What to Buy—and What Not to Buy—in June

(MCT)—Shop for savings on a range of items, including Caribbean vacations and apparel, in June:

Father’s Day gifts: Bargains can be found “in lots of different departments, and some where you don’t expect—like housewares, and shavers and personal care items for men,” says Dan Butler, vice president of retail operations for the National Retail Federation. “They can be anywhere from 25 to 40 to 50 percent off.” In cosmetics, men’s fragrances might be sold in larger sizes or as package deals.

Also look for free gifts with purchases for Dad. Butler has seen duffel bags, totes and even clocks packaged together as Father’s Day promotions.

Caribbean vacations: “You’ll start seeing really cheap cruises and vacation packages to anywhere in the Caribbean, mainly because it’s hurricane season,” said Lindsay Sakraida, features editor at DealNews.com. Booking a Caribbean trip from June through November is riskier, but that’s when the best prices will be available.

Lingerie: Victoria’s Secret typically offers its semi-annual sale in June. “Last year we saw panties for as low as $3, and bras for as low as $12, which is a really good deal when you consider how expensive some of those things can get,” Sakraida says. Other brands that offered steep June discounts last year include American Eagle, Frederick’s of Hollywood, Macy’s and Fig Leaves.

Apparel clearance: “As soon as Father’s Day is over, the stores begin to migrate toward clearance for Fourth of July,” Butler says. Tanks, tees, shorts, sandals and swimwear are already going on sale. You’ll get the best selection if you shop earlier, the best prices if you shop closer to Independence Day.

Refurbished tablets: Tablet refurb deals are showing up in abundance. Apple recently cut the price on its refurbished 16GB WiFi iPad2s to $319, and the Motorola Zoom, the Samsung Galaxy and the BlackBerry Playbook refurbs all hit rock-bottom prices this season, Sakraida says. One caveat: “Make sure the warranty information is clearly stated,” Sakraida says. “Sometimes a really ‘good deal’ is a ‘good deal’ because it doesn’t have any backing, and you don’t want that.”

Also look for: Patio furniture, 46-inch brand-name TVs, laptops with Intel processors.

Wait to Buy

Higher-end sandals: “You’re not going to see prior-season sales on this type of footwear,” Sakraida says. Instead, the best time to get a great deal on more expensive sandals is late July and August.

Grills: The best sales appear in July, so wait a little longer to bust out those tongs.

Worst Time to Buy

Flights to Europe: “Some reports estimate international airfare this summer will be 20 percent more than two years ago,” Sakraida says. “It’s definitely getting more expensive. A lot of airlines are cutting back on routes they offer.”

Tools: Nail down the best deals in July, Sakraida said, and again toward the end of the year.