Best and worst things to buy in October

PHOENIX - October is here, and in between sipping pumpkin-flavored drinks and planning the perfect costume for Halloween – you'll be doing a bit of shopping.

Dealnews has once again searched their extensive archives of sales, coupons, and products from the past few seasons to guide you in your quest for the savviest purchases in October.

Here are a few of their suggestions:

HALLOWEEN ITEMS
Expect substantial sales on costumes the week before Halloween, with numerous stores offering stacking coupons to sweeten the deal. Last year, there were moderate sales from BuyCostumes, Costume Craze, Toys "R" Us, and Diapers.com and they got even stronger in the days leading up to Oct. 31.

PUMPKINS
Along the East Coast, flooding from last month's Hurricane Irene damaged many pumpkin patches, so prices on the seasonal gourd may be above average this October. Several media outlets are reporting that pumpkin prices could be almost double the norm.

COLD WEATHER APPAREL
The sharpest discounts on cold weather items won't come until January. If you can't wait until after the New Year, you should try holding out until November. Around Black Friday, a wealth of apparel retailers will offer their best coupon of the year, which may take a full 40 percent off or more.

TOYS
Wait until December to start seeing notable price drops.

Check out the rest of the article to find out whether to buy lingerie, HDTVs, garden items and laptops at dealnews.com .