Many items follow the same sales cycle every year. Stocking up on items when they are at their lowest prices is a great way to save serious money. A general rule to follow is that if an item is in low demand, it will also be at the lowest price. The same applies in reverse- if an item is in high demand, it will be at its highest price.
November is the one month that doesn’t follow any rules!! Items that are in high demand as Christmas presents have the best chance of going on sale. This year is also looking to be different than ever due to “Black Friday Sales” starting in October.
Here are a few dates that could have better sales:
- Cash Back Day: November 3-4
- Thanksgiving Day: November 24th
- Black Friday: November 25th
- Small Business Saturday: November 26th
- Cyber Monday: November 27th
My advice is to make a list, and if at any time you see something on your list on sale go ahead and buy it. If you wait too long, the stores may sell out. Yes, the price may drop again, but sometimes stores will let you return and repurchase the item at the sales price. Keep all your receipts and don’t take the tags off anything!
Before you purchase ANYTHING use price tracking programs like Honey or Keepa to determine the baseline price.
Then, compare prices at different stores to see who is having the best deal. Many stores have released their Black Friday sales flyers. My favorite site to view flyers is: BlackFriday.com
One more tip- Make a list of other gifts you might need during the year. Think about birthdays, weddings, baby showers, graduations, etc. Now is a great time to get those gifts at the lowest price of the year.
*Note- I’m using “November” and “Black Friday” interchangeably since for 2022 there doesn’t seem to be much difference!
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Here are the things you should be buying in November, and a few things you should skip…
What to Buy in November
Halloween Candy, Costumes, and Decorations
Grab these at the start of November and save for next year.
Computers, Laptops, and Tablets
November is usually a great time to buy a new computer, laptop, or tablet. The lowest doorbuster prices will often be on machines with weak specs. Because the price is already lower than usual, you can use that “extra” money to upgrade your storage and processing power.
This year there have been many supply chain issues in the category which may cause the prices not to be as low as normal since there is not a surplus of inventory. The one exception to this is Chromebooks…
In 2020 and 2021 LOTS of Chromebooks were made to keep up with the demand for at-home learning. This has resulted in a surplus of Chromebook, which means we should see some great deals.
Small Appliances
These ALWAYS go on sale during November/Black Friday. Look for deals on pressure cookers, air fryers, blenders, mixers, slow cookers, etc.
Warning: Some of the better deals go FAST, especially on KitchenAid mixers. If this is on your list, be sure you pre-view the sales ads at stores, so you are ready to buy when the sale is.
Headphones and Speakers
Headphones and speakers are other items that always go on sale. They are often advertised as stocking stuffers and are sometimes hot ticket items used to lure people into the stores.
Smart Home Gadgets
Smart home gadgets like the Amazon Echo or Google Nest are typically popular deal items. Usually, these are priced very low to hook people into also buying other add-on products.
Video Games and Gaming Consoles
I don’t know much about video game consoles, but from what I’ve read these may or may be deeply discounted since they have been in high demand with very low inventory all year. Video games are expected to have great deals though.
Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers
Smartwatches and fitness trackers are usually popular items this time of year. Last year Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Kohl’s had the best deals.
Televisions
In the past, TVs have been some of the hottest deals during November. Retailers usually use a low price TV to lure people into the store. This year you’ll want to do your research first and ensure you know the TV’s regular price. The very best deals will probably happen towards the end of the month around the real Black Friday.
Large Appliances
Look for deals on refrigerators, washers, and dryers.
Clothing and Shoes
Clothes are popular Christmas gifts, so this is the one time of year you’ll find deals on clothes that are in season.
Personal care and grooming appliances
Hairdryers, razors, water flossers, eclectic toothbrushes, and other personal care appliances often go on sale. For some reason, these are always popular Christmas gifts!
Beauty & Health Products
Look for deals on beauty and health products that are sold as a bundle or gift basket. Think about make-up, body wash, soaps etc.
Travel
You can find great hotel and flight deals if you can be flexible with where you are going and how you’ll get there.
Lego
Legos almost never go on sale (at least not for the popular sets!), but you can find some deals in November. Coupon codes often don’t work on Legos, but stores like Target will offer store gift cards with a purchase of legos.
Cameras
Cameras are often included in Black Friday sales.
Food Storage Sets, Cookware
Since Thanksgiving and Christmas are times for family dinners and parties anything related to hosting an event is likely to go on sale. Pots and Pans are also popular gift items so look for deals on cookware collections. Containers used for leftovers or for traveling with food will be on sale too.
Vacuums
Vacuums are popular items to put on sale during the Holiday season.
Blankets & Sheets
Throw blankets and flannel sheets are popular items to go on sale during November. However, wait to buy full bedding sets and comforters until January.
Wedding Dresses
Most weddings happen from spring- October which means November is considered the off-season. Stores will be trying to get rid of the dresses they have to make room for new dresses.
Foods to Buy in November
Food Holidays that might include a sale:
- National Sandwich Day – Nov. 3
- National Donut Day – Nov. 5
- Fast Food Day – Nov. 16
Seasonal Produce
- Apples
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Cranberries
- Kale
- Leeks
- Mushrooms
- Oranges
- Parsnips
- Pears
- Persimmons
- Pomegranates
- Potatoes
- Pumpkins
- Radishes
- Rutabagas
- Spinach
- Sweet potatoes
- Tangerines
- Turnips
- Winter squash
Baking Supplies
Do your Holiday food shopping as early as you can. Lately, it seems like random staples disappear off the grocery shelves, so get what you need when you see it. (You don’t want to be stuck trying to make a cheese ball whose main ingredient is cream cheese and there is none! Yes, that happened to me!)
Think about flour, sugar, yeast, butter, cream cheese, canned pumpkin, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, oil, chocolate, etc.
Canned Goods
It’s still soup season so look for deals on canned soups, stews, vegetables, and other goods.
Turkey
November is the only month you want to buy turkey. If you have the freezer space, buy a few. Be sure to check your local grocery stores and Ibotta to see if you can get a Turkey for free.
Fried Onions
Be sure to buy enough for your green bean casseroles at Christmas too!
Anything Pumpkin
After November no one will want anything pumpkin again until next September. Stores will be clearing away the pumpkin-flavored items to make room for everything peppermint.
What to skip in November
So yes, most things will be on sale this month but there are a few things you should skip buying.
- Gift Cards: Wait until December
- Exercise Equipment: Wait until January
- Toys: The biggest discounts will come later in December. Tip: Buy the toys you need for Christmas in November. Then shop for birthdays and other holidays in December.
- Jewelry: Wait for February
- Tools: Wait for December
- Holiday Decorations: Wait until December. The day after Christmas will have the best prices, but the selection will be limited.
- Bedding: Wait for “White Sales” in January
- Mattresses: According to consumer reports, February is the best time to buy a mattress.
What to know what to buy in other months? See what to buy in September and October.
