Looking for some great gift ideas for Dad and want to save a little money at the same time? Kristin Cook, Managing Editor of Ben’s Bargains, says “Father’s Day sales have really begun to kick-off since Memorial Sales have ended. Expect to see some sales coincide with early back-to-school deals on items like laptops.”

We’ve put together a solid list of options for you based on the type of dad you have. All of these products are on sale in June as well, ideal for anyone that’s on a budget. Check out our picks:

Chef Dad: Dishware / Pots / Pans

If your Dad loves to whip up meals for the family, June is a fantastic month to find deals on pots & pans as well as general dishware. Why? It’s wedding season and promotions on popular registry items are abundant. Look for great deals on high quality pots & pans sets, usually in the 40 to 50 percent off range at stores like Kohl’s, Wayfair and Macy’s.

Workout Dad: Fitness Gear / Gym Memberships

If your Dad loves to go for a morning run or bike ride, June is a killer month to find deals on fitness related items. That includes sneakers as well as general apparel. Look for sales between 40 to 60 percent off from stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods and REI.

Interestingly, this is also a month when your local gym lower rates to get more memberships, specifically because the weather is warmer and more people are running outside instead of the treadmill. You can also find lots of deals on sports magazine subscriptions to ESPN, Sport’s Illustrated and Runner’s World at sites like DiscountMags.com.

Tech Dad: Laptops

If Dad’s old laptop is more trouble than it’s worth, June usually kicks off the start of back-to-school sales and that includes laptops. Look for great deals on touchscreen and SSD Windows 10 laptops in the $400 to $550 range as well as less expensive 15-inch standard laptops in the $300 to $350 range. The majority of June sales will come from the Microsoft Store, eBay, Best Buy and Dell.

Be aware that this advice doesn’t apply to Apple MacBooks. Apple generally announces new MacBooks at the WWDC conference in June, thus discounts on previous generation models usually don’t hit until late August / early September.

Garage Dad: Tools / Hardware

If your Dad loves spending time tinkering in the garage, this is a fantastic month for snagging tools and other hardware at a major discount. Look for great deals on hand tools from 40 to 65 percent off as well as power tools / combo sets between 25 to 40 percent off at stores like Sears, Home Depot, eBay and Lowes.

Outdoors Dad: Fishing Trips (National Fishing Week)

While the end of fishing season (September) is the best time to buy discounted fishing gear, June is actually the best month to plan an inexpensive fishing trip due to National Fishing Week in early June. Nearly all states run promotional free fishing days during June, excellent for anyone that wants to fish without getting a license. You can find a full list of promotional days to plan a trip with Dad at TakeMeFishing.org.

How to Save Money while buying a Father’s Day Gift

Going to be online shopping or heading out to the retail stores this Labor Day? Be aware that sales could start as early as a week before the holiday, likely August 29th). Here are our picks for what to buy this year (as well as what deals to avoid).

1. Buy Appliances. Sept / Oct is the time frame in which new appliances are moving into stores, thus old appliances need to be sold fast. While prices get better into October, Labor Day sales do start aggressively with sales up to 40% off. Looks to retailers like Home Depot and Best Buy for the best prices as well as the best bundling deals with buying multiple appliances at once.

What NOT to buy? Gas Grills. Labor Day marks the START of gas grill sales (usually 25% to 50% off) as we move into the off-season. However, if you can hold off a month or even two, prices will continue to drop into October and November as grills are moved out to make room for Christmas decorations.

Inventory will become more limited into November, but the potential savings by waiting could be an additional 25% – 35% off the Labor Day price. (Side Note: You will find solid deals on Grill accessories on Labor Day though.)

2. Buy Patio furniture / Outdoor Living Gear / Lawnmowers. Labor Day is generally the big push to get rid of outdoor furniture, above-ground pools, lawnmowers, swing sets, and any other large outdoor items. Big items like patio furniture take up more inventory space than gas grills, thus there’s greater urgency to use Labor Day as a sales push to make more space for Halloween & Christmas items. Look for discounts 60% to 75% off regular prices at places like Home Depot and Lowes.

What NOT to buy? Camping Equipment. Since half of the United States is still enjoying warm weather through September, camping equipment closeout sales are minimal until retailers start to clearance out tents, sleeping bags and other camping gear in late October. As we get closer to Halloween, sales will push into the 40% to 60% off range.

3. Buy Back-to-School Electronics. The back-to-school shopping push unofficially comes to a close around Labor Day. Retailers discount items marketed as a back-to-school product more aggressively. Outside of traditional school supplies (which are also marked down), that includes inexpensive laptops, graphing calculators, headphones, Bluetooth speakers and backpacks with laptop slots / USB charging.

What NOT to buy? Televisions. While Labor Day sales on HDTVs pop up as football season starts up again, the most significant discounts start in early November through Black Friday / Cyber Monday as well as sporadically during December. The same advice goes for home theater systems, DSLR cameras, video game consoles, tablets, and media players.

4. Buy Summer Fall apparel & footwear. Retailers will discount summer items as much as 80% off to make room for cool-weather clothing. Look for solid summer apparel sales (including swimwear) at REI, American Eagle, Nordstrom, Gap, Old Navy & Banana Republic. This is also a great holiday to purchase new shoes, typically with discounts as high as 50% off from retailers like 6pm.com & Finish Line.

What NOT to buy? Fall apparel / footwear. Labor Day weekend kickstarts cool-weather apparel sales. However, Fall apparel won’t hit the best sales until the Winter apparel lines start pushing into stores. Don’t be fooled by small discounts (10% to 30%) during Labor Day when you will start to see 50% discounts and higher as we move into November.

5. Buy Stuff for Grownups; Mattresses, Cars and Wine.

• During 2020, Labor Day mattress sales were better than any other time of the year. Look to Sears for an aggressive sale, 40% to 60% off select models. Macy’s, US-Mattress and smaller retailers will also offer similar discounts.
• Regarding cars, dealerships are making room for 2022 models and the 2021 models are being discounted. Look for discounts around 10% on Labor Day with the potential for increasing discounts (20% and up) as we move into late September / early October.
• If you are a wine drinker, many wineries are starting to push out older stock in favor of new vintages that will come from the ongoing harvest season. This results in heavier discounts (which vary significantly by winery) on current year wine.

What NOT to buy? Toys. Similar to general electronics, toy sales are fairly dismal during Labor Day. Late October is usually the kickoff for toy sales. While Toys R Us is gone (until the upcoming revival in Macy’s), look to Amazon, Walmart and Target for the best sales leading into the holiday shopping season.

6. Buy Android phones / accessories. Labor Day sales will probably be the best time to find a deal on a Samsung phone until late November. Retailers like Best Buy also like to use this holiday for bundling deals, typically offering a 25% to 40% discount on accessory purchases when purchasing a new smartphone.

What NOT to buy? Apple’s iPhone 13 / 13 Pro. Most Apple owners are aware that new iPhones are typically announced after Labor Day during mid-September (although the COVID pandemic may push that back to late Sept / early October this year).  This triggers a price drop on the previous generation phones as well as preorder deals at various competing wireless carriers. You are better off waiting to see how prices shake out after Labor Day rather than buying on the holiday weekend.

Here’s what to buy on Labor Day 2021 (and what NOT to buy)

Looking for the best deals before your next trip to the store with all those folks in blue vests? We’ve identified some of the best products that you can find on sale at Walmart as well as some of the worst that you will want to avoid. These picks are based on average discounts as well as the potential for additional coupons used in the transaction.

Walmart’s Five Best

1. Pantry Staples

Walmart has really inexpensive prices on boxed groceries items like cereal, chips, crackers, etc. Bags of cereal are probably the cheapest you’ll find anywhere. Even the premium cereal boxes are significantly less than a traditional grocery store chain.

You can also find additional coupons on pantry supplies at coupons.walmart.com. These can be printed at home and redeemed at the store.

2. Camping Gear / Fitness gear

We see a ton of sales on camping gear from Walmart’s Ozark Trail brand. While frequent campers may want to stick to places like REI, Osark Trail supplies work for anyone going on the occasional car camping trip or simply pitching a tent for the kids in the backyard. The quality is great for the price.

The same advice goes for inexpensive fitness equipment. Ben’s often features deals on inexpensive weightlifting benches, weight sets, etc. This is excellent for anyone who wants to give exercise a try without making a huge financial commitment in equipment.

3. Auto Supplies

In addition to offering inexpensive oil changes, Walmart often offers sales on motor oil as well as car cleaning supplies, detailing kits, etc.

If you are interested in an additional discount, Coupons.com frequently offers printable coupons for $5 to $10 off certain motor oils that are redeemable only at Walmart.

4. Craft & Art Supplies

Walmart has a impressive craft/art supply department, far better than what you can find at Target. You can pick up knitting supplies, beads, even fabric for less than what you’d pay at Michael’s or JoAnn Fabric.

5. LEGOs

Walmart is known for frequently marking down LEGO sets, usually in the 20 to 30 percent range. You can also find great deals in their clearance sections if you remember to check.

These clearance deals are usually not offered online and are very YMMV, totally dependent on location. Some discounts will even reach up to 50 percent on expensive LEGO sets.

Walmart’s Five Worst

1. Organic / Health Food

While Walmart has excellent prices on the common foods in your pantry, the opposite is true for organic food. That includes produce, milk, yogurt, snacks, etc. It’s difficult to find and generally marked up quite a bit.

I’ve heard Walmart has been making an effort to change this, but my experience has been disappointing when you are looking for mostly healthy food items. The same goes for organic baby food; you can find better deals at Target.

2. Clothing

Yes, clothing (and shoes) at Walmart are ridiculously cheap. Unfortunately, they’re also ridiculously cheaply made and generally lacking in the fashion department.

While Target has managed to come up with a nice marriage of low prices and trendy styles (especially in the women’s apparel department), Walmart still has a long way to go.

3. TVs and Laptops

Aside from Black Friday, where Walmart will offer crazy cheap doorbuster prices on off-brand laptops and televisions, Walmart generally doesn’t have the best deals on electronics for the other eleven months of the year. You’re better off getting a deal on a brand-name TV at eBay, Best Buy or Amazon.

Note: The refurbished deals that Walmart offers online can be a good deal on name-brand models. However, be aware some customers have complained about the condition of Walmart’s refurbished products.

4. Walmart-brand Diapers

I once tried a pack of their store brand diapers while on vacation and the quality was truly awful. Cheap? Yes, but definitely not worth the hassle. Target is a much better option for picking up diapers; Amazon as well.

5. Blu-rays / DVDs

Years ago, Walmart used to have the best DVD deals. Specifically, the $5 bin was an easy place to pick up something new to watch. Lately, Walmart isn’t the best place to get a good price on movies, especially new release titles.

You can find much better deals from Amazon (who discounts for people that preorder) and Target (who often includes gift cards with popular new releases).

5 Best / 5 Worst Products to Find on Sale at Walmart

Happy New Year! Or is it? In the world of deals, January might seem like a bit of a let-down, but it’s actually a pretty good time to find solid discounts for several reasons: 1) retailers will be eager to lure back shoppers who have gift cards to spend, 2) the annual Consumer Electronics Show in early January will drop prices on “old” tech products, 3) the Super Bowl is just around the corner (February 2nd) and that means TV sales and 4) retailers traditionally want to liquidate seasonal items like Christmas decorations. Here are some of the best deals to buy in January:

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

To buy Christmas decorations and wrapping paper. If you’re an extreme planner, then you’ll be ready for the traditional January sales on all the stuff that’s left over. Look for sales at department store chains like Macy’s and JCPenney and retailers like Michael’s and Cost Plus World Market.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Super Bowl LIV (54) lands on February 2nd, and that means the annual round of sales on big screen TVs. Outside of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the best deals of the year on TVs are in January. You’ll find the lowest prices of the past 12 months during this period.

After CES wraps up in Las Vegas on January 10th and the shiniest 2020 model lineups have been introduced, the pressure to move TV inventory is increased. New models usually start making their way to stores as early as February.

Speaking of CES…

The little old trade show that takes place in Las Vegas every year and rocks the tech world will also have an impact on tech deals. As with TVs, new gadgets will be finding their way into stores soon after being announced at CES and you’ll start seeing the steepest deals of the older products’ life cycles.

Current generation laptop and desktop PCs typically get a dip in prices in January. If there is one constant in the world of tech, it’s that patience always pays off and the price will go down, sometimes dramatically, after the initial months of release. Only a few products, like gaming consoles, have freakishly long life cycles and hold their prices for years (plural).

Time to Spend Those Gift Cards (But Wait for the Sale)

Retailers don’t count gift card purchases as sales until those cards are redeemed, so they’ll be looking to lure customers back as soon as possible after Christmas and into January.

Anywhere between 35% to 45% of holiday gift cards are redeemed in January, which is not terribly high, and retailers are keen to remind their customers to use them — and that means more more discounts for you.

Resolve to Save More

Not surprisingly, the beginning of the new year sees plenty of deals on fitness-related products while people still have the motivation (and the memory of their new year’s resolutions) to spend on their future coat hangers,. (Just kidding.)

Last year, we saw a lot of good prices on fitness equipment, supplements and gadgets from stores like Amazon, Walmart, REI and Bodybuilding.com (including a rare 30% off sitewide discount).

January is not only a good month to improve your body, but also your home. Aside from July, this month is an excellent time to look for deals on furniture because new year models will be arriving in stores in February.

Don’t Forget Deal Alerts

If you want to make sure you don’t miss any upcoming  January deals on Ben’s Bargains, don’t forget to set up deal alerts (registration required). You’ll receive an instant email and get the first chance to jump on a great deal before it disappears. And the best deals are gone fast!

You’re also welcome to send us tips or suggestions. Good luck!

– Mike Flacy contributed to this report.

Waste Not, Want Not: Best Deals to Buy in January

July is the time of year that no one wants to be inside a mall shopping. However, who says you can’t take advantage of some online shopping deals while lounging at the beach?

At Ben’s Bargains, there are a lot of great deals throughout the year, but some patterns do appear. For example, in the days and weeks after the 4th of July holiday, you’ll start to see plenty of hot deals on in-season items like grills as the demand for grills plummets post holiday. Here’s everything else you should be on the lookout for this month.

Watch for Early Back-To-School Laptop Deals

Continuing to promote Windows 10, Microsoft is going to bring a flurry of laptop deals for students that are going to high school and college in the fall. Look for major companies like HP and Toshiba to announce their company’s BTS laptop lineup for the year in the early summer. This will be the best time to score a deal on a laptop prior to the holiday shopping season.

When shopping for a laptop this year, look for features in the higher end models like touchscreen displays (ideal for Windows 10), 802.11ac (the fastest Wi-Fi connection), USB-C (faster USB connection) and large 1TB hard drives.

Check out our laptop deals page on Ben’s for the latest barrage in back-to-school laptop deals.

Redecorate the Home and Office

Expect to see furniture deals scaling up in July because retailers begin to roll out new models in the middle of August. Walmart, Sears, Target, Crate & Barrel (and CB2), Wayfair and Brylane Home are all candidates to start having online clearance sales on furniture.

Staples, Office Depot and Office Max will be good destinations for office furniture price drops and are regularly featured on Ben’s Bargains. Because many of these sites have brick & mortar storefronts, you can save on shipping fees by picking up furniture items in store. Check out our furniture deals on Ben’s Bargains for the latest offers.

Stock Up on Summer Clothes

Even though it’s the middle of summer, apparel stores have already started making room for the fall clothes, which means plenty of summer clearance opportunities for T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops.

6pm is always a good source for apparel deals year round, but expect to see Nordstrom’s once-a-year apparel sale with free shipping as well as other retailers getting in on the act. Abercrombie, J. Crew, Banana Republic, REI and American Eagle are among retailers expected to cut prices on summer clothes.

You’ll also find in-season sales on summer sports gear from stores such as Kohl’s, The Sports Authority and Lids. Check out our apparel deals and sports deals on Ben’s Bargains for the latest offers.

Plan in Advance

Summer is one of the best times of the year to find jewelry deals. The major jewelry holidays of Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are all far away from July and jewelry retailers are heavily discounting to drum up business. You’ll also find good one-shot deals from daily deal stores like 1SaleADay, Woot!, Tanga and Daily Steals.

Another good deal in July are tools. Since Father’s Day is in June, you should find plenty of price reductions on tools from stores like Home Depot and Sears. Check out our jewelry deals and tool deals on Ben’s Bargains for the latest offers.

Here’s What to Skip In July

You’ll find great one-shot deals on HDTV’s at Ben’s Bargains at any time of the year, but the best deals for those product categories do usually start in September and gradually get more aggressive through the holiday season. If you’re not in dire need, then it’s best to wait it out.

Other product categories that you should definitely wait on include appliances (both large and small), patio furniture, digital cameras, wedding supplies, air conditioners and exercise equipment.

Don’t Forget Deal Alerts

If you want to make sure you don’t miss any upcoming July deals on Ben’s Bargains, don’t forget to set up deal alerts (registration required). You’ll receive an instant email and get the first chance to jump on a great deal before it disappears. And the best deals are gone fast!

You’re also welcome to send us tips or suggestions. Good luck!

– Mike Flacy contributed to this report.

Waste Not, Want Not: Best Deals to Buy in July

While some Americans are downsizing their lifestyle from expensive homes to cheaper apartments, what about upsizing? As the housing market rebounds, more people are thinking about buying their first home and saving up that 20 percent down payment.

Of course, there are a number of things that you may not be aware of when moving from an apartment to a full-sized home, much of which was likely taken care of by the management at your apartment complex. Whether you are buying or renting your first full-size home, here’s exactly what you should be ready for:

The NeverEnding Story (minus Falcor, plus lots of grass)

See all that grass growing in the font yard? It needs to be cut. Every week, without fail. There’s no landlord to take care of it anymore and you may have a HOA breathing down your neck making sure your home is maintained. While you can certainly hire a gardener to take care of your lawn each week after moving in, you can also pick up some lawn care equipment and grab some outdoor time during the weekend to cut the grass, pulls the weeds and trim the shrubs.

To start, you will probably need gas powered tools such as a push mower and a weedwacker as well as a batch of hand tools that include hedge clippers, a rake, a shovel, a water hose, a sprinkler and a spreader to fertilize your lawn. For cold climates, you should also consider a snow shovel. For hot, desert climates, you may have to invest in multiple sprinklers or a sprinkler system to keep that grass green all year long.

Look for deals during April and November at Home Depot and other retailers like Lowes and Sears that also sell lawn equipment. Home Depot likes to treat April as the Black Friday of the Spring, thus you will see significant discounts on lawn care gear.

Check Ben’s for Home & Garden Deals

You Don’t Want to Become Bane (So Buy Some Lights)

Most apartments have built-in lights at the center of the room, typically attached to ceiling fans. That’s not always going to be the case within a home, especially older homes that were built fifteen years ago or more. Some homes may only have light fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms while ignoring the rooms that people spend the majority of their time in, like the living room, family room or bedrooms.

If you are handy and the wiring already exists, peruse through the lighting fixtures at Home Depot or Lowes to find something that works with your taste. If electrical work scares you, consider outfitting your home with floor lamps after moving in. Many homes have outlets connected to electrical switches, thus you can leave the light on all the time and simply use the switch to turn it off and on.

If you are looking for some inexpensive floor lamps, check out the collections below:

Target  Walmart  Amazon

Without Fail, Things are Going to Break

It’s an inevitability of owning or renting a home. Something will happen that require more than that starter tool kit that you got in college. You know, the one in the plastic case that’s missing all the screwdrivers. And the hammer. And the tape measure. The one that’s been buried in the back of your closet for the last 4 months and only makes an appearance when you need a penny nail to hang up a picture (using your shoe as the hammer, of course).

It’s time to invest in a real tool set. There are tons of deals on full hand tool sets, but if you want to buy the tools separately after moving, here are the essentials: a toolbox, a hammer, vice grips, needle-nose plyers, screwdriver set, a metal pry bar, wire cutters, a utility knife, a hand saw, a steel chisel, a drill bit set (assuming you have a power drill), a tape measure, a torpedo level and safety glasses. That’s going to take care of the vast majority of household fixes.

You are also going to want storage and organization when it comes to your tools. Assuming your new home has a garage, invest in some cheap pegboard, metal hooks and a stud finder at a hardware store. Mount that pegboard an inch or two off the wall and you can easily hang up all of your large garden tools. Looks for deals on storage chests for your small hand tools as well.

Check Ben’s for Deals on Tools

You Will Be Invaded By an Army of Millions

You know what else that your apartment management company did on a regular basis? They sprayed for all sorts of bugs, basically whatever type of insect is predominant in your area. Now the job of protecting your family from scary bugs falls to you, both on the inside and outside of your new home.

Depending on the size of your property and the nastiness of bugs in the area, you may want to consider paying for monthly spraying around the exterior of your home. The quality of pesticide that an exterminator will use if much more deadly to bugs that the can of Raid that you purchased at Walmart. For those of you with pets, be sure to ask for the pet-friendly version. It may not be as strong, but it’s specifically formulated to be safe for your dog or cat.

On the inside of your home, consider spraying for bugs before you moving in. It’s definitely easier to get to all the nooks and crannies before the furniture is moved in. Your local hardware store will likely have the best selection and provide some helpful assistance on the best spray for your area.

Check Home Depot for Pest Control Gear

Fear Not! That’s Just the Music of Burning Toast

While many homes will come with smoke detectors, it’s going to be up to you to purchase carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be on all floors of your home and near the sleeping areas. You should be testing the alarms monthly, replacing the batteries annually and removing dust from the grilles of the detectors every few months.

Regarding fire extinguishers, you need one in the kitchen and one for each floor. You also need to check them annually to make sure they are charged. If you have a second or third story on your home, consider purchasing a roll-up ladder to escape the home if needed. Don’t overload your electrical outlets (particularly in older homes) as it could cause a fire. You should also keep rechargeable flashlights near beds in case of a fire.

When it comes to home security, make sure you have a deadbolt on all doors that go outside. Install motion-sensing lights in the backyard and along the sides of the home. Insert a metal bar or wooden dowel to lock access to a sliding glass door. Prune all bushes that hide windows (and would hide a burglar) as well as tree limbs leading to windows.

Of course, if you really want to get high-tech with security, you should invest in home monitoring solutions. There are plenty of cheap solutions that will use motion sensors to monitor the interior and exterior of your home as well as record video of any intruders.

Check Bens for Deals on Surveillance Gear

Five Things You’ll Need When Moving from an Apartment to a House

The dog days of summer are here, and while the best summer memories are spent outside, now’s a good time to get in some great online shopping deals.

At Ben’s Bargains, there are a lot of great deals throughout the year, but some patterns do appear. Since some schools will be starting this month, you will find even deeper discounts on back-to-school supplies than in July. Looks for price drops on everything from apparel to backpacks.

Even More Discounts on Summer Items

Prices on still-in-season products like patio furniture and grills and gardening supplies will also continue to drop in August as retailers make room for their fall lineup. While selection isn’t as good, you’ll find the best prices of the year. Watch for deals from Sears, Target, Walmart and Home Depot.

The same goes for summer apparel, shoes and sports gear. You’ll see a lot of great deals from eBay Fashion Outlet which features sales from mainstream brands like Timberland, Under Armour, Jockey and others. Other clothing stores to watch for include American Eagle, Gap, 6pm and Columbia Sportswear, among others.

Check out our apparel deals and sports gear deals on Ben’s Bargains.

Deals for Your Workspace

August will be a good time for office furniture and supplies, in keeping with the theme of back-to-school discounts. In addition to the big-box office stores, watch for Amazon, Walmart and Meijer to offer some good deals on desks and cabinets. Also, it’s that time of year when the new IKEA catalog will appear with lower prices and new low-priced furniture. Watch for continuing price drops on desktop PCs but especially further price reductions on previous generation products.

Check out our furniture deals and desktop PC deals on Ben’s Bargains.

Early Labor Day Sales

With Labor Day approaching on September 5th, the last week of August will bring the start of early Labor Day sales, particularly from apparel stores but also tech sites like Dell. Some of the best price drops of the year outside of Black Friday can take place around Labor Day apparel sales.

This is also a great time to snag a deal on a set of patio furniture as retailers will start to clear out stock for the end of the summer in order to populate those areas of the store with other seasonal items. Look for discounts between 50 to 75 percent at stores like Home Depot, Lowes and Sears. The same goes for grills, kid’s playsets and anything else that’s used in the back yard.

What to Wait For

Expect to see some big gadget releases in the fall (Apple, Samsung, Amazon), so if you’re planning a tech toy purchase, the best thing to do is wait and see because prices will dip as we get closer to the release dates.

You’ll see competitor phones and tablets dropping prices to anticipate the low-cost iPhone rumored to appear in early September.

Fall apparel and big-screen HDTVs won’t be seeing the real big price drops until November, so if you can wait, that will maximize your savings.

Don’t Forget Deal Alerts

If you want to make sure you don’t miss any upcoming July deals on Ben’s Bargains, don’t forget to set up deal alerts (registration required). You’ll receive an instant email and get the first chance to jump on a great deal before it disappears. And the best deals are gone fast!

You’re also welcome to send us tips or suggestions. Good luck!

– Mike Flacy contributed to this report.

Waste Not, Want Not: Best Deals to Buy in August

Welcome to “The Deal Dozen,” where we showcase the 12 best and most popular deals of the week on Ben’s Bargains. These are the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the deals you’d take into a foxhole with you.

*A quick briefing of this week’s highlights*

Just 12 shopping till Christmas, kiddos! In the online world, that really means you’ve got half that amount, since next Friday is generally considered the cutoff point to have your orders delivered by Christmas via standard shipping. After that, you’ll pay exorbitant prices for express shipping (unless you’re sitting pretty as an Amazon Prime member).

Check out our guide to Holiday Shipping Deadlines featuring a list of the major retailers’ cutoff dates. And don’t forget that next Thursday is Free Shipping Day, which has nearly 1,000 merchants participating (many big names among them).

The deals below won’t last long, so get clicking! Also stop by our Freebies page where we’re continually adding new free goodies. Your mission: to save some money!

(Click the image to view the deal on Ben’s.)

ASUS X550LA 4th Gen Core i5 15.6″ Laptop $380 at Best Buy	20% off One Groupon Local Purchase at Groupon	10 MP3 Songs Free at Google Play
Lambskin Thinsulate Gloves $17 at Jos A Bank	Dell Inspiron 15 3000 4th Gen Core i3 15.6″ Touch Laptop $310 at Best Buy	Star Wars Men’s Hoodie $11 at Target
Leatherman 832139 Handy Sidekick $18 at Home Depot	Buy Two Video Games Get One Free at Best Buy	Acer Chromebook 13 Quad-Core 1920×1080 13.3″ Laptop $200 at Amazon
LG 65LB5200 65″ 1080p 120Hz LED TV $699 at Walmart	Monster NCredible NErgy In-Ear Headphones $24 at eBay	51-Piece HDX Screwdriver Set $5 at Home Depot

Top Expired or Sold Out Deals

Don’t forget to set up deal alerts on Ben’s Bargains so you don’t miss out on any great savings!

TurboTax Deluxe Federal + E-file + State 2014 Free at Intuit

Microfleece Pullovers $3.49 at The Children’s Place

Extra 20% off Sitewide + Free Shipping at 6pm

The Deal Dozen: Week of December 12th, 2014

Welcome to “The Deal Dozen,” where we showcase the 12 best and most popular deals of the week on Ben’s Bargains. These are the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the deals you’d take into a foxhole with you.

*A quick briefing of this week’s highlights*

The bulk of the Black Friday ad scans rolled out, including most of the big guns like Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Staples and Toys R Us! Best Buy will have a 50″ Panasonic HDTV for $200 at 5PM on Thanksgiving, and Staples will have the ASUS X205TA 11.6″ Windows laptop for $100 an hour later.  Those are going to be some scary scenes, folks.

But the deals this week have been pretty sweet, including a PS4 bundle with The Last of Us for $380, a Wii U Deluxe bundle with Super Mario 3D World for $260, 20% off for REI members and the new PlayStation TV for $80.

The deals below won’t last long, so get clicking! Also stop by our Freebies page where we’re continually adding new free goodies. Your mission: to save some money!

(Click the image to view the deal on Ben’s.)

2 x NCAA Fleece Hoodies & Sweatpants for $35 at Finish Line	HP Pavilion AMD Quad-Core 15.6″ LED Laptop $300 at Best Buy	Up to 50% off Technical Outerwear + Extra 20% off at Oakley Vault
Tumi T-Tech Forge Fairview Messenger Bag $120 at Amazon	Select Men’s Quiksilver Jeans $16 at Quiksilver	$10 off Video Game Consoles, Games & Accessories $50+ at eBay
Sharp Aquos Crystal No Contract Android Smartphone $130 at Amazon	Thirty48 Calf Compression Sleeves $12 at Rakuten.com (new customers only)	Nike Flex Show TR 2 Men’s Training Shoes $45 at Finish Line
10% off Select Solid State Drives at Newegg	Sony PlayStation TV $80 at Amazon	AEO Men’s Double-Breasted Pea Coat $49 at American Eagle

Top Expired or Sold Out Deals

Don’t forget to set up deal alerts on Ben’s Bargains so you don’t miss out on any great savings!

12-piece Silicone Reusable Cupcake Liners Free at Amazon

The North Face Men’s Nimble Jacket $49 at Cabela’s

PlayStation 4 Console + Last of Us Remastered Bundle $380 at eBay

The Deal Dozen: Week of November 14th, 2014

Welcome to “The Deal Dozen,” where we showcase the 12 best and most popular deals of the week on Ben’s Bargains. These are the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the deals you’d take into a foxhole with you.

A quick briefing on this week’s highlights:

Happy Halloween! The smartphones had it this week with several scary good deals…  Amazon launched its new streaming player, the Fire Stick, with a bang by dropping the regular price from $39 to $19 for Prime members. Not surprisingly it was backordered to late December by the time the sale was over… The winter apparel deals kept coming with great sales from Sierra Trading Post, Tilly’s, Jos. A. Bank, Levi’s and Cabela’s…

The deals below won’t last long, so get clicking! Also stop by our Freebies page where we’re continually adding new free goodies. Your mission: to save some money!

(Click the image to view the deal on Ben’s.)

Apple iPad Air 2 Retina 16GB Tablet $460 at eBay	40 Select Android Apps and Games Free at Amazon	LG 40UB8000 40″ 120Hz Smart 4K Ultra HDTV $619 at Dell
Sharp Aquos Crystal No Contract Android Smartphone $130 at Best Buy	Motorola Moto G 8GB No-Contract Android Smartphone $100 at Sears	LG G3 4G LTE 5.5″ QHD Android Smartphone (Unlocked) $400 at eBay
30% off Sitewide + Free Shipping at Sierra Trading Post	TCL Roku TV 48FS4610R 48″ 1080p LED Smart HDTV $398 at Amazon	Samsonite 5-Piece Travel Set $79 at BuyDig.com
Jos. A. Bank Cedar Shoe Tree $7.50 at Jos A Bank	Extra 50% off Sale Items + Free Shipping at Tilly’s	12-pack 8 oz. Stacy’s Baked Pita Chips w/ ShopRunner $2.29 at Drugstore.com

Top Expired or Sold Out Deals

Don’t forget to set up deal alerts on Ben’s Bargains so you don’t miss out on any great savings!

Amazon Fire TV Stick $19 at Amazon

SEGA Genesis Classic Video Game Console $40 at Groupon

Citizen CA0295-58E Nighthawk Eco-Drive Watch $184 at Amazon

The Deal Dozen: Week of October 31, 2014