(Photo: Flickr/eliazar)
They say there’s a time and place for everything.
Mark Di Vincenzo is focused on the time — the best time — to fly, to see the Mona Lisa, to get a tattoo, to buy ketchup.
An awful lot of us just do everything on Saturday. Big mistake, he says. For buying, selling, traveling, working out, taking vitamins, making an offer on a house, seeing the dentist, getting married, filing for divorce — there’s a top time, he says, and he’s tracked it down.
This hour, On Point: “Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon.” We’re talking about the time of our lives, with Mark Di Vincenzo.
You can join the conversation. Tell us what you think — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.
-Tom Ashbrook
Guest:
Mark Di Vincenzo joins us from Hampton, Virginia. He’s the author of “Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That, and Go There.” He worked as a journalist for 24 years, and, in 1997, founded the Business Writers Group, a company that writes for corporate clients.
Tags: books, consumer culture
dear moderator, please ask your guest when will be the best time to buy gold and begin stockpiling food? also, where will be the best place in america to seek refuge before the outbreak of WW3?
Posted by roger, on October 7th, 2009 at 2:08 AMPlan everything for the best timing? I’d like to ask Mr. Di Vincenzo: when is the best time to be spontaneous?
Posted by Todd, on October 7th, 2009 at 11:10 AMHe’s absolutely correct on the gas. In my area – gas goes up on the Weekend. I buy gas on Wednesday. I do believe there is a time for everything from selling books to selling hotdogs. Lol!
Posted by Jeanette Michelle, on October 7th, 2009 at 11:13 AMTongue in cheek question – when is the best time to buy health insurance?
Posted by Gregory Belenky, on October 7th, 2009 at 11:16 AMCan we assume that Wednesdays are the best day to be interviewed on a public radio show?
Posted by Todd, on October 7th, 2009 at 11:25 AMWhen is the best time to take a long train ride?
Posted by Rod M., on October 7th, 2009 at 11:27 AMThe best time to buy a new car is towards the end of the year, but what is the best time to buy a used car?
Posted by Waldemar, on October 7th, 2009 at 11:33 AMcan you ask what is the best time to shut off the RADIO?!
another wasted hour of pseudo-science….
Posted by i.m. bored, on October 7th, 2009 at 11:35 AMWhen is the best time to send a broadcast email to maximize the number of people who will actually read it?
Posted by Sharon, on October 7th, 2009 at 11:39 AMWhen is the best time to schedule a criminal trial if you are the defendent? I have heard it suggested that judges and juries are more forgiving around Christmas time. Is that true?
Posted by MITCH, on October 7th, 2009 at 11:40 AMWithout a doubt, the best time to go to Disney World is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Guaranteed.
Best time to by a car: end of the month – if salesperson is hungry, and they need to make their quota, they will sell something even if they make very little profit. Also, check manufacture date on car – do not buy a car made on Monday or Friday for obvious reasons!
Best time to go to the mall is Tuesday! Empty, no lines for pedicure, etc. !
Posted by Wanda Hendrix, on October 7th, 2009 at 11:50 AMWhen is the best time to open a business (retail store)?
Posted by Erin MacLean, on October 7th, 2009 at 11:54 AMThe best time of day for spiritual practice is 1 1/2 hours before sunrise in the Brahma-muhurta hour this is a 28 minuet period there are 48 muhurtas in a day the whole day is broken up in terms of “best times” for all activities.. this is from the ancient vedas.
The rational is that the mind is the most peaceful in the early morning hours, when the mind is not geared into the days activities and there is less stress as there is nothing pressing.. and better then the evening when the mind is geared towards sleep thats why the early am best time for spiritual meditation and prayers .. in many religious traditions. Monks and Mullas and Pujaris (Priest) all get up early.
Posted by Brahma Garland, on October 7th, 2009 at 12:00 PMChinese has had this kind of calendar for thousands of years.
It is considered Fong Shui. Not so much of “best timing”, more like avoiding “bad timing” for “proper timing”. Who knows, no one ever proven those dates are really set out to be accurate, but some people would rather believe them instead of go against them. Especially before they start filming a movie, they would always pay respect by holding a small ritual at locations.
Interesting stuff.
Posted by justanother, on October 7th, 2009 at 12:23 PM***When is the best time to send a broadcast email to maximize the number of people who will actually read it?***
Anytime! Because no one really cares.
Posted by justanother, on October 7th, 2009 at 12:26 PMWoops, sorry, I didn’t mean to copy and paste the above comment, but this is what I was going to paste —–
*****can you ask what is the best time to shut off the RADIO?!
another wasted hour of pseudo-science….*****
Anytime! Because no one really cares.
Posted by justanother, on October 7th, 2009 at 12:28 PMA lot of these “best time to” suggestion are not pseudo-science, they are simply true and has base, they are based on how we operate business.
As far as Fong Shui, it makes sense sometimes, but not all the time. For instance like you’re not supposed to position your bed against the wall, where you position yourself that you can’t see what’s coming at you, and forcing yourself to do some kind of yoga or acrobatic moves to turn around and see.
Posted by justanother, on October 7th, 2009 at 12:36 PMMr. Di Vicenzo said there is no best time of day to pray but if you look at it from God’s point of view I would think that the middle of the night is probably best. During the daytime He has to listen to hundreds of millions of prayers simultaneously (not to mention having to keep track of who’s been naughty and who’s been nice among the world’s six billion people) so during the middle of the night He must be under a little less stress and in a better mood to grant one’s prayers. Incidentally, Sunday is the worst DAY to pray because, as the late George Carlin pointed out, it is God’s day off.
Posted by Rick, on October 7th, 2009 at 12:37 PMThere is no best time of the day to pray- the best time is any time! God happily listens to many prayers simultaneously; it doesn’t stress him out!
Posted by Rosie, on October 7th, 2009 at 1:25 PMAs a young mom who had moved to the mountains of eastern KY 25 years ago, the older women told me about the signs of the moon, for things like potty training, weaning, breaking thumb sucking habits, etc. The info was in the farmers almanac. I didn’t listen to them. I may have been wrong.
Posted by KAY, on October 7th, 2009 at 3:54 PMBoring stilted program. Lists do not a good conversation make.
Posted by BAS, on October 7th, 2009 at 8:52 PMWhen is the best time to send a mass email to the general public. Some use internet at work and others at home. I want to hit them all at the most ideal time.
Posted by Jay Hall, on October 7th, 2009 at 10:30 PMRick,
Posted by JP, on October 7th, 2009 at 10:55 PMYour post is not too well thought out… isn’t it always day somewhere on the planet?
Perhaps you mean when the sun is over the Pacific and those heathen Asians?
The comments are livelier than the show, which was a snooze-fest!
Posted by gina, on October 8th, 2009 at 5:08 PM