Celebrate Red, White and Blue without Losing All Your Green

July 3, 2014 - PRLog -- The Fourth of July is a great time to get together with family and friends over the barbeque and under fireworks, but it can take a heavy toll on your budget if you’re not careful. The good news is that the holiday represents one of the biggest sales events of the year, so knowing where to shop (and what to shop for) can make a huge difference for your bank account.

This year the 4th falls on a Friday, so there’s a nice long weekend for you to stretch out in the sun and relax – but if you’re planning on making some major purchases in the near future, this might actually be the best time to go out and shop.

All the huge July 4th sales will end with the long weekend, and the next big sales won’t begin until the back-to-school season starts up. That means that the Fourth is the best time to break out the plastic, hit the (gloriously air-conditioned) mall and take advantage of some great deals.

The couponing experts over at Flipit (http://www.flipit.com/us) have compiled a growing list of promo codes and unbeatable sales especially for the holiday, as well as a handy guide for savvy shopping over Independence Day weekend. Here are a few tips for saving money in true American style.


The Fourth of July holiday is a great time to buy…

A New Car

This weekend is one of the best times to purchase a new car. Many automakers and dealers offer flash sales with huge discounts, from slow-selling models to the most popular new rides. These promotions are especially generous because car manufacturers are eager to get older models off the lot as quickly as possible as new models begin to arrive for fall. For the best deals, stick with US-made vehicles and look for rebates, local dealership incentives, special financing and lowered lease rates.

Patio Furniture

What’s the Fourth of July without a barbeque running in the backyard? If you’re in need of some new outdoor furniture to make your alfresco dining complete, this weekend is one of the best times to buy patio furniture like table sets, lounge chairs and hammocks. You’ll find great deals this time of year because retailers have had these items in stock since early spring, when the weather was still cold. Now the sun is out and the days are long, and retailers like Pier 1 and Home Depot are looking to get rid of outdoor furniture by marking down items by the dozen.

Food

You’ve probably noticed those all-American staples – hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, corn on the cob, apple pie – flying off the shelves. With the weather warming up it’s no surprise that grocery stores see a huge spike in sales for condiments, potato chips, grilling meats and alcoholic beverages this time of year, and smart shoppers can rein in huge savings on these staples if they know where to look.

On average, Americans will spend some $6.2 billion on food items alone over the holiday weekend – that’s about $70 per household. You can cut down on these costs by grilling up veggies and serving cold cuts rather than buying fresh meat, which has increased in price this year. Having a BYOB-style block party where everyone contributes one or two dishes is another way to enjoy lots of food at very little cost.

Travel

According to a recent National Retail Federation study, 13.7% of Americans (about 32 million) will take advantage of the long weekend to travel 50 miles or more, and most are traveling by car despite rising gas prices.

There are a number of ways to save money on the road, but booking a last-minute flight over the Independence Day weekend can save you huge bucks as well. CheapOAir has seen a 30% increase in domestic flight bookings for the holiday weekend, with the most popular destinations being New York, Las Vegas and Orlando.

Websites like Orbitz and Hotels.com are also running flash sales this weekend where you can save hundreds just by copying and pasting a coupon code and being a little bit flexible on your travel dates.


But it’s a bad time to buy…

Major Appliances

With all these great deals out there, it’s tempting to want to get everything at once, but savvy shoppers know that some things are better bought later. While this weekend is an excellent time to purchase a new car or book a last-minute vacation, it’s a bad time to purchase major appliances; rather, wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to find the absolute best deals on refrigerators, TVs, washing machines and more.

A New Grill

This weekend is a bad time to buy that one Fourth of July must-have as well: While it may be tempting to want a brand new, shiny grill to show off, prices are higher now more than ever for the summer essential. Waiting just a few weeks will bring you far better prices, and the weather will still be nice enough to want to cook all your meals under the sun.

Fireworks

They may be an essential part of the Fourth of July holiday, but there is no greater waste of money than to literally blow it up in the sky… This year, get your Oohs and Awws in for free by watching a city-sponsored fireworks show rather than putting on your own. You can also catch the Macy’s fireworks special over the Brooklyn Bridge, beginning at 8 pm EST on NBC.