Best Things to Buy in July… and what not to buy

In South Carolina July is when the weather really starts to heat up and the summer deals tend to follow suit.

While there are a limited number of deals to be found in June, July sales work as a ramp up to the fall and then Christmas seasons.

Best Things to Buy in July Sales

As with every month the sales are all dependent on tradition and seasonal changes to the retail cycle. July brings eight opportunities to save cash on items you may need now or in the upcoming months.

Outdoor Gear

The fall is coming and people will be getting back into the school days routine. That means less outdoor activities. The big outdoor stores know the time is short so they are discounting large parts of the store that are dependent on warm weather.

You can find deals as much as 60% off regular gear and last year we saw 90% some bike equipment and apparel.

House Paint

It is smoking hot outside at my house right now so indoor projects are much more preferable. The house paint manufacturers know this and drop their prices to attract more market share.

Last year I saw deals that were buy one get one free and 40% off from different major paint brands. If you know you will be painting sometime in the next 10 years and already know your colors, now is the time to stock up on that paint.

Unopened, a can of paint can easily last that long.

Christmas in July Sales

July is the beginning of the run up to Christmas. If you think the retailers are not already thinking about the holiday season then you are kidding yourself.

The Christmas in July sales are all over the map and are really hard to peg down as a trend. Online retailers have cut 50% off hotel deals, toys, and many other sales over the last several years. They will make a big advertising push so keep your eyes peeled for these sales.

Christmas Decorations

Just because Christmas in July doesn’t usually have anything to do with Christmas, doesn’t mean there won’t be Christmas deals.

It may seem crazy, but July is actually a good time to buy Christmas decorations. The biggest deals are usually on artificial trees that can see over 50% off the price we will see in November and December.

Tools

Father’s day was last month, so all those tool kits and special Father’s Day handy items are now on deep clearance to get them off the shelves.

Clothing

Since July marks the beginning of back to school shopping, items like denim and khakis will go on sale across the major retailers. These sales will not just be on school needs, July also marks the beginning of summer clothing mark downs.

Swimwear

By this time in the summer most people have purchased this year’s bathing suit.  That means swimwear is dropping in price rapidly. I would check the big discounters like TJ Maxx and Ross to see what they have in their selection, as the big boxes clearance out their swimwear selection

Jewelry

There are almost no seasonal reasons to buy jewelry in the month of July, and that is why it goes on sale. Lat year Szul.com and Jewlery.com ran deals as much as 88% off. Bricks and mortar retailers also saw big discounts with as much as 60% off in mall stores.

If you are thinking of buying jewelry for a birthday or Christmas, July is the month to take advantage of the deals.

Games on Steam

Steam runs a Summer Sale that runs through July 8th. You can expect to see the best price discount on older games and those that are still in development.

Patriotic Stuff

As soon as July 4th is over all the patriotic items in the store go on sale. You can see prices drop by as much as 90% for some items. So if you are still dying to coat your home in red, white, and blue or if you just want to stock up for next year, wait until a couple days after Independence day.

Ice Cream

The 18th of July in National Ice Cream Day. You should see a ton of promotions and sales from a bunch of different restaurants. Some will even give away a scoop or two for free.

What Not to Buy

With every month there are several items that you should avoid buying. July gives us categories where people will spend more than what they should.

Laptops

There will be some laptop deals that will be tempting as we ramp up for back to school, but the best deals tend to come out in the August sales. If you are not in need of an laptop right now I would hold off until at least August, and if you can wait even longer, maybe until November and Black Friday roll around.

Lawn Mowers

Large outdoor equipment demand is at its peek in the middle of summer. The retailers may run some sales, but the best prices will be in a couple of months.

Grills

I know, I know. Grills are on here almost every month leading up to when the bottom falls out on their pricing. The deals are coming and soon, so just hold off a little bit longer.

Upcoming Sales

August

As back to school ramps up, August sales see the biggest discounts on everything related to summer. Be prepared to stock up on what you need for next summer.

September

With everyone back in school full time September sales feature deals on travel and other things most people don’t do during the school year.

October

October sales feature Columbus Day and discounts on the current years new automobiles.

Final Thoughts on July Sales

July always feels like one of the slowest times of year. Families are traveling and the retailers go into a bit of a slumber.

However, if you know the trends in retail you can take full advantage of them, even in months where the sales aren’t as flashy.