Get Movin' Monday: The Best Things To Buy In October

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It is the first week of October, which can be a tricky month for shoppers. We're already first seeing Black Friday ads and leaks, so you might feel the need to abstain from making any purchases, but there are deals you don't want to miss out on.

To get movin' on what to shop for this month, Kim Johnson sat down with Chrysa Duran from Thrifty Jinxy.

As we say goodbye to summer camping season, say hello to camping clearance.

"Since people are doing a little less camping now, everything is on sale," Duran said. "Whether you're looking for sleeping bag, hiking gear, fishing equipment, everything is on sale right now."

Just in time for football season, some of these items can serve double-duty as tailgating gear like coolers and camp chairs and tables. Look for markdowns as much as 50 percent off.

If you need to update your wardrobe you can find some discounts on jeans.

"This is one of the best times to buy jeans, because back-to-school is just finished so they're trying to move out back-to-school inventory," Duran said. "They're bringing in all the holiday inventory so you can find prices really low."

Duran says that's true for both in-store and online jeans shopping.

We may be just getting started on fall, but some decor is already discounted, you just have to know where to look.

"You can find a lot of different stuff on sale right now if you go to the craft stores they start to discount the holiday items well before the holiday," she said. "So if you go into stores like Michael's or JoAnn's, up to 50 percent off already, so that's a great place to start looking."

It is peak season for produce, such as potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and of course pumpkins, so enjoy low prices now.

"This is a really good time to get apples, and they're really good too because they're in season," Duran said.

Finally, October is a sweet spot for bargain travel because it's nestled between summer vacation and the busy holiday season.

"If you're thinking of traveling internationally right now is the start of the slow season for European travel, so you can get great deals on packages and airline tickets. Another bonus is if you go to popular sites, it won't be as crowded," she said.

If you're traveling domestically for the holidays in November or December, Duran says think about booking your plane tickets now. Prices will start going up by late October.