October Shopping Deals

The holidays are inching closer, but that big shopping frenzy hasn’t quite started yet. There are no big shopping holidays in October (although Amazon Prime Day is October 8-9), but you can still pick up a scary-good deal. Here’s what to buy, and what to skip.

Buy: jeans

The September sales on jeans will get better in October. Retailers need to get rid of the last remnants of back-to-school sales, and autumn deals on denim will be too good to pass up. Shop your favorite retailers and check out some new ones you thought you couldn’t afford to find incredible savings on jeans this month.

Skip: winter apparel

Clothing deals will stop at the denim this October, so don’t plan on filling out your winter wardrobe just yet. Warm-weather wear won’t start dropping in price until Thanksgiving at the earliest, and the best markdowns will only appear on shelves around the holidays. The weather is still mild in much of the country during mid-autumn, so there’s really no rush to purchase bulkier clothing now. Instead, wait it out a bit to save big bucks.

Buy: outdoor furniture and gear

As the weather cools down and people head indoors, prices on all things outdoor will start dropping. This includes patio furniture, gardening tools, grills, camping gear and so much more. Check out online retailers, like Wayfair and Overstock, and look for markdowns at brick-and-mortar locations, like Lowe’s and Home Depot. Keep your new outdoor items wrapped well and safely stored away indoors so they’re good as new and ready for use at the first sign of spring next year.

Skip: cleaning supplies

Are you in the market for a new vacuum cleaner? Looking to score a deal on a robot sweeper? You’re best off waiting a bit longer, until Black Friday. On the biggest shopping day of the year, big-ticket cleaning items will see steep discounts. (Although it is worth scouring Amazon for Prime Day deals, if you are a member.)

Buy: Halloween costumes and decor

As with any holiday, the closer the calendar gets to Halloween, the steeper discounts you’ll see on related paraphernalia. This includes party decor, costumes, yard decorations, candy and more. If you don’t mind a last-minute costume, you’ll save a ton by shopping for Halloween in October. You can also get a head-start on next year’s costume by shopping the Halloween clearance sales which start on Nov 1.

Skip: electronics

If you’ve been patiently holding out on buying new electronics, wait just a bit longer to make your purchase. TVs, gaming consoles, laptops, tablets and more will start dropping in price next month at Black Friday sale events. You can expect to see these items discounted by as much as 30% at popular retailers around Thanksgiving.

Buy: autumn apparel

You can pick up some in-between weather wear this October at super-hot prices. Retailers need to make space for the winter stock, and will be discounting all autumn wear. Take advantage of this by cashing in on fantastic sales.

Skip: appliances

Don’t spring for a new oven, refrigerator or washing machine just yet! Retailers bring out the hot items at Black Friday sale events, you’re best off waiting a bit before dropping a load of money on new appliances. Start looking out for Black Friday sales as early as Nov. 1 to score the best deal.

Buy: cars

In general, May, October, November and December are the best months to visit the car dealership. For October in particular, shoppers will find tons of deals on old models that auto dealers need to move in order to make room for the all-new and redesigned models arriving in dealer showrooms.

October’s got some great deals to offer the savvy shopper. Use this guide to find out what they are, and which items should be put on the wait-list.