OCTOBER BARGAINS

Hmm. Quite the month. Quick. Before we lose our will to live. Let’s state the obvious and remind you that leaves aren’t the only things falling this autumn. (Stocks, retirement funds, and our net worth, for instance.)

On the off chance you still have money to spend and the will to shop, Team CHEAPIOSITY wants to make you aware of what’s on sale this month besides pumpkins.

Also: under the heading of making lemonade out of lemons: Sadly, small and large retailers are failing all over the country; don’t miss out on ubiquitous clearance and going out of business sales. Their losses are literally your gain.

JEWELRY: The best time to buy jewelry? Savvy shoppers do it during the months where there aren’t traditional jewelry-buying holidays. Don’t buy around Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and Mother’s Day. Plan ahead. Be on the lookout for sales this month; Halloween and Thanksgiving aren’t big jewelry holidays. Yet...

MAJOR APPLIANCES: As we told you in September, the new models come to the stores in the fall so now’s the time to take advantage on marked-down 2008 models.

TOYS: Toys for the holidays hit stores full force in September, and holiday shopping early improves your chances at scoring the hot toys kids want. During October, retailers feature plenty of promotional sales. Don’t wait until after Thanksgiving when inventory starts to get scarce.

COOKWARE: In October and November, retailers feature big sales on all cookware. If you need to buy or replace cookware items, now’s the time to find a bargain.

JEANS: Back to school sales are over, and retailers need to reduce their overstock at this time. Shop around. (And seriously reconsider the whole ultra low-rise thing. Nobody needs to see that much of anyone's butt. We know this has nothing to do with our primary mission, but we want to be a force for good bargains and good taste.)

SCHOOL SUPPLIES: You’ll find really deep discounts after back to school season. Retailers need to clear their shelves for the holidays, and you’ll find super deep discounts.

FISHING GEAR: The season is over, so go angling for a deal. You just might reel in a big one. Ha ha. Hey, have we mentioned we've been hiding under the covers for a few weeks? Re-entry might take us a while.

CARPET AND RUGS: Watch the newspapers for sales and promotions.

TIRES: You’ll be seeing promotions at this time of year as consumers prepare for the winter months.