Best Deals in August 2021 (and What to Avoid!)

posted in: Monthly Deals

We’re all trying to squeeze in more summer fun before school is back in session (whatever that’s going to look like). Your kids have grown like weeds and you’ve received a long supply list from the school, so shopping must be done. If you haven’t started your school shopping, that’s ok. The best Back to School deals are in August, anyway! This month will also be packed with end-of-season clearance deals, so get ready to shop!  

Back to School

Those deep Back to School discounts we always count on are finally here! We’re seeing discounts on everything from dorm supplies to desk lamps from a multitude of retailers. No school-aged kids? Use these sales to spruce up your home office and wardrobe. 

1THRIVE: This brand brings organization to a new level with chic eye-catching wall hangings, featuring calendars and to-do lists. After all, the command center of any well-run home starts with the proper organizational tools. Through August 31, get $20 off $100 with code Summer2020.

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Anywhere Teacher: This award-winning online learning tool from School Zone is designed to align with national education standards, providing over 2,000 activities that make learning fun, safe, and ad-free. With the code SMARTKID, get a 30-day free trial (value $6).  

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Astrea: These water bottles filter water on the go and have the highest NSF certification for reducing toxins, including lead, mercury, and pharmaceuticals. Fill up with tap water from any location, including airplanes and school water fountains, and get clean water. From August 5-6, save $10 off Stainless (originally $29.99), and $5 off Tritan bottles (originally $19.99) on Amazon.

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Bellasonic: Bellasonic uses patented technology to deliver salon results at home, helping to achieve healthy and shiny nails after just one use. Plus, getting your kids in the habit of DIY-ing their own nails will be a lifelong money saver.  From August 16-31, save 30 percent off $79.95.  

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Big G Creative Ghosted: This newly launched game will be a perfect ice-breaker for boarding school or college kids in the dorm. It’s a hilarious, supernatural twist on classic “whodunnit” gameplay where you solve the mystery of your own demise to win. The Suspects include relatable archetypes, like Gabby Gains the gym rat and Mimi_Hax19 the videogame influencer; and the Motives are real-life pet peeves, like one-star reviews and using speakerphone in public. From August 22-28, save 20 percent off $19.99 at Target. 

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Blobby’s Pizza: This fun game is perfect for classrooms and for families who want to help their kids brush up on their math skills. The strategic pizza-eating contest teaches fractions, decimals, and percentages to kids 9 and up all with bright colors and cute monsters. For the month of August, save 25 percent off $22 on Amazon.

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Bondic Trial Pack: Let’s face it, kids break things. This easy-to-use liquid plastic adhesive uses a special UV ray to harden and bond plastics, ceramics, glass, metal, textiles, and wood in just seconds. From August 15-22, save 30 percent off $19.99 with STUD2021.

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Buydeem Global Mini Kettle Cooker K313: This kettle makes everything from tea and oatmeal to stews and soups, and an 8-hour-long warming mode is perfect for busy students. At just over 1.5 pounds with a foldable handle and non-slip bottom, it’s also perfect for glamping and travel. From August 1-8, save $10 off $99 with code TRAE10. 

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CannaSmack: Eco-friendly and woman-owned, CannaSmack offers a variety of skincare and beauty products, like lip balms, face oils and tattoo ink, including some with hemp. Through August 31, save 20 percent off. Original prices are $3.99 and up.

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C’est Moi Beauty:  From August 1-August 14th, receive 25 percent off C’est Moi’s already affordable, EWG-verified, clean, and cruelty-free skincare, body products, and color cosmetics on Amazon. Their Tinted Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 is one of my go-to’s. 

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Circle Home Plus: This year, whether kids are back to school, online learning, or a combination, there are bound to be screen time disagreements. Circle’s parental control device and the Circle app lets you set limits and filter content across every device,  from mobile phones and tablets to smart TVs and video game consoles. From August 16-24, save $35 off $349 with code BACK2SCHOOL. 

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Durabook S15AB: Combing mobility and toughness, this laptop with the 15.6” FHD display offers performance but also water, drop, shock, vibration, and temperature protection. At 5.73 pounds and 1.16” thick, it’s the lightest and thinnest laptop in its class, according to the brand.  From August 1-31, save $170 off $1699 on Amazon. 

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Facial Lounge: Good skin care is essential for tweens, teens, and young adults. From August 1-31, this brand that uses non-toxic skincare formulations to target a variety of skin concerns will be offering 40 percent off select items with the code BACK2SCHOOL. Sale items include the Feather-Light Miracle Moisturizer (originally $69), Pore Clarifying Face Wash (originally $29), Cryo-globes (originally $65), Papaya Enzyme Masque (originally $76), and Brightening Exfoliating Pads (originally $89).  

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Goodmylk: College kids love coffee, but instead of buying sugary, dairy creamer, give them good-for-you Goodmylk Co (originally $22). This plant-based, non-dairy brand is boosted with Reishi, Lin’s Mane, Astragalus, and more healthy ingredients, helping boost focus, clarity, and energy.  From August 1-31, save 15 percent off any purchase over $50 with code TrueMylk15. 

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inPOWERED Lights: Ideal for the dorm, these lamps (originally $49.99 and up) work like regular lamps, but they also automatically turn on during a power outage and can charge tech devices for up to 24 hours. They also have fun color-changing LEDs that you can control from its remote or from a smartphone via the app. This certified women-owned business donates a portion of all profits to programs committed to helping women entrepreneurs. Through September 15, save 20 percent off sitewide with code BACK20.

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KicksBySammy: This accessories company offers a variety of personalized back-to-school must-haves, such as backpacks ($110-120), laptop sleeves ($45-55), and lunch totes ($32-42). With the ability to feature the student’s name or initials on each item, kids can make a statement at school and will be less likely to lose their belongings. Save 15 percent off through Labor Day with code SUMMER15.

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LectroFan Classic: This sound machine is ideal for students who need more control over their audio environment, whether they are doing homework or trying to sleep. The LectroFan offers twenty unique digital sounds to mask noises, including ten different electric fan sounds and ten variations of pure white noise (including pink and brown noise variations). All sounds can be personalized across a wide range of sound levels. From July 28 – August 10 on Amazon, get the black LectroFan classic for $31.95 (normally $49.95) and the Charcoal LectroFan EVO for $34.95 (normally $49.95).

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LOFT:  From July 26 – August 31, this clothing and accessories retailer will be offering 15 percent off for all teachers with a valid ID, both in-store and online. For the first time ever, this offer is combinable with any other LOFT promotions!   

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THE LUMICHARGE II LED: This multifunctional, anti-bacterial desk lamp (originally $99) offers different hues and levels of brightness, directional lighting, a built-in motion sensor, and charges up to three smartphones at a time.  Through September 30, save 30 percent off all LumiCharge products on Amazon with code LUMI 30. 

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Mantra Mask: This high-quality, affordable skincare brand is known for its sheet masks, which contain naturally derived vitamins and herbal botanicals, but are free from parabens, sulfates, dyes, and other harmful chemicals. Through August 31 with code School50, save 50 percent off sitewide (prices are originally $15 and up). 

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Mightly: This clothing brand makes comfy, play-friendly, and organic and Fair Trade certified clothes for kids ages 2-14. Use the code TRAE25 for 25 percent off your order. Valid August 15-31. 

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Molecule College Topper:  College and boarding school students can instantly upgrade their uncomfortable dorm room bed with this new mattress topper from Molecule. Through August 31, save 25 percent off $149 with code SCHOOL25.  

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MyBevi: This eco-friendly collection of stainless steel travel tumblers will keep your coffee hot and water cold. The durable bottles are made to endure all weather conditions and activities. Through August 15, save 30 percent off all hydration products with code BTS30. Originally $13 and up. 

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My Medic: Ideal for kids heading off to boarding school or college, these first aid kits ($25 and up) come equipped with high-quality tools and medical supplies to help with everything from blisters or cut protection to bleeding, all in a ruggedly durable pack. From August 1-31, save 20 percent off with code TRUE20.

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Natrol Kids Melatonin and Natrol Kids Sleep+: These 100 percent drug-free sleep aids are designed for kids ages 4+ and contain melatonin with added ingredients for immune health and calming benefits. They are non-habit forming, and pediatrician-recommended to help establish normal sleep patterns. Through March 2022, print coupons at https://www.natrol.com/coupons for $3 off Sleep+ (originally $19.99), $2 off Natrol Kids Gummies (originally $14.99) and Kids Fast Dissolve (originally $10.49). Coupons are for in-store use at your local pharmacy.

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Osmo Genius Starter Kit:  This award-winning educational brand is offering a deep dive into STEAM learning with their Genius Starter Kit, which includes 5 Osmo bestsellers (Words, Numbers, Masterpiece, Tangram, Newton) helping to foster a love of engineering, art, math, and reading for kids 6 to 10. From August 8-14, save 25 percent off $99 at PlayOsmo.com. 

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Payless: From August 13-16 save 20-percent off all kids’ footwear items and an additional 20-percent off Clearance. From August 26-30, Payless.com will provide a back-to-school buy-one-get-one pair of kid’s shoes so that the families with two or more children in the household will have the opportunity to get a new pair of shoes for each child. 

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Pixel Eyewear Blue Light Glasses: Pixel Eyewear (originally $75) offers stylish protective eyewear for today’s students and workers. The brand has a large selection of unisex styles to choose from including blue light glasses for both kids and adults, amber glasses for nightshift workers and gamers, and reading glasses. Through September 30, save 20 percent off with code BACK2SCHOOL. 

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Philips GoZero: This environmentally-friendly water bottle cleans water on the go with an activated carbon fiber filter that eliminates chlorine and particulates. The stainless bottle will keep water cold for up to 24 hours. From August 1-15, save 15 percent off on Amazon (originally $19.50 and up).  

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The Stationery Studio planner/notepad sets: This site, which offers over 15,000 personalized stationery, gifts, and housewares, is offering 30 percent off their personalized planner notepad sets. With a variety of sets to choose from, there’s a planner set to suit your style and keep you organized. From August 1-31, save 30 percent off $72.  

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Stryke Club: This brand makes no-fuss skincare essentials for teen boys. Their multi-purpose and effective products combat acne using no harsh ingredients. Save 20 percent off already discounted bundles with code BTS20. 

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Student Beans: This student loyalty platform and community is for full-time students 16 and up. According to the brand, it’s is the world’s largest student loyalty network, allowing 163mm students to access exclusive offers from 650 brands. Some of the current offers include:

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U-Konserve: This eco-friendly serve wear brand is offering 25 percent off select items from August 1-14. Sale items include the stainless steel Divided Containers (starting at $16.95) and the machine-washable Insulated Lunch Totes (originally $25.95), which have a zipper closure and adjustable strap made from recycled plastic bottles

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Viteyes Blue Light Glasses: These glasses (originally $19.99) reduce eye strain and shield your eyes from the harmful blue light that is emitted from digital screens, such as computers, tablets, smartphones, and televisions. Kid and adult sizes are available. From August 1 – September 30, save 25 percent off with code BLUESCHOOL25.

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End of Summer Clearance

Now is a great time to take advantage of end-of-summer clearance sales! There are deals on everything from apparel to items for the home and yard.  Note: some of the deals are “while supplies last”, so act fast!

Cirkul: These customizable water bottles have a flavor cartridge system that allows users to flavor their water, sip-by-sip. Save $15 off $35 while supplies last. 

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Feetje Baby US: This Dutch baby brand is celebrating its 40th anniversary and its launch in the US, with a 40 percent off sale of their organic cotton summer baby clothes! 

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Gourmia GAF486 4-quart Digital Air Fryer:  This air fryer features 12 one-touch cooking functions, and offers Fry Force 360° Technology, which cooks food quickly and evenly with little to no oil. While supplies last, get it for $49.88 (originally $59.88) on Walmart.  

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Lavley Funny Nerd Socks: Lavley creates socks, oven mitts, and other fun novelty items. From July 26-August 28, save  $1.50 off all Nerd Socks, except for the Good Luck socks because they are already priced low. 

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MasqueBAR: This brand offers unique products to supplement your beauty regimen, such as do-it-yourself masks. Shop the new Masque Bar Dollar Store, where items from $3.99-$9.99 can be purchased for a dollar. Check back regularly for new dollar deals.

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McKee Performance Wear: McKee sells ultra-soft athleisure wear that moves with you. From August 2-6, save 50 percent off sitewide (originally $25 and up).  The brand was started by a mother-daughter duo after the daughter’s husband was deployed and offers a continual discount of 20 percent to military and first responder families and their kids with code THANKYOU20. 

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Multitasky:  This one-stop-shop for creating a functional & inspiring workspace and home, offers everything from notebooks to phone holders. From August 13-15, save 25 percent off humidifiers & manifestation kits (originally $10 & up) with code RELAX25.

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Rugs.com: Rugs.com is your one-stop rug shop featuring 75,000+ unique styles in a wide range of machine-made, hand-woven, hand braided, indoor, and more. The site is planning the following sales:

  • Mid-Summer Markdown Sale: Save up to 60 percent off from August 4-10.  
  • Summer Clearance Sale: Save up to 70 percent off from August 11-17. 
  • Final Markdown Sale: Save up to 80 percent off from August 18-24. 
  • New Arrivals Sale: Save up to 60 percent off from August 25-31. 
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SOUL: This brand of affordable and high-quality audio, noise-canceling, and wireless earbuds, headphones, and speakers, will be offering 15 percent off sitewide (except the EMOTION MAX headphones) from August 1 through Labor Day. Prices are originally $49 and up. 

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Tooktake: These clever stickers are a simple dosage reminder system that lets you know if you took–or still need to take–your medication and supplements. Tooktake works for tablets, liquids, creams, or drops, on any kind of packaging. Through August, save 30 percent off with the code SUMMER30.

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What Not to Buy

Fall Clothing – When you are shopping for your kids’ Back to School clothes, focus on warmer weather clothes and wait for the September/October timeframe for fall clothes. This approach also allows your kids to check out the trends at school before committing to a style for the full school year. 

Cookware and small appliances – With all the kids moving into dorms this month, you’d think there would be sales in this category, but the good deals don’t really occur until October. If you’re moving into a dorm (or have a child who is), it can be better to wait to purchase everything until they’re moved in and have a true sense of what they need. The prices will be better then, too. 

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Trae Bodge is an accomplished lifestyle journalist and TV commentator who has specialized in smart shopping, personal finance, and retail for more than a decade. She has appeared on TV over 1,000 times; including Today Show, GMA3, NBC Nightly News, Inside Edition, and network affiliates nationwide. She has been named a Top Voice in Retail by LinkedIn, and her expert commentary has appeared in Forbes, USNews.com, Kiplinger, Yahoo Finance, and numerous others.

4 Responses

  1. web
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    Do you have any video of that? I’d love to find out some
    additional information.

    • Trae Bodge
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      Yes, absolutely! Visit the home page at truetrae.com and scroll down to Smart Shopping Videos. The first 2 are all about Back to School. You can also use the search function and search “Back to School”. I hipe this helps!

  2. DU Home Inaternet
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    Do you have any video of that? I’d love to discover a few extra data.