There are no major holidays in August, unless you count the state sales tax holiday, which kept shoppers busy on the first day of the month. For the remainder of August, savvy bargain hunters will be on the lookout for end-of-summer clearance sales, laptop deals and more. Here are some of the best things to shop for, according to deal pros at DealNews.
Summer apparel: Now is the time to jump on clearance sales for summer clothing. Look for summer dresses, swimsuits, shoes and other seasonal apparel from stores such as REI, Victoria's Secret and Neiman Marcus Last Call. Discounts should range from 50 to 85 percent off. One strategy for saving on back-to-school clothing is to shop summer clearance items for pieces such as T-shirts and light summer jackets that can be layered into early fall.
Other seasonal items: Have you been in the market for a new grill? Get ready to start looking. August offers the most grill deals from stores like Sears and Target. The discounts range from 25 to 60 percent off on brands such as Kenmore and Weber. Also look for deals on grilling accessories. While it's a good time to begin your price comparisons, if you don't see exactly what you want at the right price, you will still have time to make a purchase into September.
August is a good time to revamp your outdoor living space. Patio furniture will hit some of the lowest prices of the season this month, and you will still be able to use whatever you buy over the next several weeks. Check patio sets at Target, Pottery Barn and Sears and look for discounts of at least 50 percent off.
Laptops: Kids heading back to school may need a new laptop, and now is a good time to invest. According to DealNews data, for the past two summers, laptop prices typically drop an additional 8 to 25 percent in August and early September. The Microsoft Store is currently offering the most aggressive deals. Windows 10 has just been released, but don't feel pressured to buy a top-tier laptop just to get the operating system. You can find a 15-inch laptop with Intel's latest Core i5 Broadwell CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive for around $350.
Apple fans waited for the annual back-to-school promotion, which launched in Apple stores July 23 (it’s available online Aug. 6) and ends Sept. 18. This year, students, school faculty or parents of students can get an education discount of up to $200 on the purchase of a new iMac, MacBook (Pro and Air included) or Mac Pro. Those shoppers also will get a free pair of Beats Solo2 headphones (which retail for about $200) with their purchase. This is a departure from previous years, which offered a $100 gift card with purchase. DealNews experts say customers would do better shopping third-party retailers such as Best Buy, where a 2015 MacBook Air 11-inch laptop runs about $749.
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