7 Best Things to Buy in July for Huge Summer Savings

Want to know the real secret to scoring a deal? It’s not where you shop. It’s when. Get the timing right, and the same exact blender, grill, or sundress can cost you half as much. July happens to be one of those magic windows. Retailers are nervous, inventory is piling up, and that nervous energy works in your favor.

Here’s the thing about midsummer: everyone’s at the lake, not the mall. Stores know it. So they sweeten the pot with markdowns and clearance blowouts to lure you in before back-to-school season steals all the attention. Translation? July rewards patience. Let’s go shopping.

1. Outdoor Grills: Fire Up the Deals

Once the fireworks smoke clears, grill prices start falling. Fast. Retailers overbought for early summer, and now they need that floor space back before the fall lineup arrives.

If you’ve had your eye on a Weber, Blackstone, Charbroil, Traeger, or Pit Boss, now’s your moment. Walmart usually wins on price, Home Depot wins on selection, and Amazon is solid if you just want it shipped to your door without the wrestling match in the parking lot.

Quick math: the average grill runs around $316. Time it right in July and you could walk away with enough left over for burgers, buns, and yes, a new spatula. You deserve the spatula.

• MORE: 5 No-Brush Ways to Clean Your Grill (Using Stuff You Already Have)

2. Kayaks: Paddle Into Clearance Prices

Kayaks are basically giant plastic roommates that don’t pay rent, and stores are over it. Come July, they need that floor space for skis and snowboards (I know, I know, it’s 95 degrees outside, but retail calendars don’t care about your sweat).

So they slash prices. Hard. Look to Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, REI, and online at Outdoorplay or Amazon for clearance on recreational and inflatable models especially.

Entry-level kayaks start around $250 to $400. Get fancy with a fishing or touring model and you’re looking at $900 to $3,500, with premium sea kayaks climbing toward $5,000. Buy now, paddle through fall. That’s the deal.

3. Home Appliances: July’s Coolest Deals

Now THIS is where July earns its keep. Dishwashers, ranges, washers, dryers, fridges, freezers… appliance retailers go all in around the Fourth of July, and the deals tend to stick around through month’s end.

You can typically find 30% to 45% off, and with the average appliance running around $2,175, that’s real money back in your pocket. GE alone has been offering up to 43% off select appliances for its Fourth of July sale. Check local dealers too; they don’t always make the headlines, but they often beat the big chains.

A few things worth knowing before you buy:

• Energy Star models cost a bit more upfront but pay you back in lower utility bills over time.
• Bundling appliances (say, a fridge and dishwasher together) often unlocks an extra discount.
• And open-box or slightly dinged units can be a steal if you don’t mind a tiny imperfection nobody else will ever notice.

Also, bigger isn’t always better. That 29-cubic-foot fridge looks impressive in the showroom, but you’re probably just paying to keep empty space cold.

• MORE: Your Guide to Know When to Repair or Replace Appliances

4. Fresh Produce: Sweet Deals You Can Freeze

I couldn’t write a July savings post without a detour through the produce aisle. Peaches, plums, cherries, melons, grapes… this is their moment, and prices drop right along with the abundance.

Buy more than you’ll eat this week. Freeze or can the extra, and come November, you’ll be making pancakes with summer berries while everyone else is stuck with frostbitten grocery store fruit. Cherries especially are having a moment, with prices down around 20% thanks to a strong Pacific Northwest harvest. If strawberries have lost their shine, let cherries steal the spotlight in your desserts.

Also worth grabbing while they’re cheap and plentiful: avocados, cucumbers, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, berries of every color, eggplant, and green beans. The average American eats less than a quarter of the fruit the USDA recommends. July’s prices make it a whole lot easier to do better.

• MORE: Summer Grilled Peaches with Balsamic and Blue Cheese

5. Personal Electronics and Tech: Catch the Tail End

Amazon Prime Day actually happened in June this year (June 23-26, to be exact). Amazon moved it up to get ahead of tightening budgets and to beat the other big retailers to the punch. If you missed it, don’t panic.

Target, Walmart, and Best Buy are still running their own competing sales through July, with deals on headphones, laptops, and TVs (though if you really want a big-screen bargain, Black Friday is still your best bet… patience, friend).

And here’s a sneaky-smart move: late July is when back-to-school supplies start dropping to silly-low prices. Think 10-cent notebooks and 50-cent crayon packs. If your state has a sales-tax holiday on school supplies (many do, in July, August, or September depending on where you live), that’s your window to buy the big-ticket items, like a laptop, completely tax-free. Check your state’s dates and add them to your calendar now.

• MORE: The Best Inexpensive Headphones & Earbuds for Every Age & Need

6. Frozen Treats: Celebrate National Ice Cream Month

Thanks to a 1984 proclamation from President Reagan, all of July is National Ice Cream Month, with National Ice Cream Day landing on the third Sunday. That’s July 19 this year. Mark it. Celebrate it. Tell no one you’re celebrating a regulatory proclamation about dairy.

Expect supermarket sales and BOGO deals on ice cream all month long. And don’t sleep on 7-Eleven’s Slurpee Day on 7/11. Walk in, walk out with a free small Slurpee. It’s basically a national holiday hiding in plain sight.

• MORE: The Scoop on Free Ice Cream: Top Deals and Birthday Offers You Don’t Want to Miss

7. Patriotic Merch and Summer Apparel: Stock Up Now

Around the Fourth of July, every store from the department stores to the party supply shops goes red-white-and-blue crazy with sales and with America’s 250th this year, expect even more of it. Wait until close to the holiday for the best prices on decorations and patriotic clothing.

While you’re at it, raid the swimwear and summer apparel racks. By July, tank tops, shorts, and swimsuits have been sitting on shelves for weeks (sometimes months), and stores are ready to deal. Look for storewide sales of 50% off or more at places like J.Crew and Old Navy. Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale kicks off July 18, too. Just don’t expect a discount on your Oakleys or Reef sandals. Those stay in high demand all summer, full price and all.

One thing to skip this month: lawn mowers and other big outdoor equipment. Demand is still high, so discounts are scarce. Give it until late August or September when the leftover stock finally gets marked down.

So there you have it… seven categories where July is quietly working in your favor, if you know where to look. Go forth, shop smart, and maybe treat yourself to that ice cream. You’ve earned it.

 

Question: What’s the best deal you’ve ever snagged during a July sale? Tell me about it in the comments. I love a good bargain story almost as much as I love a good bargain.

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