7 Best Things to Buy in July (Including Amazon Prime Day Deals!)

July means hot dogs, fireworks, and trips to the beach. With so many people outside and on vacation — and with fewer people actually shopping — stores are especially eager to cut you a deal!

Read on to see how to get the lowest prices on clothes, video games, and more this month. Then sign up for the DealNews Select Newsletter to get the best deals delivered to your inbox every day.

7 Things to Buy in July

Prime Day Deals (Selectively)

It seems like last year's second-ever Prime Day was a notable improvement over the first. While 2015 saw a bunch of unimpressive items on sale (and any worthwhile deals disappearing in seconds), 2016's Prime Day reportedly increased sales by 60% and was Amazon's biggest day ever.

We listed hundreds of deals from Amazon that day, and a whopping 42% were Editors' Choice. Some of the most popular deals included Amazon Warehouse open-box and used items for up to 20% off, a 7" Fire tablet for $33, and, yes, a Segway miniPRO Self Balancing Transporter for $699 (a low by $300). Amazon products, like the Fire tablet, Echo, and Fire TV Stick, were particularly good deals.

For more details on what you can expect from Amazon Prime Day 2017, check out our full guide here.

4th of July Sales — Clothing

Last year, July saw 40% more Editors' Choice clothing deals than June, in no small part due to 4th of July sales. Look for at least 50% off at your favorite stores and brands. If you're willing to stock up on some heavier denim and khaki for fall, we saw amazing deals from Dockers and Levi's last year, with jeans available for as little as $10.

Even summer clothes will see good discounts. July is the midway point for the retail season, so stores are already starting to clear out their inventory for fall. We expect big sales from Gap, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Kate Spade, and more, with shorts and dresses from $14. And remember: If a store has been in the headlines for its struggles recently, it'll likely offer big discounts this weekend to bring in shoppers.

4th of July Sales — Outdoor Gear

Beyond casual wear, you'll also find good deals on all kinds of outdoor gear and apparel. In recent years, Jenson USA has offered up to 90% off bikes, biking gear, and apparel. However, you're more likely to see discounts of around 50% off at stores like Columbia, Dick's Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shops, Backcountry, and Gander Mountain. Outdoor favorite Cabela's has offered up to 60% off throughout the store, with good deals on camping and fishing equipment.

SEE ALSO: What to Expect From 4th of July Sales 2017

House Paint

Too hot to work outside? That's exactly why stores will be discounting house paint, as it just sits on their shelves while homeowners wait for more agreeable weather. That means if you think ahead, you can save.

Last year during July, we saw a "buy one, get one" sale on select paints at Lowe's, and 40% off at participating Sherwin-Williams retailers. And don't worry about the paint spoiling — it can last for ten years unopened, so it will definitely be fine come the fall.

Steam Games

While the Steam Summer Sale has already begun, it continues until July 5, making it one of the best times of the year to get PC game deals. The discounts you can expect depend largely on how recently the game was released. For a title from the last year or two, you can probably hope for a discount between 20% and 50% off. Meanwhile, older hits can reliably be expected to drop to 75% off or more at some point during any major sale, and a few titles have dipped to as low as 95% off.

Christmas in July

Marking the halfway point to the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, stores have increasingly tried to bring a bit of the holidays to summer. "Christmas in July" sales are too varied to generalize, because they frequently have nothing to do with Christmas; last year we saw over 40% off select bookings at Hotels.com, up to 88% off jewelry at Szul and Jewelry.com, and up to 50% off sale items at Toys"R"Us.

But not surprisingly, there will also be a few deals on Christmas decorations! Walmart especially offered excellent deals, including a sale that cut $40 off 7-foot pre-lit trees. That was the best price we'd ever seen, making it worth buying and storing until December.

Last-Minute 4th of July Travel

Even though it's last-minute at this point, you can still score some amazing travel deals for the upcoming holiday weekend. With gas prices so low, hopping in the car for spontaneous travel should be easier than ever. Consider heading to New York City; despite its infamously high rents, hotel prices are a whopping $60 cheaper per night in July than in August. Plus, there are always a wealth of free activities in the Big Apple, especially with outdoor concerts and events in the summer.

If NYC is too far, consider checking out a national park (perhaps with some of the outdoor gear you just picked up on sale). Or, if you don't mind buying some airfare, jet to Las Vegas for a fun long weekend. Travel app Hopper says fares to Sin City are actually cheapest just 14 days out from your travel date.

3 Things to Avoid

Amazon Prime Day Junk Items

Though it wasn't as much of a problem last year, some Prime Day deals were on strange items like krill oil pills, furniture-moving slings, or this $1,000 investment. So while there will be some great deals, we urge shoppers to avoid impulse buys on such filler items.

SEE ALSO: How Much Is Shipping on Amazon, and When Can You Get It for Free?

Laptops

With some college students headed to campus in just a few weeks, it's true that back-to-school sales heat up this month. However, our data shows that laptop deals are much better in August — prices consistently drop as much as 25% further.

Grills

Sorry, we know you're sick of hearing this, but it's not a good time to buy a grill! You probably want to buy one for the 4th of July, but so does everyone else, which is why stores will offer minor discounts at best. Wait one more month for prices that will be 40% less than at the beginning of summer.

Readers, what are you looking forward to buying in July? Let us know in the comments below.