As most of you probably already know, tonight is the “official” beginning of President’s Day Weekend and, for some public schools, February Break!

When I think of Presidents Day, I don’t typically think of shopping… but as with any other holiday weekend, there are many stores offering big sales and promotions in an effort to take advantage of people having Monday off from school or work. (Sadly, I don’t.)

I’ve never been a fan of people running out to the stores to buy a bunch of stuff you don’t need simply because it’s on sale. However, if you’ve already been thinking about buying any of the following things, it may be a good idea to pick them up this weekend:

Valentine’s Day Candy
One of the nice things about Presidents Day Weekend is that it follows Valentine’s Day. In order to make room for St. Patrick’s Day and Easter displays, many stores will mark down chocolate and other Valentine’s Day items by 50% or more. Add in a couple of manufacturer’s coupons, and you could walk away with quite a bit of free stuff. (Even if you’re not a big fan of chocolate, you could stock up on it for baking since it doesn’t usually go “bad” for at least a year.)

Furniture & Bedding
I don’t know why furniture is such a big deal this weekend, but almost every local ad I’ve seen on TV in the past few days has been for some big furniture sale going on “this weekend only.” So if you recently purchased a house or moved into a larger apartment, this may be a good opportunity to look for some cheap furniture.

Clothing
Any time there’s a three-day weekend, you can bet that clothing will be on sale. The discounts won’t be as significant, but you might still be able to find some very reasonable winter outfits on clearance. If the advertised savings aren’t enough, there are several printable coupons for clothing stores available on Dealcatcher as well.

Computers & Accessories
Alongside the big President’s Day Weekend sales at Walmart and Best Buy, manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo are advertising discounts on select PCs and laptops through their websites. Just be sure to compare in-store prices with those advertised on sites like Amazon or Newegg, since prices on electronics can vary wildly depending on where and when you buy them.

Looking for deals on other items this weekend? For more information on Presidents Day sales and coupons, check out this site.