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Ready or not, it’s almost time to pack up your flip-flops for the winter and dust off your fall boots. Before you do that, take advantage of these summer clearance sales and hacks to help you stock up for next summer.
I’m not gonna lie — I’m sad about summer being almost over. But every year, I comfort myself by setting Deal Alerts inside the KCL app and stocking up on summer clearance for next year. Opening up those bins in June is like Christmas all over again when I finally get to use all the stuff I bought for dirt cheap.
There’s a strategy to finding all these summer sales, and I’m about to spill my secrets.
1. Stock up on shorts or jeans right now at American Eagle.
Finding clothing clearance is a total score because you can use items all year long or save them for next season.
As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want to buy American Eagle jeans when they reach about $29.99 (regularly $59.95) and shorts when they reach about $14.99 (regularly $49.95).
Right now there’s a 70%-off event happening, and you can get these prices. Use code APP30 to get an extra 30% off when you shop using the American Eagle app.
Find out how to get free jeans at American Eagle.
2. Grab krazy deals right now during T.J.Maxx’s Yellow Tag Clearance Event.
Don’t walk, run to your local T.J.Maxx to find yellow tag savings on brands like Toms, Nine West, and Hanes. Look for the yellow tags, with prices starting at $1. Tags range in prices; although, who’s complaining about $14 Toms when they’re saving 60%? Not me.
Keep in mind that inventory is very subjective at T.J.Maxx. If you see something super cool, please share in the comments. I love hearing about these finds!
3. Look for up to 40% off camping gear — like tents — at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
8-person dome tents are on clearance at Dick’s Sporting Goods for $119.99 (regularly $199.99) right now. If you need something bigger, there’s a 12-person tent for $224.98 (regularly $399.99).
Read every way imaginable to save at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
4. Gap’s Extra 50% off sale is happening right now.
Use code SOGOOD at Gap to get $5 women’s graphic tees (regularly $34.95) and $6.49 women’s joggers (regularly $69.95). For kids, look for $6.50 graphic tees (regularly $16.95), $8 jeans (regularly $39.95), and $10 sweatshirts (regularly $44.95).
Plus, if you’re a member of Gap’s loyalty program, Good Rewards, it’ll help you earn 2% cash back on every purchase you make. That means you can save even more money at Gap.
TIP: If you miss this Gap event, watch for the Gap Friends and Family Sale, which I predict will happen mid-August, probably Aug. 12 – 17.
5. Shop The Children’s Place 70% off Back-to-School Sale right now.
When you shop The Children’s Place, you’ll be rewarded with $7.99 kids jeans and $4.99 uniform polos. Just make sure you move quickly. The sale is happening now.
Buy what you need for school, but consider buying bigger sizes than what your kids are wearing right now so you have pants on hand when your son grows three inches overnight.
Or buy multiples for the little girl who tears holes in the knees of her jeans faster than she outgrows them.
See all the current back-to-school deals on school supplies and apparel.
6. Get super cheap backpacks and clothing during Kohl’s Back-to-School Sale right now.
Shop Kohl’s to stock up on school clothes with savings up to 60% off. I’m talking $7.76 sweatshirts for juniors (regularly $20.38), and under-$10 sweaters (regularly $26.21). Jeans are up to 60% off, and backpacks are as low as $3.17 (regularly $20.96).
7. Stock up on office supplies during Target’s back-to-school clearance sale in mid-August.
Target’s summer clearance prices start at 50% off for the first few days, and then dip to 70% off, and finally, they’ll hit 90% off about a week or two after they first hit 50% off. Watch for these discounts by mid-August.
The rule of thumb is to buy anything you cannot live without when it reaches 50% off because items go quickly. (I rarely see 90% off at my store.)
8. Don’t miss Best Buy’s 3-Day Anniversary Sale, predicted to happen Aug. 12 – 14.
I expect Best Buy’s Anniversary Sale in mid-August this year, and you can look forward to savings like these based on what we saw in 2021:
- $100 off select Apple products
- $30 off Apple Watch
- $50 off select GoPro products
- $300 off select point-and-shoot cameras
- $270 off a Microsoft Surface Pro 7
9. Shop Lowe’s and Home Depot summer clearance during mid-August for up to 50% savings on patio stuff.
We usually see Lowe’s summer clearance from about mid-August to mid-September, and in 2021, we saw a deal for outdoor throw pillows for $9.99 (regularly $19.99), fabric hammocks for $69.27 (regularly $99), and outdoor dining chairs for $107.97 (regularly $180).
In late August of 2021, Home Depot offered $99 patio heaters (regularly $149).
Learn to shop at Lowe’s and Home Depot like a pro so you can do your projects for cheaper.
10. Buy $49 flights during the Southwest Airlines Fall Sale, predicted to be Aug. 16 – 18.
Sure, the Southwest Airlines Fall Sale isn’t exactly “summer clearance,” but it’s a sale that runs during all the other summer clearance sales, and you should know about it because it’s a phenomenal opportunity to get cheap plane tickets.
Flights can be as low as $49! You must buy at least 21 days in advance of when you plan to travel, but here are some of the best deals we saw in 2021:
- Denver to Salt Lake City – $49
- Burbank to Las Vegas – $49
- Phoenix to Palm Springs – $49
- Boise to Seattle – $58
- Dallas to Tampa Bay – $59
11. Check out Labor Day Sales for extra savings on top of summer clearance prices.
In 2022, Labor Day weekend will be Sept. 3 – 5. Keep your eyes peeled for extra-percent-off summer clearance sales anywhere you plan to shop. It’s a thing. Below are sales we expect to see, when we predict they’ll happen in 2022, and what sorts of deals were available in 2021.
Labor Day Sales
- Lowe’s Labor Day Sale: Aug. 15 – Sept. 7 — Up to 50% off flowers like mums, along with discounts on soil.
- Home Depot Labor Day Sale: Aug. 25 – Sept 5 — Up to 20% off grills, discounts on charcoal briquettes.
- REI Labor Day Sale: Aug. 26 – Sept. 5 — Up to 50% off Arc’teryx, KUHL, and REI Co-op brands, extra 20% off sale prices with coupon code EXTRA20.
- Ace Hardware Labor Day Sale: Aug. 31 – Sept. 5 — Up 25% off paint, 40% off DeWalt drills, coupon for extra 25% off when you sign up for Ace emails.
- Wayfair Labor Day Clearance: Aug. 31 – Sept. 5 — Up to 75% off sitewide.
- Amazon’s Labor Day Savings Event: Aug. 31 – Sept. 5 — Up to 60% off Amazon devices, savings on headphones and laptops.
- Target Labor Day Sale: Aug. 31 – Sept. 5 — Up to 30% off kitchen items, 20% off men’s & women’s clothing, and free $10 gift card when you make select purchases
- Kohl’s Labor Day Sale: Aug. 31 – Sept. 5 — 70% off summer apparel, 50% off Levi’s, $10 off a $25 purchase with promo code TAKE10
- World Market Labor Day Furniture Sale: Sept. 1 – 5 — Extra 15% off curbside orders
- Best Buy Labor Day Sale: Sept. 2 – 5 — Up to 40% off TVs and Beats headphones, up to 33% off Apple products
- Old Navy Labor Day Sale: Sept. 2 – 5 — Up to 70% off clearance and 50% off regular prices
- Dick’s Sporting Goods Labor Day Sale: Sept. 3 – 5 — Up to 50% off Nike, Under Armour, and more.
12. Pretend it’s already fall and shop Hobby Lobby’s Christmas Clearance.
Yes, you’re probably still wearing shorts and sipping iced tea on your patio or by the pool.
But if you want the best selection of Hobby Lobby’s Christmas items, you gotta get your autumn on.
Shop at the beginning of September when everything Christmas is marked down 40% or more.
Sure, you can get a better deal the longer you wait, since Hobby Lobby will continue to mark down Christmas items until December 25 — if you’re not picky, that’s a good approach.
But if you want specific items, go ahead and buy at 40% off because once they stock their shelves with Christmas decor, they don’t reorder. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
Learn even more tricks to shop Hobby Lobby and save big.
13. Stock up on makeup during Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale, predicted to run Aug. 28 – Sept. 17.
Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale typically arrives in three waves that correspond with the three weeks of the sale. Every day is a new deal. Here’s what we saw in 2021 to give you an idea of what to expect this year:
- Week 1: Discounts on MAC cosmetics, Tarte foundation, Benefit Eyebrow pencils, and more
- Week 2: Discounts on IT cosmetics, Dermalogica eye serum, Urban Decay eyeshadows, and more
- Week 3: Discounts on Perricone Cold Plasma Plus+, Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow, Clinique moisturizers, Clarins sunscreen, and more
14. Shop Sephora’s Oh Snap Sale at the same time as 21 Days of Beauty.
Not to be outdone by Ulta, Sephora will run a sale they call “Oh Snap” during the same three weeks of Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale. Watch for 50% off Nars, Clarins, Urban Decay, and more.
15. Sign up for free loyalty programs before you go summer clearance hunting.
Stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods offer a free loyalty program called ScoreCard where you can earn 3% of what you spend back in the form of store rewards, similar to store cash.
If you know you’re making a big purchase or two — maybe buying camping or sports gear for next season — try to do it all at their store in order to reap all the loyalty points.
Another example of why loyalty programs rock is that when you sign up for American Eagle and Aerie’s loyalty program, Real Rewards, you’ll get the chance to earn a free pair of jeans for every five pairs you buy.
Or earn and spend Place Bucks at The Children’s Place to get even deeper savings on clearance prices.
16. Get the best Target summer clearance deals using the Amazon app.
Since you’re bound to see other Target summer clearance deals when you’re shopping Target’s back-to-school clearance sale, download the Amazon app from Google Play or the App Store.
Scan barcodes inside Target to compare with Amazon’s prices, and confirm that the item at Target is actually cheaper than it is on Amazon.
If you find a better price on an identical item on Amazon, show it to a Target customer service associate and they’ll match Amazon’s price.
17. Use BrickSeek to see if another store has more clearance inventory than the one you’re at.
When you’re shopping at Walmart or Target and you find a killer deal but there’s just not enough of what you need, check BrickSeek.com to see if another store in your city has more.
Just enter the UPC code, and if you find more inventory, call the store (or ask an associate to do it for you) and put the items on hold while you run across town.
