This holiday weekend, you could sit in the blistering heat and eat questionable potato salad while you sweat liquid misery through your jeans.

Or...

You could shop!

We naturally recommend the latter. Stores are brimming with Fourth of July sales, many of which will trickle into the beginning of the week. Here are a few air-conditioned options you might want to check out amid your steamy weekend travels.

• Prime Outlets at Ellenton, 5461 Factory Shops Blvd. in Ellenton, has a ton of deals. At Saks Off 5th, shoes are 40 percent off, clearance is half off and jewelry and watches are 30 percent off through Tuesday. Everything in the Banana Republic Factory Store is 40 percent off, and at the Gap Outlet, all shorts are $10 through Tuesday. If you sign up for Banana Republic and Gap coupons online, you get bonus savings in your inbox.

• Sears is offering up to 60 percent off swimwear through Tuesday.

• Arby’s will hand out a free Junior Deluxe roast beef sandwich with the purchase of a drink Monday, excluding value-sized drinks and coffee. One per person, greedy!

• Kids 12 and younger eat free at Ikea, 1103 N 22nd St. in Tampa, through Monday. Combo meals include five meatballs with mashed potatoes and a fountain drink, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with two cookies and milk or pasta with vegetables and a fountain drink. Spicy!

• Select mattress sets are 30 to 50 percent off at Macy’s online and in stores Sunday.

• At Target, women’s microrib tank tops and kids Champion athletic clothes are $5, and women’s swim separates are marked down to $14-$18 through Saturday. Also, get a $5 gift card with certain purchases including three bags of Bertolli pasta meals or a 20-pound bag of Pedigree dry dog food.

• Military personnel get 25 percent off everything at Borders through Sunday. Just show your military ID. At Barnes and Noble, get 45 percent off 1,000 books, activity kits and DVDs for kids and adults through Monday.

• Take an extra 15 percent off already reduced prices at New York and Company through Monday, online and in stores. Online promo code is 5499.

• At Ann Taylor, get an extra 40 percent off sale prices in store and online through the weekend. Promo code is JULY40. Everything in the Ann Taylor Factory Store at Ellenton is 40 percent off through Tuesday.

• Old Navy's Star Spangled Sale features prices up to half off, including $5 tees and tanks, $10 swimwear and $15 adult shorts through Monday.

• Entire stock of Traveler brand men's dress shirts, sports shirts and dress pants are half off regular price through Sunday at Jos. A. Bank.

• Hundreds of store markdowns up to half off at Kirkland's, plus an extra 10 percent off for military personnel and their spouses with valid ID through Monday.

• Consignment boutique Designer Exchange, 7038 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg, will have half off the entire store (excluding select items) Friday starting at 4 p.m.

We'll update the list as new sales pop up. If you know of any we missed, add them to the comments!

Deal Diva Stephanie