It's a good time to start setting aside cash for holiday
purchases so that you don't go into debt buying gifts (as I wrote
in
Save -- or Earn -- $1,000 by Black Friday
). But now is not the time to start your holiday shopping if you're
looking for deals. That's because only a few items traditionally go
on sale in October. Here are the best and worst things to buy now,
according to
dealnews.com
, which analyzes deals from past years to predict what will be
discounted this year.
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What's on sale now ...
Denim.
You'll find discounts on jeans that retailers didn't sell during
the back-to-school season. In the past, Dealnews.com has seen sales
on denim from Levi's, Lee Jeans, Target's Mossimo line, Armani
Exchange, Lucky Brand, Express, New York & Company, American
Eagle, and more. However, you're likely to see retailers discount
denim even more -- or offer their best coupons -- during Black
Friday in November.
Garden plants.
You'll find deals on landscaping trees, shrubs and floral bulbs
that nurseries want to clear out before winter.
Halloween items.
The best time to buy costumes and decorations is after October 31,
when these items are marked down 50% to 90%. But if you need to
outfit your trick-or-treaters for this Halloween, you'll find sales
the week before the holiday. Also look for coupons from retailers
such as
BuyCostumes.com
.
Wait a little longer to buy ...
Appliances.
October often is touted as a good month to buy appliances because
manufacturers roll out new models this month. But dealnews.com has
found that there are more -- and better -- deals on appliances from
department and home-improvement stores in November.
Cold-weather apparel.
The best deals will appear in January. But if you need a new coat,
try to at least wait until November when retailers will offer some
deals around Black Friday. According to dealnews.com, you can
expect to see coupons offering up to 50% off from Abercrombie &
Fitch, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Ann Taylor, Dockers, Express,
Lands' End, Nautica and more.
Cookware.
Don't be in a rush to stock your kitchen with new cookware in
preparation for Thanksgiving. Wait until November to make any
purchases because you'll likely find more deals on bakeware,
cutlery sets and small appliances from retailers such as Amazon,
Kohl's, Macy's, Oneida, Sears, Williams Sonoma and more.
HDTVs.
Hold out until November or December to do your TV shopping. The
real deals will appear Black Friday and continue into the weeks
before Christmas. However, if you can't wait until then,
dealnews.com reports that it has seen some good deals lately on
55-inch 3D LCD HDTVs
and off-brand 42-inch HDTVs.
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