11 Things to Buy in August (And Where to Shop the Best Sales)

Wondering what to buy in August? You can expect to see rock-bottom prices on back-to-school supplies, continuing from July. In my experience, August is the prime time to get your school and office supplies because it’s when retailers really start marking stuff down. Inventory gets skimpy toward the end of the month though, so I recommend finding that sweet spot of low prices, plus a good selection on the shelves.

August is also a great time to stock your pantry with foods like crackers, fruit snacks, cereal, and more. Plus, you’ll want to get all the strawberries and corn on the cob while they’re in peak season.

Oh! And 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). Here’s my list of what to buy in August. Be sure to text HACKS to 57299 and be the first to know about money-saving secrets and hacks.

 

What to buy in August at the grocery store:

• Cereal (brands like General Mills, Post, Kellogg’s, etc.)
• K-Cups
• Crackers (brands like Nabisco, Cheez-It, Goldfish, Kellogg’s, etc.)
• Strawberries
• Corn on the cob
• Fruit snacks (brands like Mott’s, General Mills for Gushers and Fruit Roll Ups, Betty Crocker)

What to buy in August at the big box stores:

• School and office supplies (brands like Elmer’s, Bic, Crayola, Expo, Dixon, etc.)
• Patio furniture
• Grills
• Dorm room essentials like bedding, chairs, etc.
• Swimsuits

What major sales to shop:

• Back-to-school sales
• Lowes Labor Day (Aug. 24) and Home Depot Labor Day Sales

 

1. School and office supplies

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. We’re already seeing $0.15 folders at Walmart, $0.34 notebooks at Office Depot, and $5 backpacks at Five Below.

Some stores, like Walmart, offer great sale prices and you don’t even need coupons. (Of course, if you have them, use them!). But you’ll also get deals with the extra 5% off using your Target RedCard. Also, watch for Ibotta rebates that you can stack with a sale price and a manufacturer coupon. Be warned though: Ibotta has confirmed to The Krazy Coupon Lady that their popular “freebie bundle of items” which they did for a one-off campaign in 2021 will not continue. “We will not have a program of that specific nature this year for Back to School,” an Ibotta rep told us exclusively.

Bookmark the Krazy Coupon Lady Back to School Deals page to stay in the know about 2023 deals.

School supplies coupons:

• Elmer’s coupons
• Bic coupons
• Crayola coupons
• Expo coupons
• Dixon coupons

 

2. Breakfast cereal

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 and if possible, an Ibotta offer! Just last week we saw six boxes of cereal for FREE at Walgreens. Using a 25% cash back Walgreens offer, $10 Walgreens cash, and a couple of Ibotta offers, this deal was actually a moneymaker, giving you $0.72 back when you bought six boxes.

You can save even more with these Cereal coupons. Or shop below for coupons on select cereal brands.

• General Mills coupons
• Post cereal coupons
• Kellogg’s coupons

3. Poise & Depend Products

Ibotta has some great offers in August for Poise and Depend products. These sales are available nationwide at most retailers, including Walmart. We’re seeing deals on Poise incontinence pads and Depend underwear in a variety of sizes and absorbencies. These are the best Poise and Depend deals we’ve seen this month.

• Poise Extra Coverage Overnight Incontinence Pads, 36 ct, $18.46 $23.46 (21% Off)
• Poise Ultra Absorbent 7 Drop Incontinence Pads, 39 ct, $18.46 $23.46 (21% Off)
• Depend® Fresh Protection Incontinence Underwear for Women, 18 ct, $12.88 $14.88 (13% Off)
• Depend® Fresh Protection Incontinence Underwear for Men, 19 ct, $12.88 $14.88 (13% Off)

Be sure to clip the Ibotta offer you plan to use before checking out and then upload your receipt to get your credit. You’ll get the best deal when you use the $10/2 Poise Pads offer. After Ibotta savings, Poise pads are as low as $0.32 per pad, and Depend underwear drops to as low as $0.61 per pair.

See some of our favorite deals (including the best deals with the $10/2 Ibotta offer).

 

4. Huggies, Goodnites, & Pull-Ups

Now is the time to stock up on your diaper and potty essentials for little ones. Plus, if you stock up at ShopRite in August, you’ll score a $20 ShopRite coupon. From July 30 through Aug. 12, 2023, you’ll earn a $20 ShopRite gift card when you spend $60 or more on select Huggies diapers, Pull-Ups, and Goodnites at ShopRite.

You can mix and match any Huggies, Pull-Ups, or Goodnites giga packs to reach the $60 spend threshold to receive the gift card. You can also clip a $1 digital coupon to your account to lower your out-of-pocket cost even more.

 

5. K-Cups

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.

Also, keep an eye on Amazon because, in 2022, they offered a coupon for 25% off Starbucks K-Cups. When you combine this with a Subscribe & Save 15% discount, you could get them for as low as $0.41 per cup. A great stock-up price for Starbucks K-Cups. Find even more deals with these K-Cup coupons.

6. Crackers

Get ready to see nonperishable snack items on sale as parents get back into the swing of packing lunches for kids. Use coupons to bring the price down even lower. Plan to shop Kroger for crackers during their Mega Event sale.

I’ve seen Townhouse crackers for 81% off and Goldfish crackers for up to 40% off during these sales at Kroger, and moneymaker Moonshot organic crackers at Target. To get the moneymaker deal, you just had to submit for a manufacturer’s rebate, submit for an Ibotta rebate, use a Target Circle coupon, and pay with a RedCard.

Heads up, Target also just offered “buy 3 for $5” on select snacks like crackers, Lunchables, and select pizza. Always check your app before running out to save the offers to your app!

Cracker coupons:

• Nabisco coupons
• Cheez-It coupons
• Goldfish coupons
• Kellogg’s coupons

 

6. Strawberries

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. Aldi is notorious for low strawberry prices in August — think $1.50 per pound, but even Kroger has been known to lower strawberry prices so that you can get two pounds of strawberries for less than $3.50 ($1.75 per pound). Stop & Shop recently had strawberries for $1.99 per pound, Target recently had a great deal for Driscoll’s strawberries at $1.27 per pound. In fact, my Target Circle app just had 1-pound strawberries for $1.99 (reg. price $2.79). Anything under $2 per pound is a decent deal in August, but if you can get under $1.75 – $1.50, you’re definitely at the stock-up price for the month.

 

7. Fruit snacks

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.

I’ve seen Mott’s Fruit Snacks on Amazon for as low as $0.17 per pack. We just saw an Amazon deal happen on brand new Bluey fruit snacks (buy 5, save $5!) but Walmart also has a Bluey fruit snack freebie happening when you buy two boxes and submit your receipt.

Right now through August 26, Target Circle is offering 20% off Annie’s fruit snacks and Mac & Cheese’s when you save the offer in your app. Now’s a great time to stock up on Annie’s at Target for back-to-school.

Fruit snack coupons

• Mott’s coupons
• Gushers and Fruit Roll Ups: General Mills coupons
• Betty Crocker coupons

 

8. Corn on the cob

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 per ear at Walmart, and buy a 6-month supply! You can freeze it and use it during the winter.

Check out the Krazy Coupon Lady produce coupons page to see all the current deals.

 

9. Patio sets and grills

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, I expect both sales to kick off on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.

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 (Sep. 6, 2023).

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

 

10. Dorm room essentials

We love a good opportunity to stack coupon codes at Kohl’s and get The Big One brand storage totes, folding dish chairs, and entire bedding sets for dirt cheap. Right now, they’re taking 40% off Dorm Essentials furniture, and you can get another 20% off with code FRIENDS20.

Target has already started discounting dorm room essentials through Target Circle with an extra 20% off discount for college students through Aug. 26, 2023. Stacking these deals with the college student discount is exactly the price points we like to see.

• Storage Trays — as low as $0.71
• Shower Caddies — as low as $2.14
• Microfiber Sheet Sets — as low as $6.76
• Sherpa Bed Rest Pillows — as low as $12.82
• Reversible Microfiber Comforters — as low as $14.25
• Butterfly Accent Chairs — as low as $24.94
• Shag Rugs — as low as $24.94
• Microwave Ovens — as low as $42.74
• Mini Fridges — as low as $80.74

Expect more sales like this throughout August — as well as some clearance deals.

See all the best dorm room deals.

 

11. Swimsuits for the family

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).

Top stores to watch for good swimsuit sales are Victoria’s Secret, where bikinis are knocked down to $8.98 each (regularly $24.95), and one-pieces are $23.98 (regularly $59.95). Focus on Kohl’s for men’s swimsuits, they usually go down to half price, and Target and Walmart are your spots for kids’ suits. We’ve already seen buy one get one free kids’ and adults’ suits at Target this year and expect to see even more markdowns as we near the end of summer.

 

What to Buy in August Honorable Mentions:

International Beer Day: August 4

While National Beer Day is in May, International Beer Day happens on August 4, and it’s a great time to call around to your local pubs to see what sorts of deals they offer on international beers.

National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day: August 4

You’ll find a couple deals on National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. A few highlights are a free cup of cookies with any online purchase at I Heart Mac & Cheese. And Insomnia Cookies hands out a free cookie with a purchase!

National Waffle Day: August 24

National Waffle Day will bring deals at restaurants like IHOP, along with deals on food brands like Eggo. Watch and see, even ice cream shops will be pushing waffle cone deals.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Season Starts: August 24

Starbucks typically brings back its pumpkin spice latte in late August. This year, we expect the PSL to return to Starbucks on Thursday, Aug. 24. If you just can’t wait ’til then, head to Dunkin‘, where the Pumpkin Spice Latte is rumored to be returning a week sooner — our prediction is August 16!

 

Wait until September (or later) for…

Makeup and beauty supplies. Ulta, Sephora, Macy’s, and more run their big beauty sales (21 Days of Beauty, etc.) near the very tail end of August and well into September. You’ll want to stock up on makeup when it’s a steal.

You can also hold off on household purchases like mattresses and appliances. We’ll also see those prices drop in Labor Day sales through September.

And lastly, skip most electronics. TVs, Amazon devices, game consoles — many of them were just discounted during Black Friday in July sales. You’re better off waiting until Black Friday sales come back around in October and November.