Swimsuits, gleaning and Christmas in July.

For women, there are two kinds of bathing suits: the kind you promenade in and the kind won’t fall off when you dive into a pool/get hit by a wave.

The latter actually happened to me when I was a young teen, down at the Jersey Shore. Luckily my feet were planted in the sand so the suit bottom didn’t have a chance to float off, but for a few very anxious seconds I felt like the little girl at the end of this old Coppertone ad:

July is the best time for discounts on both bathing suits and summer clothing, according to a merchandising specialist at Retail Me Not. Tips for finding good deals on such can be found in my current post at RMN’s The Real Deal, “What to buy in July: Celebrate the best of summer, right in your own backyard.”

Depending on where you live, “summer” clothing is a flexible concept. Residents of cities like Los Angeles and Miami can wear “summer” clothing pretty much year-round. Even those who in cooler climates still have to get through at-times sticky weather in September and maybe even into October.

This is especially true for those shopping for back-to-school clothes. Paying up to 50 percent less for khakis, skirts, baggy shorts, T-shirts and sleeveless blouses is a nice boost to the budget. In addition, school uniforms are likely to be discounted as much as 30 percent this month.

Other ways to save in July

Over at Money Talks News, I’m all about the frugal hacks. “Stop paying for your food!” offers a modern spin on the old concept of “gleaning,” or rescuing food missed during harvests.

In the old days landowners purposely left a certain amount in the fields for the poor; these days you’re more likely to glean from private property. The article contains links on how to locate a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including volunteering to pick such items for the hungry in exchange for a share of your own. And all without diving into a single Dumpster.

In fact, the piece is specific about trespassing laws. You might unknowingly break one by picking on a vacant lot or unoccupied home or by entering “the woods.” It all belongs to somebody, and sometimes state or federal lands specifically prohibit gathering plants or plant materials.

Also on Money Talks News:

“14 ways to redecorate for free” – a chance for a zero-dollar remodel of your current digs.

“Christmas in July? It could save you, big-time,” a piece that can get you off your dime with regard to the Silly Season. In fact, it might even mean changing the way you celebrate.

Finally, I recently published two slide shows on Gandparents.com. “27 ways to trick yourself into savings” offers specific, actionable tips on carving money out of even the tightest of budgets. Given that the holidays are approaching, why not use some of these tactics to set aside some bucks and pay cash for your celebration?

“The drugstore game: Save BIG on sundries” is a primer to making the most of those loyalty programs at CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens. Boy, do I wish we had a CVS up here, but Alaska is one of the few states where the chain does not operate.

Another of those states is Washington, which means I missed out on ExtraCare Bucks during my eight years of living there. When I lived in the Chicago area I could walk to a CVS in about two minutes. Those were the days.

Related reading:

• Dumpster wading
• Choosing what – and whether – to buy
• Do we need a little less Christmas?