe's scratch-and-dent section in person to save around 50%.

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter whether you shop online or not. Other times, it absolutely does. You’ll have to go in store to find the best Lowe’s scratch-and-dent deals, and it’s totally worth it. Items in this section are completely functional — they just have some cosmetic damage. Like, go figure, a scratch or a dent.

If you’re willing to deal with cosmetic imperfection, it can save you 50% fairly regularly.

TIP: Lowe’s Outlet stores do offer a much smaller scratch-and-dent and open-box section where you can save up to 75% off, but it’s going to be slim pickings compared to the regular locations.

Don't be afraid to haggle!

According to Consumer Reports, 73% of customers who ask for lower than the list price on a large appliance are successful. Average savings hover just below $100. So it might pay off just to speak up!

This goes for Lowe’s scratch-and-dent items, too. You can usually negotiate another 10% – 20% discount on top of the 50% markdown in this section of the store.

Check the store's rebate center, too! 

Stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot offer their own rebate centers online. Most of the rebates you’ll find there are actually manufacturer rebates, but you’ll see a few offered by the store itself, too. From my research, you're more likely to be able to use these rebates if you’re making a multi-appliance purchase.

For example, if you bought at least three Maytag appliances from Lowe's in May 2024, Maytag would give you a $200 rebate.

And during the last two weeks of that same month, Home Depot ran their Memorial Day sale which featured "Summer Savings" instant rebates. You had to spend a set amount of money on large appliances, and the rebate was tiered by how much you spent. That means it was best for those who were purchasing multiple appliances from Home Depot at once: 

• Spend $1,296 – $1,998: $100 rebate

• Spend $1,999 – $2,999: $300 rebate

• Spend $3,000+: $500 rebate

Trade in your old appliances for an Energy Star Rebate (worth $15 - $75).

If you’re getting rid of an old appliance anyway, you might as well get paid for it. A lot of times, local utility programs will issue a rebate when you do just that.

These rebates tend to be somewhere between $15 to $75 for refrigerators and freezers, for example. You can see what your electric utility program offers by searching for "(electric company name)" + "Energy Star appliance recycling".

TIP: You’ll sometimes see these Energy Star rebates listed in the Lowe’s rebate center, too. 

Use price matching at Lowe's, Home Depot, and Best Buy.

This is a great trick, especially if inventory is low at the store that has your dream dishwasher on sale. Just find the identical item at any other retailer that price matches and ask for the competitor’s lower price. Usually, you can just show an employee the competitor’s price from your smartphone.

Don’t plan on combining coupons or bundle offers with a price match, though. In that case, go with whatever store offers the biggest discount. Also, most stores won’t give you the sale price if it’s part of a special event sale, like a Labor Day sale. Just if the item is marked down.

Consider buying directly from a manufacturer like Whirlpool.

Whirlpool owns KitchenAid, Maytag, and Amana, all of which are heavy-hitting brands in the kitchen appliance space. And they all offer rotating sales on large kitchen appliances.

In fact, Whirlpool offers a sale section on their website where you can save about $250 on refrigerators, $125 on dishwashers, and a little over $100 on washers and dryers. These savings aren’t earth-shattering, but it’s good due diligence if you can’t find something you like at a retail store in the 30% – 40% off range.

TIP: Sign up for Whirlpool emails on their website and get 5% off your next purchase.

Sign up for ABT Electronics' newsletter and get a coupon for $25 off a $250 purchase.

ABT Electronics is based out of Indiana and ships appliances nationwide. If you order from them, you can get free shipping and even avoid paying sales tax (if your state allows it). They offer price matching with competitors and rebates as well.

Ask about HOMES rebates for electric stoves.

As a part of the Inflation Reduction Act, states got money to help homeowners purchase energy-efficient appliances, like electric ovens, that bear the Energy Star logo. Whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, you can ask about HOMES rebates at checkout.

Most states don’t offer these rebates yet, but the states that are participating will roll them out between now and the end of 2025. Some states like New York have already launched at least a portion of their programs.

The amount of the automatic rebate you’ll get at checkout varies by state and by your household income. But if your state’s rules and income levels are right, it could get you that whole electric oven for free. That’s right: up to 100% off.

Can't find a kitchen appliance sale? Pay with discounted gift cards to create your own.

Third-party discounted gift card sites like Raise buy unused and unwanted gift cards from people, then turn around and sell those gift cards at a discount. So, you could end up with a $625 Best Buy gift card that you only paid $591 for. That’s a 5.4% discount, instantly. Stock up on those and you’re golden.