October Deals Buying Guide

The spooky season is packed with deals

October has arrived, bringing a pumpkin-spice flavored new crop of deals to the table. With Halloween late in the month, and the overall mood preoccupied with the move from Summer to Fall, we’re also starting to feel the first buildup to the end of the year sales and festive season. Funny memes about Christmas Carols are starting to hit your social feeds, and your family is starting to blow up the group chat about the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays.

Our savvy DealDump shoppers are probably beginning to save up for next month’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, or replete after September’s Labor Day excitement, but October brings some deals of its own to the table, so don’t write it off too soon!

There’s some serious moments in October, too, with many using the month to raise awareness for breast cancer sufferers. We also usually see some of the major religions which use lunar or different calendars celebrate festivals and holy days at this time of year. On the lighter side, it’s National Pizza Month and National Dessert Month, so there’s a fun chance to indulge your love of fast food. Mostly, however, we’re in a weird spot between the back-to-school frenzy and the year-end party season.

Whether you love getting into the spooky spirit, or just want to get ahead on your Christmas planning, keep reading- October brings some unique deals and steals to the table for you to enjoy.

The DealDump Buying Guide promise

Smart budgeting starts with knowledge. DealDump is here to do the work for you, so you don’t have to. With our smart guide to monthly sales at your fingertips, we break down the Amazon deals you need to keep yourself on track and saving all year round. Why pay retail price when you can get it on special?

We’ll show you where the monthly deals are hanging out, as well as advise you on what should wait for a better time. With low prices, fresh bargains, and a plan of action in hand, you’ll be able to shop and save with no hassle- that’s the DealDump promise.

Grab your pumpkin spice latte and get ready to save. It’s October- let’s find out where the super sales and the spooky money traps are for this month.

What deals does October bring?

October is a month of surprises on the deal front. Sometimes we see the very beginning of the Black Friday deals rear their heads. At other times, it’s just a boring month with little but Halloween to entice people. There is some fun around Columbus Day sales, but it’s not an event to rival Black Friday or Labor Day.

That’s without our smart shopping guide, that is. If you’re looking for steals and deals on any of the must-buys for the month, now’s a good time to get them ordered. Not only can you spread some buying power into the month instead of straining your year-end budget, it’s also a great way to skip the inevitable shipping delays that come in November and December.

Effectively, October deal hunting is all about transition. We’re moving from Fall to Winter, so Fall clothing will be on sale. Many items- from iPhones to patio furniture- are trying to clear older stock to make space for year end deals, and offer you discounts to move products out. If you can see a smart purchase in that flux, then it’s time to bite. While you won’t find coveted items like brand new laptops, extra-big TVs, and top-end electronics, you can find great bargains on the things taking up the space retailers want to put them in, so if you’re not keeping up with the Joneses, you can shop smart ‘til you drop. October’s shopping rule is if the price of what you want drops, buy it.

Let’s make this pre-Festive season month the very best ever, and get you some amazing deals!

Things you should buy in October

What are the best things to buy this October? Let’s get stuck in.

Halloween stuff

Some of you thought ahead and bought up all the Halloween costumes and props your heart wanted at the very lowest price possible. For everyone else, this is the month. The closer to the holiday, the more the prices drop, but the selection can narrow too. To strike the best balance between price and availability, try shopping mid-month. For candy, however, you’ll want to wait until November 1st.

Denim

As clothing trends go, retailers are looking to move out the back-to-school practical denim and make space for upcoming winter must-haves that could hit gift lists or be part of the party frenzy. So if you like the practicality of denim clothing and an excellent deal in equal measure, now’s the time to shop ‘til you drop. There’s a wide variety at an affordable price.

Older iPhones

Apple traditionally releases its new iPhone and Airpods Pro ranges in September, which means by October the previous generation are jamming up warehouse space that the shiny new year-end bait could be occupying. Retailers want to see them gone, so sweet deals are everywhere.

Summer Home Goods

Patio furniture, yard tools, grills, and fun summer decor feel out of touch with the weather and the pre-Christmas mood. So they’re all on sale for steep discounts as warehouses adapt to the changing season. Feel free to get yourself something special for next year.

Camping Gear

As with summer garden goods, camping at this time of year is off-limits for most people. That means sports retailers are keen to get rid of camping gear and replace it with the fitness items that many people splurge on to beat the year-end bulge. If you’re a camping enthusiast, it’s the perfect time to find some early Christmas presents.

Fall clothing

At the end of October, we’re going to see retailers begin to transition to their heavier winter clothing deals. That means the remaining fall clothing will go on clearance to help get it out the way. It’s time for a smart shopper to get in there and get a full-glamour, half-price wardrobe to enjoy next Fall.

Air Conditioners

Who needs an air conditioner in winter? Retailers who still have air-cons in stock are going to want them gone to bring in more lucrative items, so you’ll see some of the most affordable prices. Their loss, your gain, right?

Bonus: Amazon Prime Day

This one is a little up-in-the-air, but it’s well worth watching out for. We’ve had Amazon Prime Day sales in July most years, to coincide with Amazon’s Birthday, but there’s some talk of opening an October Prime Day slot. Obviously, if they schedule an October Prime Day date, you’ll be able to pick up major discounts on a wide range of goodies- almost anything you can think of. It’s a 24-hour buying frenzy, so have price alerts ready on Amazon items you’ve been looking at, and be ready to jump if the opportunity arrives. Remember that you need an Amazon Prime Store Card for some of it. It’s a bit of an item free-for-all, so anything from toys through electronics and beyond could be on sale.

What purchases to avoid in October

Now you know what needs to be on your October shopping list, what should you avoid buying?

Appliances

This is actually something of a ‘your mileage may vary’ situation. Traditionally, this was a good month for appliance sales as warehouses changed stock. However, in recent years, manufacturers have been tailoring this more towards November and they hype around Black Friday, so it doesn’t always apply. Monitor appliance prices if you’re in the market, but don’t assume you will automatically get the best deals of the year.

Cookware

Cookware traditionally sees deep discounts in November as people get ready to be the host with the most over the holiday season. If you can hold off one more month, you’re likely to get a far better deal on cookware items.

TVs

It’s probably no surprise that the Black Friday hype tends to focus on high-cost appliances like TVs, especially larger displays and other premium luxury TVs. October’s a month where you won’t see artificial price inflation, but you’re not going to get many deals either, so rather leave these for a better month. The only exception is Amazon TV if there is a Prime Day this month.

Gift Cards

If you like to give gift cards as presents, this is definitely one of the rare gift purchases to buy closer to Christmas. December always sees a ton of gift card deals, even from credit card partners, whereas October is just business as usual.

Laptops and other electronics

Can you say Cyber Monday? You’ve missed the back-to-school price drop on practical electronics and laptops, and if you buy in October you will also be cheating yourself on the year-end sales of gadgets like Amazon Alexa and smart speakers. Unless it’s an absolute emergency, keep your electronic purchases for later in the year.

Winter clothing

Does it seem like we always mention in-season clothing? For many of us, clothing can occupy a large chunk of the budget, especially if you have multiple family members. When you buy in-season, you buy at the highest price point possible. Unless it’s an emergency, wait until the end of winter to stock up on shiny new threads instead.

Luxury items

This is the last month of the year where splurging on luxury items near-guarantees paying full price. Especially for premium beauty products, as the year-end sales are the biggest push of the year for beauty brands. Hold out until we get into the swing of year-end, and you’ll find the best prices on these wants that you could hope for.

Jewelry

Yes, it’s a luxury item, but it’s worth a separate mention. Christmas and Valentine’s day jewelry deals lie close ahead, so avoid buying anything pretty and shiny until we see the best bargains roll out.

Enjoy the spooky season sales

And there you have it! While October has never been one of the ‘it’ months for sales, there’s still bargains to be had if you’re smart and know where to look. Columbus Day sales and the potential for Amazon Prime Day to hit the mat again give you two opportunities for savings on nearly anything. Otherwise, your major source of deals is leveraging retailer’s urges to clear out older, mundane stock in order to use the space for flashier year-end details. Plus, as always, there’s a great chance to buy out-of-season products ready for the next year.

October is going to be a month of push and pull. Hold off on some of the most tempting purchases because the year-end will bring better deals, but start looking ahead for early deals and early shipping. Don’t overspend on gift items, but feel free to leverage stock clearance to get the goodies you need. And keep your eyes peeled wherever you go. Remember that you have nifty tools like Amazon alerts you can use to help ensure you never miss a deal.

It’s the spooky season, and it’s time to have some fun planning for the end of the year. With this handy October buying guide under your belt, you’re ahead of the pack already- what will you be buying this season?

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Sarah McCord

Deals Editor at DealDump

Sarah McCord is a deals editor at DealDump USA. For the previous three years, she's been providing bargain recommendations to DealDump and enjoys finding products that consumers want at the lowest price possible. She's spent eight years in e-commerce and loves being a mother to her two-year-old boy.