Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There

By Mark Di Vincenzo

An enlightening compendium of the best times of day, week, month, and life to do a variety of things — from the serious (money, marriage) to the mundane (taking a nap, walking your dog) — to save time and money in tough economic times. 

Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out to dinner?

Have you ever wondered about the best time of day to ask someone out on a date—or for a raise?

A handy collection of helpful life hacks, Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon tells you the best time—of the day, of the week, of the month or of the year—to do almost anything. Do you know:

• The best time of day to be operated on?
• The best month to buy an iPod?
• The best day of the week to avoid lines at the Louvre?
• The best day of the month to make an offer on a house?

Get more for your money, maximize your time, take better care of your health and be savvier about your career—all by doing certain things at the right time.

Remember: Timing is everything!

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 6, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061941474

Mark Di Vincenzo

As a journalist with nearly a quarter century of experience, Mark Di Vincenzo made a name for himself as a reporter who exposed abuses and as a writer who made the complicated seem simple. He won numerous awards before becoming an editor. During the summer of 2007, he left daily journalism to pursue book projects and to start Business Writers Group, a writing and public relations company. In 2009, Harper-Collins published his first book, Buy Ketchup in May and Fly At Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There, a New York Times bestseller. Born and reared in Cleveland, he lives in the shipyard town of Newport News, Virginia—two blocks from William Styron’s childhood home—with his wife and two daughters. A third daughter attends the University of Oklahoma.

Reviews for Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon

[sprite_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It's a book you could leave in your bathroom for people to read amusing tidbits from. (I can't decide whether the post- tree-book -world is more or less sanitary than what I just wrote.)

[kristenn_43 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So what's the best time to read this book? Like most reference works, it's more appropriate for on-demand dipping than for reading straight through. Sadly, there is no index. But there are theme chapters and clear topic headings. There are many interesting factoids mixed throughout, although some advice seems very regional. For example, showing up early to a garage sale is considered very rude in this part of the country. But I'll certainly pay attention the next time I go to a movie matinee, to see whether people really are spending more at the concessions stand than they do at evening showings. The reasons for the 'best' time vary -- sometimes it's quality, sometimes price, sometimes safety, sometimes convenience. A lot of it is common sense, but that doesn't mean you already knew the answer. The primary sources are well-documented, but it would have been nice to see the origins of the interesting little 'did you know?' sidebars as well.