shopping When to buy soil and amendments

[Dave2000]

I used both this year, just to see for myself. Coco was the the winner by far for me. Plants did better in the Coco and the soil stayed aerated all season, unlike the peat that became compacted in about a month of use. Both mixes, ferts etc were identical, just one with peat and one with coco. I'm sold on the stuff. 

 
You were probably watering too much or had too much other high density material mixed in.  I've never had a peat compaction problem.  That doesn't make coco a bad choice, it just seems your other variables are contracy to good results with peat.
 
After a month, if you aren't watering too much, the plant's roots should have already extended out into the soil enough to suspend it no matter what you use. 

So could I go to a heavily wooded area and take the tops layers of decomposed leaves? Would that be the same thing? I have noticed when randomly digging in the woods how light and fluffy the top layers were, almost like a sponge. I had the idea of using it as a medium but was concerned about pest. This is getting bit off topic now. Its now peat vs coco vs leaf mold   but hey maybe Winland didn't know all his options and he can now buy with confidence or use leaf mold if he knows where to get some.

 
Leaves make excellent compost, its kind of funny that many people try to get rid of them then buy soil.   However, they don't provide the same amount of fluffiness that coco or peat does.  If using something else fluffy it may not matter, but if using dense soil or manure or whatever else that turns to silt and settles in dense formations then a combination of leaf compost and peat or coco may be better.

Nope Just will try to give the Best Advice when I can. just as SL3 said Peat Compacts at about a Month, also it can raise PH and water will not be retained. For Long use in a soil peat isn't a way to go IMO.  

 
Peat moss lowers pH.  In the long term peat turns into humus which is a good thing, but the next season you would again need to add peat (or coco too) to regain the same aeration and fluffiness, except that if you had a heatlhy plant in the soil then you have that plant's root hairs left behind which given a winter to compost, become yet another peat or coco substitute.
 
It is true peat doesn't retain as much water as some things.  This is GOOD.  I have said it many times.  Well draining soil.  Too much retained water will rot plant roots away and interfers with good aeration.
 
Anyway, back on topic... there's no real trick to knowing when to buy this stuff.  Price it now where you want to buy, then keep a lookout for advertised sales on what you want.  Additionally at gift card resellers like Cardpool.com you can get a gift card that will take roughly 6% to 10% more off the cost at Lowes or Home Depot.