Major online and in-person retailers are kicking off big summer sales, with some of the best deals expected on mattresses, patio furniture and tech. Juan Escobar and Madel Saldivar are fresh Oklahoma State University graduates. He plans to go to medical school, and she is looking for a job in Tulsa's aviation management industry. Saving money and spending wisely are important to both."I'm always looking for a deal," Saldivar said.As big summer sales kick off this week, and again throughout the 4th of July weekend, retail experts say knowing where to shop is the first step."Amazon, of course, is going to be one of the loudest ones that you have out here. But then you have Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Lowe's, and Home Depot (and more), these are still going to be opportunities where brands want your dollar, they want your attention," Stephanie Carls of RetailMeNot said.Escobar and Saldivar say they are willing to look for deals during the sales but want to be careful about spending, especially on big-ticket items."Big purchases, I'm definitely giving a couple looks," Saldivar said. Carls says shoppers should have a plan before they start browsing. Next, put items you may want to purchase in your online cart, but don't buy just yet."Shoppers should think about the items that they want first and then the sale," Carls said.Escobar says he shops around before committing to an appealing price."I usually look like three or four spots just to find out the best price," Escobar said.Carls says that approach pays off."Those people who stop at that first price, they're not going to get the best deal," Carls said. Once you find a deal, Carls recommends checking whether your credit card offers cash back on the purchase and doing a little more homework before clicking buy."Remember that a sales sticker only tells you one part of that story. So make sure that you are checking the price history, compare across all these different retailers, and then make sure to look for any promo codes or cashback before you buy," Carls said.Saldivar says that mindset is second nature to her."I'm never gonna pay full price," Saldivar said.One last consideration: NerdWallet cautions shoppers to avoid impulse buying during sales events to avoid running up balances on high-interest credit cards they cannot pay off during the billing cycle. If you can't pay it all off, you may end up spending more on interest than the discount on the price.It also cautions shoppers to think twice before using buy-now, pay-later loans if they are not able to make all the payments on time.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere -- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices. Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube ...read more read less