If you’re a deal hunter like we are at ClarkDeals.com, then you’ll appreciate that October offers an autumn cornucopia of savings just ripe for the picking.
October’s position as a prelude to the holiday season makes it the ideal time to shop. That’s doubly important this year, as we expect to continue to see shipping challenges as we have in recent years.
This is one season when the early bird definitely is going to get the worm!
Here Are the Best October Deals
Before you dig in for another weekend of football, leaf-peeping and pumpkin-pie-spice everything, take a look at our list of the best buys in October.
iPhones
Now that Apple has announced the iPhone 14, retailers are looking to clear out their stock of older iPhones. That means you’re likely to see discounts on 5G phones such as the iPhone 13 in particular, not to mention previous versions of Apple’s flagship phone.
Time is on your side right now if you’re happy with taking your pick from the older generations of iPhones. EBay can be a great place to pick up a deal on an older phone, as long as the seller has high ratings and returns are accepted; Amazon can be a good source, too. Meanwhile, here are some deals on popular smartphones.
Camping Gear
The golden days of October are the perfect time to get out there and enjoy the great outdoors
Be on the lookout for savings of up to 50% off tents, sleeping equipment, fire pits, outdoor chairs and other camping equipment.
REI is a wonderful place to look for gently used gear at great prices. This store offers everything from clothing to camping accessories including brands such as Arc’Teryx, Marmot, The North Face and Merrell. Meanwhile, Camping World has a clearance section offering bargains from $1.
Tools
Tools are a perennial favorite category for saving. Woot is one of our favorite picks for cheap tools in the world of daily deal sites because it has a dedicated tool page.
In addition to daily deals at The Home Depot and Lowe’s Home Improvement, you can also try checking out discount tool retailers like Harbor Freight & Northern Tool for deep discounts.
Meanwhile, be sure to take a look at our guide on Best Places To Buy Cheap Tools before making a purchase.
Grills
With Labor Day now behind us, retailers are looking to clear out the last of the warm-weather merchandise.
Look for markdowns on both charcoal and gas grills as well as Kamado ceramic grills. See our most up-to-date list of the best grill deals here.
Outdoor Furniture
This is another end-of-season category where the deals are piling up. But finding bargains on patio furniture, normally on clearance at this time, has been a little tricky this year, according to ClarkDeals.com Managing Editor Charis Brown.
While you can still find deals online (see our roundup of outdoor furniture deals at Walmart for a few right now!) you may also want to try looking for discounts in stores.
“If a retailer like Walmart or Home Depot can clear out inventory in the store, that makes more sense for them from a cost-of-shipping perspective,” Charis says.
Smoke Detectors
October is Fire Safety Month, which means you should be on the lookout for huge discounts on safety-related items such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Food
Thanks to a few high-profile food holidays, October is a month when you can almost always score discounted or free food.
For example, Chipotle’s 21st annual Boorito celebration last October rewarded customers with $1 million in free burritos and a $5 entrée coupon. While the company hasn’t yet firmed up plans for the celebration this year, it’s reasonable to expect a similar kind of promotion.
Earlier in the month, we expect to see lots of free and discounted Mexican fare on one of the most famous food holidays to look forward to on October 4: National Taco Day!
In addition, you won’t want to forget to score a deal on clearance Halloween candy as soon as November 1 hits.
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Black Friday Ad Leaks and Preview Sales
Along with the many Black Friday ads we saw in 2021, we also saw corresponding preview sales with many items listed at the same price they would be on Black Friday. Last year, we saw these kinds of sales from stores such as Kohl’s and Belk. Amazon and Woot’s daily deals are also close contenders for Black Friday-esque prices, but we still expect the best deals to continue to be the week of Black Friday. If you want to get your shopping done early and out of the way, these preview sales are a great time to score a bargain!
Though most of the official Black Friday ads will drop in November, we expect to see some in October, as retailers are motivated to kickstart the holiday shopping season earlier in order to avoid any shipping issues. As a part of these early sales, Target has already announced its Deal Days sale on October 6-8, while Amazon is hosting the Prime Early Access Sale with deals just for Prime members on October 11-12.
Stay up-to-date on all the best deals from these sales by signing up for our Clark Deals newsletter here!
Final Thoughts
As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” Keep your wallet extra crispy and stuffed with cash ahead of Christmas by following our tips for harvesting the best fall savings this year.
Want to see what’s on sale now? Check out today’s best deals from ClarkDeals.com.
Fun Tip: Clark Deals is giving away up to $500 cash this month! Enter the Clark Deals sweepstakes by November 3 for a chance to win. Learn more here!
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