Once the path lights go in, the change is small but daily. You stop tripping over the steps on the way to take out the trash, the driveway looks finished instead of half-finished, and the yard stops disappearing at 9pm. The actual install is a weekend job — a couple of hours if the ground is soft, longer if you hit clay or roots. Early summer is the right time to buy because garden centers discount patio and path lighting to clear shelf space for fall stock, and the long days mean you can see them working the same evening you set them up.
The catch on timing is a calendar one. A 0% intro period is a window, not a free pass — the clock starts when the card is opened and keeps running whether or not you've spent the money yet. So picking when you open the card matters as much as picking when you buy.
The honest read: the 18-month 0% period is a deadline, not free money. If any of the $300 is still on the balance when month 19 hits, interest starts accruing on whatever is left at the card's regular APR, which is the date the intro ends — not the date you happened to miss a payment. Set a calendar reminder a month before the window closes and pay it off, or transfer the remainder to another intro offer before it resets.