Even in the time of COVID, there are deals to be had! John Matarese of DontWasteYourMoney.com shares everything you should buy in October, and what you should hold off on.

Clothes

The first thing to add to your shopping list is clothing. “October is a great time to buy fall clothing – finally,” says John. “It came out a couple of months ago, but prices were high back in August and September. In October, they start cutting the prices.” So what kinds of apparel can you expect? “We’re talking about jeans; those nice fall sweaters. Anything that you’re gonna wear in the fall into the winter, now is the time to start buying it because the stores need to start making room for all the Christmas items,” he insists.

Halloween Costumes and Décor

Our next October buy is Halloween costumes and décor – but not right away! “October 15^th – that’s kind of the magic date where they start slashing the prices on Halloween decorations [and] costumes,” offers John. “The best time to buy a Halloween costume is actually November 1^st. The problem there is you have to have a good idea of what you want to be next Halloween.”

Holiday Sales

You can expect to find some holiday sales as well. “It has been called Columbus Day until recently – now it’s becoming Indigenous People’s Day. Around October 10th, 11th, and 12^th – look for good bargains on mattresses and furniture,” John recommends.

Things to Wait On

Now for some things you ought to wait on. “In October, you want to hold off buying a few things, specifically the big screen TVs,” notes John. “You’ll find a few deals, but most of the big deals on TVs come on Black Friday, or the whole month of November because they’re turning Black Friday into a month-long sale this year.”

The pandemic changed the normal pattern for iPhones as well. “Apple postponed the new iPhone announcement a month,” adds John. “They recently came out with new iPads and new Apple Watches, but the phone has not yet been released, so you might want to wait to buy a phone. As soon as Apple rolls out the new iPhone 12, you’re going to find big savings on the iPhone 11, the iPhone X, and all the other models.”

John also names items that used to go on sale this time of year but are currently in short supply due to COVID. “It’s very tough to find a bicycle right now, so you’re not gonna be able to find bicycle sales in October or even November,” he tells. “There’s [also] been a shortage of refrigerators and washing machines. You might not find the great deals on those kitchen appliances that you would normally find.” This makes sense. As people are nesting and upgrading their homes, there’s been a run on appliances. People are enjoying more outdoor activities, like biking, too. So high demand and short supply means the usual seasonal sales on those items aren’t happening as much this year. Thanks a lot, COVID!

If you’re looking to track down some bargains this fall, now you’ve got a few October deals to help you get started.