Many retailers call it Black Friday in July. It’s the time of year when you’ll find great discounts both in stores and online.
Summer sales are ongoing in patio stores, where July brings the first big markdowns on barbeque grills and deck furniture.
Rob Robertson, sales manager of Cincinnati Pool and Patio, is one of many stores offering $200 instant savings on some brands of grills, and tariff-free deals on anything made in the U.S.
"Right now is a great time, because everything has started to come down," he said.
If you’re in the market for outdoor furniture and fire pits, he says this is the time to buy, so you can take it home and start using it right away.
"(If) you want to spend on something that's half the price you normally would, now is the time," he said.
Watch some of the best things to buy in the month of July:
Consumer Reports' top picks
Samantha Gordon, deals editor with Consumer Reports, says it’s also a great time to buy high-cost home essentials.
“The big sales for July really are July 4th weekend for those big-ticket items, so mattresses and large appliances and lawn care tools ---so think lawn mowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, string trimmers, things like that,” she says.
Gordon explains that the best deals, starting around July 7, will be available at big-box retailers or on Amazon, coinciding with its annual Prime Day.
“Best Buy does big sales. Walmart does them, Target, all of those big retailers tend to have competing sales with Amazon Prime Day, so the middle of the month, you'll see a lot of big sales as well,” she says.
CLICK HERE for Consumer Reports' top July deals
How to shop Amazon Prime Days
Amazon’s Prime Day is four days this year instead of the usual two days, and Gordon admits we really don’t know what that means for sales.
Yet, she advises keeping an eye on the items in your wish list and knowing what the regular prices for those items are.
“Look at the price it's available for now, and that way, come Prime Day, you'll know, OK, this is the same price it's been. I'm getting the same deal I would have gotten had I bought it a week ago, or it's actually way cheaper,” she says.
According to Gordon, some of these sales tend to rival what we see on Black Friday, especially on small electronics like Kindles and Ring cameras.
So, for those super early holiday shoppers, this is a great time to buy gifts.
“You can really spread out your spending, which could be really great if you're on a budget,” she says.
Finally, don’t forget back-to-school sales that kick in the second week of July. You'll find great deals on laptops, school clothing, and office supplies through the end of the month.
That way, you don’t waste your money.
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