CLEVELAND — We are counting down to two of the biggest shopping days of the year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But you don’t need to wait until the end of the month to get deals. In fact, if it seems like there's a sale almost every day, you'd be right.
COVID's taken a toll on retail, and stores need to clear their shelves. So, this is a buyer's market.
Andrew Gretchko, Director of Public Relations for Coupon Cabin, an online site which offers coupons to thousands of stores, says, “It's really important to pay attention to all the deals throughout the fourth quarter. One big thing to focus in on is Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. That's a gimme. But you want to keep in mind that now you have big box retailers like Target, Walmart, Best Buy that are kind of teasing this out.”
And he says some of the highlights for November will be on beauty products, especially those gift with purchase deals cosmetic companies offer in department stores.
It’s a promotion Jennifer Miller always waits for. “You spend a certain amount, and then you get a free little gift,” she explains. “Kind of like a makeup purse and it's got a bunch of free items…mascara, a moisturizer. You don't have to buy that separately. It's like you pretty much have enough to last for a bit.”
Also on sale in November is everything Halloween. From candy to costumes to decorations, including pumpkins.
And speaking of pumpkins, you can get deals on seasonal foods and baking ingredients, especially in the beginning of the month before the cooking rush starts.
Miller says, “The grocery stores will have those really good loss leaders in the front of the store. That's a great time to stock up. You can use a coupon too.”
And to do the actual dirty work, cookware is on sale as well. Although the best deals are after the holiday.
“So it might not quite be in time to help you prepare for Thanksgiving,” Gretchko says. “But after the fact, maybe preparing for a bigger holiday meal, that's certainly something you're gonna want to keep an eye on.”
Now two of the items you shouldn't buy in November are candles and bath products.
Bath and Body works has two big sales in December on all those products, with deals up to 75% off.
Finally, you should also wait on jewelry. In January you'll see the biggest savings in the lead up to Valentine's Day.
But no matter what you buy, or when, with so many sales these days, never pay full price. As Miller explains, “I always find that coupon or that code. It's out there.”
Coupon Cabin is a great place to check for deals "everyday". They also have a browser extension which will show you sales when you're shopping on other sites. Plus, they offer up to 20% cash back on purchases.
More from Danielle Serino: