July has transformed from a slow spending month into a 31-day shopping frenzy, as more companies roll out back-to-school sales earlier. Many of us tend to pull back on shopping in July ahead of impending deals in August — retail transactions slowed in pace in July last year, compared to June, and then ticked up again in August. But now, retailers are tempting shoppers to un-pinch their pennies earlier with aggressive July discounting. Back-to-school campaigns are kicking off earlier than ever, even though school typically doesn't start until late August or early September. For example, Dell and Walmart have already launched their back-to-school deals, and Dell even hosted a "Black Friday in July" sale to attract shoppers. That may be, in part, because retailers are trying to keep up with shopping habits, which show that 66% of consumers expect to spend the majority of their back-to-school budgets by the end of July, up from 59% last year, according to Deloitte research. Another reason for this early push is to align more closely with Amazon's Prime Day, which just happened on July 16 and 17. If you’re looking to buy some new gear, track sales using Honey or CamelCamelCamel to determine if a cheaper price can be found elsewhere.