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During sales in August, you can expect to see rock-bottom prices on back-to-school supplies, of course. Plus, it’s a great time to stock your pantry with lunch box foods like granola bars, fruit snacks, cereal, and more.

Also, watch for deals on dorm room essentials for your college student (or simply plan to use these sales to buy new bedroom stuff for your kids).

You’ll absolutely need to download the KCL app in order to find out about these deals and get your hands on all the manufacturer coupons that’ll help you lock in these prices.

 

1. Stock up on back-to-school supplies when they reach their lowest point.

Back-to-School shopping at Walmart.

School supplies get discounted like crazy during back-to-school sales in August, making it the best time to stock up on everything on your child’s school supply list.

Plan to shop often and at a few different stores in order to get the lowest price possible. Use the Krazy Coupon Lady’s back-to-school stock-up price list to double-check that you’re getting the lowest price possible.

Some stores, like Walmart, offer great sale prices without the need for coupons. But if you have a Crayola coupon or Elmer’s coupon, for example, you can use it to bring the price down even lower. Also, watch for Ibotta rebates that you can stack with a sale price and a manufacturer coupon!

Here are some of the lowest prices for back-to-school supplies in 2022:

Before you read on, be sure to bookmark the KCL Back to School Deals page to stay in the know about all the latest deals.

 

2. Ulta 21 Days of Beauty starts near the end of the month.

ulta 21 days of beauty stand at ulta

One of Ulta’s biggest sales of the year begins in late August. The 3-week beauty sale features two or more items per day, each at 50% off. Shoppers only have 24 hours to buy those items at a discount before they’re swapped out for two new ones the next day. This year, we expect Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty sale to begin on Sunday, Aug. 28, and run through Saturday, Sept. 17.

We have more tips about what to expect with the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty semiannual sale.

 

3. The Lowe’s and Home Depot Labor Day sales will begin around Thursday, Aug. 25.

Lowe's Labor Day sign

You don’t need to wait until September to shop for new stuff for your yard and patio. The Lowe’s Labor Day Sale and Home Depot Labor Day Sale actually begin the last week of August. This year, we expect both sales to kick off on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022.

Patio furniture and grills will be at their lowest prices of the year during Lowe’s sale. Appliances also won’t be this cheap again until Black Friday. Both sales are expected to run through the Wednesday after Labor Day (Sept. 8).

See the latest Lowe’s deals and Home Depot deals.

 

4. Buy dorm room essentials at Kohl’s.

The Big One® Folding Dish Chair in box at kohls

Watch for an opportunity to stack coupon codes at Kohl’s and get storage totes, folding dish chairs, and entire bedding sets for dirt cheap.

Here are the dorm room deals at Kohl’s in 2022:

See all the latest dorm room deals.

 

5. Shop clearance swimsuit sales in August to get a head start on next summer — size up for kids!

Woman looking at two-piece swimsuits.

Despite temperatures still being in the 90s (or 100s!) throughout most of the country, swimsuits go on deep clearance in the month of August, as stores are making room for back-to-school seasonal items.

So grab swimsuits on clearance in next year’s sizes for your kids (and maybe a couple extra for yourself).

Here are the swimsuit deals in 2022:

See all the latest apparel deals.

 

 

6. Make sure you stay caffeinated — load up on Kirkland K-Cups when prices drop.

Kirkland brand Breakfast blend organic coffee k cups stacked in a pile of 3 at Costco.

In August, Costco usually offers instant savings on K-Cups, like $6 off, bringing them to about $0.27 per K-Cup — a stock-up price. The limit is five, so you can buy up to 600 K-Cups and still get this price. Drink up!

 

7. Buy cereal on sale and stack a manufacturer coupon to get big savings.

womans arms filled with cereal boxes in store

Cereal is another breakfast item I see hit deep discounts in August right before kids go back to school. And since cereal is shelf-stable, I recommend stocking up for a full six months.

The best strategy for finding discounts on cereal is to look for a sale price you stack with a manufacturer’s coupon.

Here are some cereal deals I saw in 2022:

Check out the latest cereal deals.

 

8. Buy and freeze in-season corn on the cob.

Hand holding an ear of corn in front of a Walmart Rollback sign that says 25 cents.

Corn on the cob is in season during August, and that’s when it reaches its lowest price of the year.

Aim for prices under $0.43 each at Walmart, and buy a 6-month supply! You can freeze it and use it during the winter.

Check out the KCL produce coupons page to see all the current deals.

 

9. Shop the Kroger Mega Event sale to stock up on nonperishable food items like crackers and snack bars.

Hand holding a Goldfish cinnamon grahams crackers pack.

Get ready to see nonperishable snack items, like crackers, on sale, and use coupons to bring the price down even lower. Plan to shop Kroger for crackers during their Mega Event sale.

Here are some snack deals I saw in recent years:

See all the latest snack deals.

 

 

10. Buy healthy fruit snacks in bulk and spend less than $0.20 per pack.

Hand holding a Mott's family size fruit snack box of 40 pouches.

Now is the time to stock up on fruit snacks before you reach for that last bag and realize you need to hit the grocery store on a busy school night. (You know it’ll happen.) Look for coupons you can stack with a sale, too.

Here are some fruit snacks deals I saw in 2022:

 

11. Use a coupon to buy strawberries even cheaper.

woman holds three large plastic strawberry containers

This is officially the cheapest you’ll find strawberries for the rest of the year, so stock up before the price skyrockets again (and we’re back to flavorless, out-of-season strawberries).

In August, stores are working hard to get their surplus of strawberries moved off the shelves before they go bad, so I often see strawberries lower than $1.80 per 1-pound container, even without a coupon.

Here are some deals I found in 2022:

 

12. Get ready for deals on National Waffle Day — Aug. 24.

Hand holding a frozen waffles box in front of the freezer section of a grocery store.

National Waffle Day will bring deals at restaurants like IHOP, grocery store brands like Eggo, and even ice cream parlors pushing waffle cone deals.

 

13. And before the end of the month, you can grab your first Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte.

someone holding pumpkin spice latte in front of starbucks sign

Starbucks typically brings back its pumpkin spice latte around the last Tuesday in August. This year, we expect the PSL to return to Starbucks on Tuesday, Aug. 30.

If you just can’t wait ’til then, head to Dunkin’, where the Pumpkin Spice Latte is rumored to be returning on Aug. 17.

 

What to Buy in August (and Where to Shop the Best Sales)