May is a month of transition, as spring starts to move towards the unofficial beginning of summer with the Memorial Day holiday at the end of the month.
Along the way, there are plenty of savings opportunities including Mother’s Day and also May the 4th (for all you Star Wars fans). Let’s just say this month is brought to you by the letter “M” … for saving money!
Here Are the Best May Deals
Mother’s Day Clearance and Other Savings Opportunities
After we honor the mothers in our lives on Sunday, May 12, the opportunities for savings begin. You can typically find clearance cosmetics and other gift sets that went unsold at deep discounts.
However, you don’t necessarily have to wait until after the holiday. Leading up to Mother’s Day, retailers such as Macy’s and Kohl’s will often have discounts on Mother’s Day gifts, such as $10 off a purchase of $50 in jewelry.
Softlines
Last May, we saw items such as linens, sheets, clothing and towels go on sale. This month is, after all, a great time to freshen up your home now that we’re fully in spring and summer is around the corner!
For example, Macy’s had Martha Stewart reversible down alternative comforters for $19.99 in May 2023. They’re regularly priced from $110 to $130, so that was a big savings of 83%.
Nordstrom Rack also had its Clear the Rack sale last May with savings of up to 75% off select clearance items. That meant home goods, clothing, shoes, accessories and more for men, women and kids were on deep discount!
Food
May has a few notable food holidays that usually offer up the opportunity to get some discounted or free food. Two are specific to honoring some of the heroes in our lives: nurses and teachers.
Here’s what’s on tap:
- National Teacher Appreciation Day: May 2
- Cinco de Mayo: May 5
- National Nurses Day: May 6
- National Hamburger Day: May 28
May the 4th Sales
May 4 is the day we informally celebrate as Star Wars Day (“May the 4th / force be with you.”). In honor of the festivities, retailers including Disney and GameStop have traditionally had sales on Star Wars merchandise.
Memorial Day Sales
People usually are not buying indoor items this time of year as the weather starts to heat up. So you’ll see a lot of deals on products in those kinds of categories, such as appliances and mattresses, around the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
“Consumer Reports has said the best place to buy a mattress is a regional chain called Original Mattress Factory,” Clark notes. “I’m also partial to the warehouse clubs. If you’re going the warehouse club route, I suggest you pull a mattress off the rack and lay on it for 10 minutes or more right there in the store to make sure you like what you’re buying.”
Meanwhile, you’ll also want to be sure to check stores like The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware and Walmart for deals on more traditional outdoor fare like charcoal grill and patio furniture.
For example, The Home Depot offered a 2-pack Hampton Bay galvanized steel lounge chairs for $129 last May. That was a savings of $100 on the original price.
Bikes & E-Bikes
With the weather getting nice again in much of the country, now is a great time to get outside and enjoy some road time.
May is a month that’s typically packed with deals on bikes and e-bikes.
To cite just two examples, last May we saw Buzz Bikes offer its Charter-Buzz Blue E-Bike for $250.99. That was a savings of $698.01 on the original price.
Meanwhile, Woot had the Schwinn Discover hybrid bike for $199.99 during this month last year. Compared to eBay for $502.57, that was a savings of $302.58.
And those are just a few of the many deals on wheels we saw!
Patio Furniture
ClarkDeals Senior Editor Sarah Goodrum says she’s been seeing some good deals on patio furniture, in particular at The Home Depot and Walmart.
“I’ve seen a significant drop in prices of patio furniture sets at The Home Depot compared to last year, which is surprising considering its usual higher prices,” Sarah says. “We’ve seen patio sets that were typically around $300 to $400 last year discounted to $140 to $200 this year. I’ve also seen some excellent deals on patio furniture sets in-store at Walmart.”
Be sure to check out our roundup of the best patio & garden furniture deals right now!
Tools
May is the month to gear up for summer home maintenance and improvement jobs. This is a great time to score a deal on power tools, pressure washers, leaf blowers…so much more than just hand tools.
Chief among the sales we usually see this month is Ryobi Days at The Home Depot, where you can get buy one, get one free Ryobi tools!
Final Thoughts
It’s been said that “all things seem possible in May.” Whether you’re having a BBQ or enjoying the unofficial start of summer near the water, this much is certain: This is the perfect month to gather around the maypole of savings!
Want to see what’s on sale right now? Check out today’s best deals from ClarkDeals.com.
