Best deals in June

A motivated shopper armed with the right information can still find bargains in June — one of the most difficult months for bargain hunters. So says Mark Di Vincenzo, author of New York Times bestseller "Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon." (Markdivincenzowriter.com) A former journalist known for his aggressive reporting and his ability to simplify complex issues, Di Vincenzo says there are sleeper deals in June most people don’t know about. But be warned, Di Vincenzo says summer is the worst time of the year to look for deals and discounts. "In June, you've got high school and college graduations, weddings and Father's Day. Retailers know consumers need to buy things for these occasions, so they're not about to lower prices and have sales."

Photo: Courtesy of lowes.com 1. Tools Tools almost never go on sale. The hammer that was $8 last year will be $9 next year, and so on. But Di Vincenzo says there is one week in June when you are guaranteed to see some excellent deals on tools. Not surprisingly, it’s the week beforeFather’s Day (June 17). "Retailers call these 'real sales,' when they don’t jack up the price and then put something on sale. You can see some small tools go for about 50% off and certain high-priced tools are 30% off," says Di Vincenzo. For instance, Lowe’s offers a Superior Tool 14" Quick Gripping Pipe Wrench for $11.97 – 52% less than its regular price of $24.98.

Photo: Courtesy of REI 2. Camping and fishing gear If you're looking to get back outdoors June is not only a great month to get started, it can be a good month for deals. We were able to find some good prices, such as an REI Base Camp 6 Tent for $329.99 – down 21% from the regular price of $419. Di Vincenzo says you'll also find great deals on camping gear at yard sales.

Photo: Courtesy of fandango.com 3. Movie tickets Summer brings special promotions in theaters such as Regal and AMC, which offer $1daytime movies that will mostly appeal to children.  For grown-ups looking to beat the heat and be entertained, it's good to look for advance vouchers from fandango.com or other daily deal sites such as groupon.com. Also, fandango.com offers free movie tickets when you purchase a service by one of their partner vendors such as Netflix, Gamefly or Lifelock.

Photo: Courtesy of Thinkgeek.com 4. Think geek If the success of "The Avengers" is any indication, the geeks will in fact inherit the Earth. Perhaps because this is the Father's Day month and this sort of thing appeals to the kid inside most dads, geek gifts are a pretty good buy. Thinkgeek.com has sales of up to 75% off a variety of cool gift ideas – from a binary watch to a car mount for your iPad. Our favorite deal is the Mini Donut Factory. It is exactly what it sounds like: A tabletop appliance that lets you make your own donuts. Think George Foreman grill meets Homer Simpson. You can get one now for only $10.99 – more than half off its regular price.

5. Books They're called "beach books" for a reason. "As a former General Manager of 13 years for a now defunct book chain, I can tell you that summer reading is always hot," said John Shenk, a retail expert who currently serves as Operations Manager for Andersons Home & Garden in Newport News, VA. "Hit the stores while the supply is full. You may find some deals to buy early."

6. Plants Garden centers are booming this time of year, especially the independent ones. Shenk says the centers will often begin discounting spring blooming perennials early in the summer. “Garden centers don’t want to be stuck with Spring/Summer merchandise. It depends on your local independent center, but they may run some really good deals on outdoor furniture (20-30% off) early in the summer.

Photo: Courtesy of nps.gov 7. Nature and culture America’s National Parks provide free entrance on June 9 at more than 100 parks that typically charge entry fees.This free waiver includes the entrance fee, commercial tour fees and transportation entrance fees. Check out the list here:  http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparksbystate.htm Museums all over the country also offer free of charge days so you can get out of the heat and enjoy some culture. Visit http://museumfreedays.com/ for a helpful calendar of free museum days in your area.

8. Dishware June is deep into wedding season. Realsimple.com says retailers take this opportunity to promote all of their china – from fine to everyday sets. They also recommend shoppers snatch up a pattern if it appeals to them. It used to be that stores would carry patterns for two years or more. Now, they’re typically gone in 12 months. Shoppers can expect savings of 25% to 50% off on dishware in the month of June.

Photo: Courtesy of collegefootballstore.com 9. College team gear Don’t wait until next fall to snatch up fan gear. College sports are officially done for the summer, so you can find plenty of college sports gear on clearance. And we’re not just talking about football jerseys. For instance, you can get a cool Maryland Terrapins Red Power Force Silicone Wristband (or one from any other team, for that matter) for $19.99– down from the regular $28.96 – at collegefootballstore.com