Got a Mr. or Ms. Fix-It in your life? August is "the best month of the year to buy tools," says Hillary Mendelsohn, author of "thepurplebook" series of shopping guides and founder of thepurplebook.com.
"Tools never have huge sales, but they'll go anywhere from 15 (percent) to 20 percent off," she says. "The markup on tools is not huge."
Check online for coupons before you hit the store, she says.
But if you'd rather hit the supermarket than the hardware store, look for bargains on barbecue and picnic supplies, Mendelsohn says. Everything from condiments to staples such as hamburger buns and chips will be on sale, she says. "It's the last hurrah for barbecue."