After the Fourth of July, retailers start setting their sights on fall, which makes July a good month to snatch up deals on certain summer items. July is also the height of fruit and vegetable season and has been designated the official month for some classic summer foods. Here's a look at what's best to buy in July — and a couple of items likely to be cheaper at the end of the season.
Related: 15 Clearance Items You Can Still Use When Summer's Gone
Like the weather, tool deals heat up in July. With Father's Day over and done, retailers such as Lowe's and Home Depot offer tools and accessories for less. Time to complete some home improvement projects.
Related: DIY in the USA: Tools That Are Still Made in America
Who wants to paint a room in the heat of summer? Not many people, so home improvement stores try to entice consumers to buy paint in July with hefty discounts. Even if you don't want to take on this chore now, take advantage of the specials and put the paint in storage for a while. Unopened cans last for years.
Like Memorial Day and Labor Day, Independence Day is a fine time to take advantage of sales and bring home a good, cheap mattress.
As soon as July Fourth celebrations come to a close, retailers begin discounting summer apparel to make room for back-to-school items. This means July is the time to find the best selection of low-priced swimsuits and summer clothes. August and September bring clearance sales too, but the selection is smaller and more picked over. For kids, buy bigger sizes and put them away for next year.
Once the Fourth of July holiday has passed, retailers no longer want to hold cheap grills in their inventory, and deals pop up in anticipation of an onslaught of fall merchandise.
Much like grills and summer apparel, air conditioners start to drop in price about halfway through the summer. Even in July, there's plenty of hot weather still to come this year, and sweltering households would welcome a new AC unit at a discount.
The big back-to-school shopping season kicks off in July — even if there's uncertainty about what back-to-school will look like this year — bringing discounts for consumers in need of a new laptop, tablet, or desktop computer.
Come August, a semi-annual wave of new furniture models will hit stores. Retailers must clear out current inventory to make space on showroom floors, so look for big discounts in July.
With the December holidays and Valentine's Day half a year away, jewelers are experiencing the summer doldrums. Eager to draw in buyers, they drop prices and run sales in July. Keep in mind that jewelry bought now makes a welcome gift any time of year.
This month is the prime growing season for many fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits to buy in July include blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, peaches, apricots, plums, and kiwi. Vegetables that ripen this month and sell for dirt-cheap prices include corn, green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, and lettuce. To be really frugal and enjoy fresh produce for months to come, stock up now and freeze fruit and vegetables for later.
July is National Ice Cream Month. Scoop up sweet ice cream coupons and look for promotions at the grocery store. While the entire month is focused on the creamy frozen treat, deals and freebies are especially likely on July 19, National Ice Cream Day, from local ice cream shops and chains such as Baskin-Robbins, Graeter's, Cold Stone Creamery, Marble Slab Creamery, and Maggie Moo's Ice Cream and Treatery.
July is also National Hot Dog Month. Look for coupons and discounts on hot dogs leading up to National Hot Dog Day on July 21. Sonic, 7-Eleven, and QuikTrip have offered free or discounted franks to commemorate the holiday in the past.
Related: America's 29 Best Hot Dog Stands
Along with grills, ACs, and summer apparel, outdoor furniture and yard decor will start displaying discounted prices after July Fourth. Still, for the best deals, wait until later in the summer and into fall. September and October typically see the best prices. In the meantime, try a few easy ways to revive the patio furniture you already have.
Sunglasses are hot, hot, hot right now and priced at their peak. The best deals on sunglasses usually don't appear until the off-season, starting in September.
Amazon Prime Day sales and its substantial bargains on numerous items usually happen in July, but were delayed until October in 2020 and occurred on June 21-22 in 2021. Previous years have seen respectable discounts on the company's branded products and other items, as well as bargains from retailers such as Walmart trying to compete. To be ready when it comes around again, the deals require Prime membership (still $119).