The 9 Best Things to Buy in July (Including July 4th Sales!)

July might seem like it has a single good shopping day — July 4th — but you can actually find great deals all month long! Whether you want to score Prime Day deals, need outdoor gear to celebrate the second half of summer, or you're ready to dive into early Back to School sales, July has it all!

Check out our guide to see what to buy in July, as well as what you should hold off on — for now.

The 9 Best Things to Buy in July

The infographic below offers a look at five of the top things to shop in July. Check it out, then read about all the July sales and deals worth watching for.

1. July 4th Sales

NOTE: The 4th of July is over for 2023, but you can shop the best store events anytime here.

The 4th of July is a huge shopping holiday and marks the midpoint of summer for many, as the next few weeks usually usher in the Back to School season. During sales around the big celebration, look for deals on electronics, clothing and shoes, patio furniture (to some degree), outdoor gear, major appliances, and mattresses at stores like Costco, Target, and Best Buy.

Of course, 4th of July sales are pretty diverse, so if something you're shopping for isn't included in one of these categories, don't fret! There's a good chance a ton of items will see discounts, so check out your favorite shops to see what they're offering for holiday savings.

2. Free Slurpees

NOTE: Slurpee Day is over for this year, but you can shop the best food and drink deals anytime here.

The well-known convenience chain 7-Eleven often hosts a Free Slurpee Day on July 11 to celebrate the holiday 7-Eleven Day. In 2022, 7-Eleven changed the name of the event to Slurpee Day. From July 1-11, 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards members could get a free small Slurpee drink at a 7-Eleven, Speedway, or Stripes store when they scanned the 7-Eleven or Speedway app at checkout.

Slurpee Day has returned for 2023, too. Customers who go to participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, or Stripes stores on July 11 can snag a free small Slurpee. Plus, 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards program members could get another free small Slurpee from July 1-10, and customers who ordered through 7Now Delivery could score yet another free Slurpee on July 8.

3. Prime Day Deals

NOTE: Prime Day 2023 has passed, but you can shop the best Amazon deals here whenever you'd like.

Amazon recently made an announcement about Prime Day 2023 happening on July 11-12. The shopping event is an excellent time to find savings on Amazon devices, home and garden items, electronics, and other products. The retailer usually offers excellent savings on select Instant Pots, as well, and although the parent company recently filed for bankruptcy, Instant Pot deals have indeed returned this year.

SEE ALSO: Prime Day 2023 Is Here! What You Should Know and Deals to Shop

We're also seeing offers on smartwatches from brands like Apple, Samsung, and Garmin, which had deals during Prime Day 2022, as well. Just know that Amazon's own Halo devices have been discontinued and the division shut down, so those aren't a part of the event.

Want more info on Prime Day? Check out our guide on what you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2023, along with our tips for scoring Invite-only Prime deals.

4. Sales Competing With Prime Day

Target Circle Week

Prime Day is a hit for Amazon, but other retailers are offering competing sales this July to try to get a piece of the pie. In the past, Target Deal Days has been the bull's-eye's version of a Prime Day sale, and would usually last for slightly longer than the 48 hours of Amazon's event. This year, Target is stepping up its game and turning Deal Days into Target Circle Week, which is running through July 15.

You still need to be a member of a program to shop the special offers, but Target Circle is free to join, which is a huge advantage compared to paying $14.99 per month or $139 per year for Amazon Prime. Offers in the sale include 50% off select Sun Squad items, 20% off all Barbie, 20% off Mountain Dew, and more products that range from fun items to necessities.

Best Buy's Black Friday in July Sale

NOTE: Best Buy has ended its Black Friday in July sale, but you can always check out the top deals at Best Buy here.

Target isn't the only retailer hosting a competing event. Best Buy has brought back its Black Friday in July sale, which goes through July 12. Expect them to offer the same prices on select items that Amazon does for Prime Day.

Additionally, My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members have access to exclusive deals. But it's important to note that these are the paid tiers of Best Buy's loyalty program. If you're shopping this Black Friday in July sale, you may want to sign up for one of the paid programs to ensure you're able to take advantage of the best savings.

Walmart+ Week

Like Target, Walmart is also taking a new approach for 2023. It's hosting Walmart+ Week through July 13. The name is a bit confusing, as the sale is apparently open to all shoppers, but Walmart+ members got early access on July 10, while the sale began on July 11 for everyone else.

This is another program you have to pay to be a member of, but the cost is far less than Amazon Prime. Walmart+ is $12.95 per month or $98 per year — lower than the Prime prices outlined above.

5. National Ice Cream Day Deals

National Ice Cream Day falls on July 16 this year, and we expect plenty of parlors to get in the spirit with different freebie promotions. In 2022, we saw retailers like Carvel provide a "buy one, get one" offer for a small cup or cone of soft serve. Yogurtland, meanwhile, boosted Real Rewards earnings for a single day to celebrate, letting members earn three times the points.

These offers have the potential to return in 2023, along with many others. Check back, as we'll update here with relevant promotions to celebrate.

6. Summer Clothing

Ordinarily, we advise against purchasing seasonal clothing within the time frame it's meant for, but July is a rare exception. That's largely due to July 4th sales. But even without those events, plenty of summery clothing items with great discounts are worth shopping. For instance, last year we saw men's swimwear at Kohl's for as little as $10 late in the month, while Lands' End cut up to 70% off swimwear around mid-July.

SEE ALSO: 4th of July Sales for 2023 Are Live! Here Are the Top Deals

It's not just swimwear either. In July 2022, J.Crew Factory cut up to 70% off clearance items during the month, and it offered an extra 40% to 70% off sitewide plus an extra 50% off items in their Best of Summer Sale. And Nautica knocked 50% to 70% off, plus an extra 10% off, during its Better Than Fireworks Sale.

7. Outdoor Gear

If you love spending time in the great outdoors when summer arrives, know that you can find great deals on gear for all kinds of activities during July. Backcountry could take up to 50% off clothing, as well as gear for camping, hiking, and climbing. And keep an eye on REI, which could offer a ton of different deals this month. Last July, the retailer offered up to 69% off Patagonia items, up to 70% off past-season products, up to 75% off cycling gear, and up to 66% off clearance camping equipment.

Another outdoor store to watch is Moosejaw. Last year, it took up to 40% off in its summer clearance event and had a BOGO 50% off promotion for its Moosejaw-branded T-shirts.

Individual July deals should be fairly notable, too. Watch for LED lanterns with tent fans to go for just $8, 3-day supplies of emergency food rations to cost $10, and picnic blanket totes to sell for $12. Need other items for camping? Watch for tent deals to be as affordable as $20, while a Coleman gas camping stove could be as low as $80.

8. Early Back to School Sales

Different parts of the country head back to school at different times, but that just means the Back to School sales start early and last for weeks. The result is tons of deals worth your time! Last year, we saw Back to School sales for the month underway as early as July 6, with Hanes offering up to 46% off Back to School basics at Amazon. The next day, we saw Kohl's kick off its Back to School sale with a modest 25% off select items, while Best Buy had Back to School deals available as soon as July 8.

More sales will pop up later in the month, and there's a good chance we'll see early promotions from stores like Adorama for discounted laptops, monitors, and other items. Lenovo, meanwhile, could take up to 68% off during its Back to School sale. And if you want one-stop shopping, consider Target. It'll likely have deals like school uniforms from $5, 25% off laptops, and up to 40% off headphones. You can also expect the retailer to offer a wide range of standard school supplies, including notebooks, writing utensils, and others.

Watch for clothing Back to School sales in July, as well. Macy's could be another store to shop for clothing and school supplies, and could once again have prices as low as $2, while Aeropostale could offer up to 60% off new arrivals, as well as 50% to 70% off sitewide. If you need new kicks, consider checking out Shoebacca, which could offer $20 off orders of $100, as well as an extra 10% off.

9. In-Season Produce

July is basically the peak of summer, so it's no surprise that it's the perfect time to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies. Look for the ripest fruits to include apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, mangoes, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelon. Then there's the best fresh veggies for the month, which include corn, cucumbers, green beans, kohlrabi, lettuce, okra, peppers, summer squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Want to shop locally grown produce? Check out the Seasonal Food Guide website to see what you can find in your area.

3 Things to Consider Buying in July

TVs

Surprisingly, July can be a good time to shop for TVs. While some of the strongest deals we see are typically part of Prime Day celebrations or competing sales, Back to School events are also worth checking out. Thanks to students heading off to college and needing to outfit dorm rooms and their first apartments, retailers offer deals on a variety of TV sets. They won't always have the same rock-bottom prices we see around Black Friday, but we could still see offers like 32" Fire TVs for $100, while 55" sets could be just under $300 and 65" TVs could go for $344 or so.

If you're looking for discounts on truly giant screens — those above 65" — you likely won't have much luck this month. Because of that, you're better off waiting until November, or at least when the early Black Friday deals appear.

Tools and Home Improvement Items

Warmer weather tends to bring out the DIY urge in a lot of people, so it's no surprise that there's a high demand for tools and home improvement supplies during July. Add to that Home Depot and Lowe's pretty strong July 4th sales, and it's a perfect setup for serious savings on these kinds of items.

Watch for deals like a DeWalt 20V MAX battery for $27, or a Ryobi 18V ONE+ 2-battery starter pack for just $99 that also comes with a free tool valued up to $99. Woot could also offer up to 67% off select tools again, while Amazon could have its Amazon Basics 28-piece metric ratcheting wrench and bits set for only $11 this year.

Bedding and Linens

Shoppers often think that January is the best time to buy bedding and linens, thanks to sales featuring them from a variety of retailers. But once again, this is a category that sees discounts during July as students stock up before heading off to college.

SEE ALSO: All the Best Student Discounts to Use in 2023

Look for queen-sized plush pillows to be only $3 at Target, while cozy fleece throws could be as little as $6, twin- and twin XL-sized blankets could be $10, and twin and twin XL sheets could be $12 per set.

Because a lot of these items could be discounted for college students, you may not find a huge selection of bedding suitable for larger beds, but there still may be deals to check out. For instance, last July Kohl's had The Big One 10'x10' family blanket for just $14, while Belk offered Bed in a Bag sets in full, queen, and king sizes at $20. Belk also had sheets from $5, Kohl's knocked up to 50% off plus an extra 20% off and offered Kohl's Cash on The Big One bedding items, and IKEA had select comforters as low as $6.99.

6 Things to Buy After July

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