Best Things to Buy in November — and 5 Things to Skip

November brings the start of the long-awaited season of sales, including Veteran’s Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Gear up for incredible discounts on items including electronics, appliances, and bakeware. Even better, many stores are unveiling their early Black Friday deals now! Check out some of the best things to buy — and skip — in November.

November Savings 2024: Save on Appliances, Electronics, and More

Appliances

If you’ve been waiting to make an investment in a major home appliance, this is the month to buy. Black Friday and Cyber Monday always come with great home appliance deals on dishwashers, washers, dryers, lighting, and refrigerators. There are also Veterans Day sales, so you’ll get multiple chances to enjoy deep markdowns on top-brand appliances throughout the month.

Appliance Coupons

• Up to 40% off at Home Depot
• Up to 40% off at Sam’s Club
• Up to 40% off at Lowe’s

Electronics

You’ll see Black Friday ads full of special deals on electronics, so it’s a ripe time to plan for your big tech purchases. Look for TVs, laptops, headphones, gaming systems, smartphones, and more — you might be able to score hundreds of dollars off if you find the right deals. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday usually come with the best deals, sometimes these purchases just can’t wait. Luckily, you can still find hot sales on electronics beforehand by browsing retailers’ “Deals" sections for pre-Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts that are still hard to pass.

Electronics Deals

• Up to 43% off at Best Buy 
• Up to 50% off at Target
• Up to 70%% off at Walmart
• Up to 53% off at Amazon

Cookware and Bakeware

This time of year tends to be full of cookware discounts, so start shopping if you’re planning to upgrade your current collection before the winter holiday arrives. You’ll find discounts around Veteran’s Day weekend on top-brand sets and singles. Retailers usually mark down cookware and bakeware in November to get holiday shoppers to buy and usually include it in Black Friday sales.

Cookware and Bakeware Deals

• Up to 38% off at Kohl’s
• Up to 20% off at Bed Bath & Beyond
• Up to 50% off at Williams Sonoma

Vacuums

Vacuums from well-known brands including Dyson, Bissell, and Hoover go on sale during Black Friday, so it may be a good time to upgrade your own. While Black Friday is officially at the end of the month, there are already some great early Black Friday vacuum deals you can shop for. From handheld to stick vacuums, you’ll find more recent models with significant markdowns.

Vacuum Deals

• Up to 40% off at Target 
• Up to 50% off at Best Buy
• Up to 50%  off at Dyson

Tools

Find sweet deals at home improvement stores around Veteran’s Day and Black Friday, when a wider selection of tools, accessories, and toolboxes display notable markdowns. It’s an especially great month to make upgrades to your workshop and invest in larger purchases, like power tools and mobile workbenches. You can also check weekly ads at local hardware stores to see if they’re offering special in-store deals you won’t find online.

Tool Deals

• Up to 60% off at Amazon
• Up to 60% off at Home Depot
• Up to 30% off at Lowe’s

5 Things to Skip in November

1. Exercise Equipment

Hold off on getting exercise equipment since it usually goes on sale around January, when many people are kicking off their fitness-related resolutions. Prices usually drop after Christmas and New Year’s Eve, so scout out treadmills, stationary bikes, and elliptical machines then. Indoor exercise equipment also gets major discounts in the summer months, when outdoor fitness equipment becomes more in demand.

2. Bedding

If you’re looking for bedding and linens, wait until January for the best deals. Department stores hold “white sales" at the beginning of the year for sheets, duvets, comforters, and towels. Enjoy the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on other items and plan to upgrade your bedroom once the New Year arrives.

3. Doorbuster TVs and Laptops

Skip the super low-priced TVs and laptops — if the price seems too good to be true, you may not be getting the deal you think you are. Electronic companies make “derivative" models, which are pared-down versions of their regular TVs and laptops. The TVs usually have lower quality specs, fewer ports, and other issues, and laptops which often include low memory storage, weak operating power, and missing features.

4. Holiday Decor

November is still a major time for holiday decoration sales, so you won’t find discounts as steep as they could be. If you’re in need of some decor, buy only what you need and wait until after Christmas to get everything else you need to deck out your home in holiday cheer. Since most decor can be reused, you’ll save more by planning for the next season.

5. Apparel

While it might be tempting to ditch your fall wardrobe for new winter apparel, holding off until it gets closer to Christmas might yield even steeper deals. Clothing retailers tend to have overstock inventory around this time and they often try to get rid of warm-weather clothing months before the spring season starts with major discount incentives. So, if you can wait, you might just score an even better deal.