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Summer is a season for grilling, swimming, tanning, playing, and making new memories. It’s also a season for some serious savings on many of the items you use in your home all year.
Since a lot of items get used mostly in the summer, you can typically find some excellent deals on them throughout the season, whereas savings on other products are a bonus.
Get out your wallet and get ready to save on some summer staples and some other household goodies you’ll still need when summer turns to fall.
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Bask in the Savings of Summer
Not all of the deals you’ll find in the summer are on food, but many of them are because cooking out is definitely one of the greatest things about summer.
One of the best ways to take full advantage of these cost-saving deals is to know how to store foods in your pantry or freezer for months to come so you can buy them in bulk when their costs are at their lowest. Summer is ripe with sales on grilling meats, buns, popsicles, and other summer-worthy foods, but buying in bulk won’t do you much good if the food goes to waste anyway.
Always check expiration dates on pantry food to make sure you can use what you buy before then. Keep them stored in a pantry that’s dark and dry.
Investing in a vacuum sealer can be a great way to preserve the meat and produce you buy at any time of the year but can especially come in handy for the excellent deals you’ll find in the summer. If that’s not an option for you, make sure you brush up on your freezer knowledge. Here are a few tips:
- Freeze foods when they’re at their peak freshness level
- Some produce isn’t freezable, like peppers, letters, and some dairy products
- Choose freezer-ready bags and containers only
- Wrap food tightly to avoid freezer burn and loss of flavor
- Label and date everything you put in the freezer
- Never re-freeze anything you’ve thawed
- Cooked meat should only stay in the freezer up to three months
I also suggest downloading Ibotta and checking it frequently if you don’t already. In addition to the store sales you’ll find in the summer, you can also snag even more savings in the form of cash back from Ibotta. The app has rotating deals on everything from produce and meat to pantry and paper items for the home.
Check out our full Ibotta review here to learn how it all works.
Beginning to Mid-Summer
These are the deals you’ll usually find in June and July, so don’t waste any time hitting your local stores to find the best prices.
1. Bottled Water
People use a lot of bottled water during the summer for cookouts, camping, sports games, etc. My local sporting leagues tend to buy tons of it themselves to stock up their concession stands or hand out to players.
Although most bottled waters are inexpensive anyway, you’ll be amazed at some of the deals you can find over the summer.
My local Walmart has slashed its prices by $1 or more on bulk cases of some water brands over the summer. When that happens, I buy at least double what I usually would because they have such a long shelf life.
With my summer stock-up on bottled water, my family can generally make it to December without needing a refill.
2. Bug Spray
June and July are the best months to buy bug sprays for all your outdoor summer adventures. Not only do stores start discounting them, but manufacturers also put out bulk packages that can bump your costs down even further.
I usually find two-packs of my favorite bug spray to buy, which saves me about $2 off the price of buying them separately. Combined with store sales and coupons (also super easy to find this time of year!), I’ve saved as much as $6 just on two cans.
3. Camping Gear
Camping gear sales are typically prominent in both the very beginning and the very end of summer. The end-of-summer sales usually are clear-outs for fall-related inventory, though, so you may not have a good selection of items to choose from.
I stick with the beginning summer sales where inventory is stocked to capacity and I can find excellent deals on tents, sleeping bags, coolers, and other brand new items for the season.
4. Condiments
‘Tis the season for ketchup and mustard! And pickles, salad dressing, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and just about every other condiment and food that can top a burger under the sun.
Now’s the time to stock up on bulk ketchup and mustard if you plan to do any cookouts and keep an eye out for coupons that will give you deep discounts when you buy two or three salad dressings or barbecue sauces.
5. Hair Styling Products
If you’re anything like me, your hair does not love the summer heat. It frizzes and tangles if I don’t put any helpful styling products in. I don’t think I’m alone because I often see hair products related to the heat go on sale before and during the summer months.
Look for sales on anti-frizz, heat protectant, sun protectant, and even hair lightening or coloring products.
6. Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns
My supermarkets have had hamburger buns and hot dog buns for as little as $0.40 a pack during the summer months!
Not only do they usually have a sale running for them anyway, but stores tend to order a lot of buns to keep up with supply-and-demand over the summer. That can sometimes work in our favor when they order too many and need to sell them quickly before they expire.
You can freeze most buns to prevent them from going bad before you can use them. Wrap them tightly in freezer paper or foil and then put them in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.
7. Ice Cream and Frozen Treats
My kids go through frozen treats like it’s their job on hot summer days, so I love that I can usually find sales on at least one brand or two.
Ibotta typically has cash back offers in May through June for some of the top brands of ice cream and frozen treats, and I rarely ever pass them up for my household. You also get a $10 bonus when you sign-up and redeem your first offer.
Since they’re frozen anyway, they store relatively well if you seal the containers well, so stock away!
8. Indoor Furniture
During the summer, most people want to focus on making their outdoor spaces as cozy as possible instead of buying furniture for the inside of their homes because they’ll spend a lot of time outdoors.
Furniture stores often see summer as the perfect time to put indoor furniture on sale to entice people to keep buying it.
Check your favorite online furniture stores, too, because places like Kohl’s, Overstock, and Wayfair sometimes put out special promotions when it’s about to turn to summer.
You can also check again for even deeper discounts in July at your local furniture stores, many of which will start making room for new inventory around that time.
9. Lunch Snacks
The kids are out of school, so you’ll probably see a bunch of lunch snacks going on sale. Look for discounts on fruit snacks, granola bars, cookies, crackers, pudding cups, lunch kits, and lunch meats once summer hits.
Be sure to stock up on the non-perishables because that’ll be less money you’ll need to spend at the beginning of the school year.
10. Meats You Love to Grill
Supermarkets love giving us what we want more of for our July cookouts! From hot dogs and ready-made hamburger patties to steaks, chicken, and ribs, you shouldn’t have trouble finding sales on meats made for grilling.
11. Seasonal Fruits and Veggies
Certain fruits and vegetables are in-season toward the end of spring or beginning of summer, which means they’re more readily available in stores and usually less expensive for you.
I stock up on strawberries and blueberries in May or June for yummy smoothies on hot days.
Corn on the cob is another summer staple that I can sometimes find for 3/$1 and other awesome deals.
The following fruits and veggies are just some of those in-season over the summer, so watch for local sales:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Plums
- Peaches/Nectarines
- Lemons
- Limes
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Corn
12. Sporting Equipment
If you’re going to have a Little Leaguer or soccer player on your hands, you might find some good discounts on their necessary equipment in June or July.
Most of the time, you’ll notice the best deals after the typical season in your area has already started.
A trick I’ve learned is to hold off on buying anything new until a week or two after the season starts (your child can usually squeeze out a couple of weeks with his old gear until then) and wait for the sales to hit the new equipment.
13. Sports Drinks
If you love Gatorade or Powerade for your workouts or kids’ sporting events, now’s the best time to look for sales. I’ve seen excellent deals on both the singles and packs of sports drinks in just about every store near me that sells them.
One of the best was at a convenience store that sold three large Powerade bottles for $1!
14. Sunscreen
Just like bug spray, sunscreen is at its ultimate low over the summer. You’ll usually see some deals start to creep out in May, but some of the best deals on bulk sunscreen are traditionally on the shelves in June and into July.
This is another product that I stock up on when I see a good deal and have a coupon to match it because most sunscreens last for a couple of years before expiring.
I’ve sometimes skipped buying it entirely for one year because I had so much extra from my stock-ups the previous year!
15. Tank Tops and Active Wear
As it heats up outside, a cool wardrobe is a must. Now is a great time to check clothing stores – in-store and online – for sales on tank tops and activewear for outdoor exercise.
Don’t forget accessories, too, like sweatbands for your head and wrists or wearable phone cases for securing your phone while you exercise.
16. Tanning Products
Look for sales on self-tanning products, tanning oil, bronzing towelettes, lotions, and anything else that might give your skin that beautiful glow you want for the beach.
By combining store sales with coupons and Ibotta cash back offers, I recently saved $10 on my self-tanning lotion and oil for the season.
17. Whipped Cream
Whipped cream and summer go together! From pies and cheesecake to ice cream sundaes and homemade smoothies and whipped drinks, whipped cream is one of those things I always make sure is in my fridge come May.
The beginning of the season, you’ll probably start seeing coupons for single cans of whipped cream and stores selling double-packages of them for lower prices.
They typically last up to six months, so even if you don’t use everything you buy now, you can use the rest for your holiday baking.
End of Summer
You’ll want to wait closer to the middle or end of August for these deals when stores want to get rid of their extra summer stock to make room for fall goods. Some of these sales can be huge, so keep your eye on your favorite stores starting around August 15th.
18. Bathing Suits
My kids know to not even ask me about getting a new bathing suit until the end of summer! Why pay full price when you can enjoy 25% to 50% (or sometimes, even more) off swimsuits for the family?
For the best sales, I suggest signing up for your favorite clothing stores’ email newsletters if you haven’t already. Keep checking your inbox for sales to hit around mid-August.
This is when stores tend to clean out this year’s inventory to make room for incoming fall items.
Every year, I buy at least two new swimsuits each for my kids and me and I save anywhere from $50 to $100 off the regular prices.
19. Beach Towels and Toys
As the season end, not as many people are in need of beach supplies, like umbrellas, tents, towels, and toys. This is the best time to shop for anything you’d take for a day at the beach.
Similar to sports equipment, I use what I bought the previous year until all the sales hit and then go to town saving on new stuff. Since I bought everything toward the end of the season, they’re practically like new anyway.
20. Grills and Accessories
You don’t really need to stock up on grills, but if you’re looking to replace the rusty worn-out grill you bought ten years ago, it’s best to wait until the end of summer when they usually go on clearance.
If you can use your old one just a little longer, you can even keep your new one stored in its box and you’ll have a brand-new grill ready to rock and roll for next year.
Grilling accessories, like cleaning supplies, aprons, and tools, are also better to buy toward the end of August to save the most money.
21. Hoses, Lawn Care, and Gardening Supplies
Anything related to lawn care and gardening – soil, seeds, gardening tools, lawnmowers, weed eaters, weed control, hoses, etc. – are usually at their best prices this time of year when stores set out all their leftover inventory.
Be careful purchasing seeds and soil, though, because they usually have expiration dates and may not last long enough to use next year.
22. Outdoor Furniture
The beginning of the season is the time for indoor furniture sales, so it makes sense that you’ll tend to find outdoor furniture on sale when the season comes to an end. I bought my current porch swing this way, set at 50% off its regular price right around mid-August! I even got cushions for it for 60% off.
23. Outdoor Play Toys
I love browsing in-store and online for deep discounts on outdoor play toys, like bubble blowers, ride-on toys, balls, water balloons, etc., toward the end of August. I look ahead to next year and take into consideration my kids’ ages and what they’ll be interested in then and buy away.
Keep what you buy tucked away in the basement in its packaging until next year and you’ll have brand-new toys for your yard without paying top dollar for them.
24. VERY End of Summer: School Supplies
After the kids have returned to school, check out what’s on sale for school supplies. I guarantee you’ll find even better deals than you would during the mad rush of people during the typical back-to-school shopping period!
Buying supplies from the end of the year for the following year is the way to go. Some schools have specific lists of items that you need to buy for your child, so I know it can be tough to predict what you need to stock up on for next year.
But there are usually a few things that repeat themselves every year, like glue sticks, crayons, markers, and notebook paper, that are always safe purchases.
If you do find an excellent deal on something and don’t end up needing it, you can always donate it to your child’s teacher or school.
Final Thoughts
Summer is ripe with incredible savings if you know the products to keep an eye on, and now you do!
Is there anything else you’ve had good luck buying cheaper through the summer? Let us know your thoughts in a comment!
