Best deals, budget busters of July

While there will be plenty of parades, fireworks and other Fourth of July festivities to celebrate our nation's independence this weekend, you can parade through store aisles scoring some big discounts. Website Deal News says even though it is technically still June, some fourth of July sales have already started; and some last through the middle of the month. Based on sales in July over the last few years, here is what you can expect to see this month.

Look for deal on outdoor gear like camping equipment and biking and fishing accessories. These are typically marked down in July. Deal News says you can expect 50%off at stores like Bass Pro Shops and Gander Mountain. Swimsuit deals are hot in July as stores begin to make room for fall merchandise. And if you're already planning a winter vacation, snatch up coats, jackets and gloves now. Hold off on shoes because prices usually go down as we get closer to the start of school.

You'll notice big markdowns on outdoor patio furniture and gardening supplies; but don't buy that grill you've been eyeing until the end of summer when you can probably find lower prices. Retailers typically wait to slash the prices of laptops during back to school sales in August and September. In July, Best Buy focuses discounts more on appliances. 

If you're a clothes horse, you don't want to miss Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale at the end of July. This is when the high-end retailer slashes prices on just-released new fall styles, sometimes up to half off. When the sale is over, the prices go back up for name brand clothing and shoes like Tory Burch, Ugg Australia, Burberry, and Cole Haan.

Amazon's Prime Day returns this year on July 12. You can only shop the sale if you're a prime member, but if you sign up for a free trial of prime the deals will be open to you too. This year Amazon will start with five days of pre-Prime day sales, offering a few deals each day to get customers primed for Prime Day. On July 12th Amazon says it will launch new deals as often as every 5 minutes over the 24 hours of the sale.


About the Author:

Passionate consumer advocate, mom of 3, addicted to coffee, hairspray and pastries.