What to Buy in June to Save

When was the last time you went on a June shopping spree?

Call it the forgotten month or perhaps refer to it as the “slow starter,” but the month of June often is an afterthought once the hustle and bustle of May, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day sales come to a conclusion.

When it comes to spending money in June, consumers often take their time, and that has more to do with spending money on Mother’s Day and a quick turnaround to take advantage of the Memorial Day sales that often run rampant from a variety of renowned retailers.

The average spent for mom, as far as the 2018 forecast, suggested that you'd be just under $200 as far as shopping goes (roughly $172).^[1]

That number is about what was spent in 2017 for mom, but the follow-up being Memorial Day and short turnaround time often can hit your budget harder with these back to back spending holidays, thus hindering how much you consider June a month with buying in mind.

Memorial Day sales stretch across the retail board, with about 41 percent of the population spending money and taking advantage of those sales.^[2]

You can’t argue the fact that Memorial Day sales are built on discounts, specifically appliances, car leases and other big-ticket items used to start making room for newer models on both fronts. Memorial Day also is a time for spring and summertime outdoor work, including money being spent on furniture for the outside set up you have, along with landscaping and other projects to get your hands dirty.

Sales number for June have always been down versus May, and 2017 was no different. The May to June sales dip last year was around .2 percent, with most of that being felt with the larger, big-box stores and not so much of the online ilk.^[3]

Still, you have to wonder how much June is perceived as being a big buying month.

The one positive for June, sales wise, is not only plenty of products and services that are discounted in preparation and as part of summer, but also the fact that Memorial Day, traveling and gas prices may have kept some indoors for the holidays, thus saving money on filling up at the pump in general. Gas prices have hit a three-year high, leaving little left in the budget for travel-related buying, leaving the door open for more spending in June as a summertime home body.^[4]

The one other piece of salvation for June is Father’s Day, and you’ll see sales galore once June 17, 2018 rolls around, and that always allows for a bit of a sales bump for the first official month of summer.

Once that ball starts rolling, June is a month that can lead to plenty of money being saved, not only on dad but in general, and you will find certain stores and products that lend themselves to larger-scale discounts if you’re not already ready to right off June for good.

The National Retail Federation expects Father’s Day sales to reach a record 15.3 billion dollars this year, with 77 percent of the population celebrating and an average of $133 per person ($188 for the ages of 25-34), a 15-year high.^[5]

Is the expected Father’s Day surge in sales enough to push June past May and break a string of years that June ultimately falls below the total sales in the month prior? Chances are that can happen, and if consumers aren’t paying close attention to June, they’ll miss deals on these products, services (and why not a little summertime fun, too?).

Movie Tickets: Summer vacation for kids means box office prices drop

We talked a lot about Father’s Day, but consider too that kids are getting out of school, for the most part in late May but mostly early June, so spending is going to be on a little bit of an uptick as far as kids being off, kicking the books for good and wanting to do more than just play outside.

Parents shouldn’t worry about spending an arm and a leg for those sort of activities, particularly with a family and financial friendly trip to the movie theater.

Some theaters are quick to offer discounts, so take advantage of box office deals that start as low as $1.^[6] Keep in mind, discount theaters might take a movie that was released on June 1 and then offer a discount of $1 or a few dollars by June 22. Summertime movies come and go so quickly at “regular” theaters that discount theaters have very little lag time, so you can still see summertime movie blockbusters, but the price block of spending $10 or more on a ticket.

The average ticket has been on the rise, peaking at nearly $9 on average in 2017.^[7]

Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about spending $50 or more at the theaters if you have a little patience when it comes to first-day movie goers versus saving quite a bit on discounted tickets.

Swimwear/Lingerie: Victoria Secret leads the lingerie and swimwear charge in June

Maybe this is for dad in or at least having him in mind with lingerie, and it being one of the more discounted items in the summer months, namely June.

Not surprisingly, Victoria Secret is the frontrunner in this regard with its Semi-Annual sale that occurs in June on a consistent basis.

This two-week sale sees discounts across the board in June with prices on bras and underwear anywhere from $5 to $10, but some lingerie shops are starting early with Frederick’s of Hollywood and Bare Necessities among those who are dealing discounts to the tune of 60 percent off.^[8]

In addition, these outfits are not only pushing lingerie but swimwear and other summertime styles as well.

Faithful followers and buyers of Victoria Secret, for example, saved half off styles in June, including 40 percent off loungewear and an uptick in the Pink style swimming attire.^[9]

Target is offering for its online customers free shipping and free returns on online swear purchases, with suits starting at $14.99.^[10]

Gym Memberships: Warmer weather has gyms begging for business

Everyone has that friend who can’t wait to cancel their gym membership, the one they bought in January, as soon as summer hits.

The reasoning: They’ll walk outside for free.

For individuals who are looking to join a gym and resisted the urge to splurge on sales offered in January (and let’s face it they weren’t really sales to begin with since everyone joins in January anyway), you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much gyms are willing to negotiate price in June.

January gym goers typically rises between 30 and 40 percent in January, and flattens out by June.^[11]

So not only is summertime the best time to get the best deal, the gym won’t be packed, either. You can come and go as you please, and that’s good especially if you’re new to the gym, and don’t want that “intimidation factor as part of your workout route.

So swagger into the gym in June and ask for a reduced rate, a waived enrollment or sign-up fee or even a few months for free; some gyms even offer a higher enrollment fee but the entire summer for free, for instance.

Bottom line, gyms are ready to give you a better deal in June.^[12]

Gifts for Dad: You didn’t think we’d forget about dear, old dad right?

From online boutiques to sporting goods stores, dad is the sales director for the month of June.

You already know that sales are projected to be stellar on Father’s Day, but where are the best deals for dear, old dad?

You’d be wise to start looking at places like Dick’s Sporting Goods, with sales galore on anything from hunting and fishing to workout accessories. Deals at Dick’s Sporting Goods range from 40 to 50 percent on various items, and up to $300 off bigger-ticket gifts.^[13]

You might want to think about summertime duds for dad, but clothing in June, as far as deals go, is a mixed bag, most of the time rarely if every discounted.

Stick to camping gear, anything and everything outdoors, but not grills. Prices on what you already are in the market for, as far as summer goes, rarely if ever get a discount worth noting, grills specifically. You’ll get 5 or 10 percent off, but grills are a September or October item being that they’ll be on closeout in and around most retailers.

If you’d prefer to buy for dad online, think about retailers who are offering smaller, less expensive gifts for him. Dad might love to golf, so the PGA is right there for him with 9 different gifts for him under $35.^[14]

June is in an tough spot on the calendar from a sales perspective.

It’s right after Memorial Day sales, as detailed, and just before July 4 and the festivities and subsequent sales are abound to take place with this national holiday that retailers take note of and offer promotional deals in the same vein as Memorial Day.

Consumers spend between 6 and 8 billion dollars in the United States alone on the 4th of July, and that’s just cookouts alone; you can add another 5 billion in merchandise, not to mention traveling again with gas prices being higher than usual.^[15]

But the month of June hardly should be ignored (remember, it’s around the 15 billion dollar mark just for Father’s Day alone), based on not only the previously mentioned products on sale but making sure you don’t forget about dad and are willing to pay a little more to make him smile on his special day.

If you’re not taking advantage of what June has to offer, you’re not only missing out on Father’s Day deals for dads (or yourself), but general savings as a result of spending on certain products.

Remember, sales in June of 2017 dipped from May, but a number that can’t be overlooked is the fact that June’s total sales per person, $103, hit a nine-year high in 2017 as well, so while that is about what you’d expect (a flat May to June with a slight drop off for the latter), you’re still seeing what would be described as record highs in sales.^[16]

Maybe that June shopping spree, provided you’re buying the right products, doesn’t sound like all that bad of an idea.

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