With holidays and Black Friday lurking just around the corner, October may seem to be a miss for massive sales. But Charles Tran, founder of CreditDonkey.com — a website providing easy-to-understand financial tips to college students, young adults, travelers and more — says you can still find good deals.
One great buy this month is denim. Retailers looking to clear out jeans that didn’t sell during back-to-school season will offer discounts of about 30 to 40 percent off, says Tran.
It is also a good time to shop for summer staples such as air conditioners and outdoor essentials. Anyone searching for camping equipment and other recreational items should look for sales on higher quality equipment at stores like REI. You can still get some use out of these items this year, Tran says, and better quality items will last you for many years to come.
Take advantage of travel specials and plan a trip to New York to benefit from cheap Broadway tickets on sale during October. This month, along with January and February, are considered “off-season” for Broadway shows.
And finally, October is often the time of year for many people to shop for health insurance during open enrollment periods. It is a good time to carefully compare the options offered by your employer and determine if you can find some savings, Tran says.
Be sure to avoid buying winter apparel and winter coats this month. It would have been better to purchase these now-in-demand items around Labor Day, Tran says. Now it is best to wait until January’s end-of-season sales.
The last time you probably saw a great sale on tools was Father’s Day. Wait a few weeks and you may get a price break during holiday season, Tran notes. Tools see very few price changes throughout the year but the holiday season is one time you may see sales.
While you may hope to start your holiday shopping earlier (and some retailers certainly hope you do), wait a bit to make purchases in traditional gift categories such as electronics and toys. When holiday sales are truly underway, the deals are likely to get better.
Of course, if you’re shopping for last year’s hot toys, then you would probably do well to shop now. Retailers want to get rid of the old toys to make room for the newest items. And if you’re a warehouse club shopper, Tran says, you may be able to find some early bargains on holiday merchandise such as gift wrap and decorations.
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