The 4 best things to buy, and 7 to skip, during October Prime Day — plus, experts share their savings secrets

Once upon a time, October was a quiet month for shopping as we counted down to Black Friday -– but not anymore. Over the past few years, Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale, which is coming up on October 6 and 7, has cemented itself in the retail calendar. And while it’s not necessarily challenging to navigate, I’ve picked up some tips and tricks while covering it that may improve your shopping experience — and, even better, help you save more money. Below, I’m breaking down everything Prime members need to know about what deals are actually worth it, what’s skippable and tips to elevate your savings strategy. I also consulted experts about what you need to know, like the major differences between October Prime Day and Black Friday. Want more from NBC Selected? Sign up for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter. What to buy during October Prime Day Household basics and groceries Think about the most boring things on your shopping list: paper towels, protein powder, moisturizer, dog treats, socks and laundry detergent, for example. Those are some of the best products to buy during Prime Big Deal Days. Brands know shoppers are increasingly concerned about rising prices, especially leading up to the holidays, so they’re dropping prices on essentials you can’t avoid buying. “Everyday costs are putting pressure on household budgets, and October Prime Day can be an opportunity to take some of that pressure off by stocking up on the non-perishable things your household goes through anyway,” says Stephanie Carls, a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot, an online coupon and savings platform. “A discount on something already on your list can help free up money in your budget for other holiday expenses.” I say it every Prime Day: My number one piece of advice is to walk around your home and make a list of your repeat buys. Add those to your cart first during the sale, and use whatever’s left in your budget to get less necessary items. Related deals available now 50% off Adidas Men’s Athletic Cushioned No Show Socks (6 pack)28% off Colgate Optic White Pro Series High Impact White Toothpaste23% off Ksend Toilet Bowl Cleaning Tablets21% off Peet’s Dark Roast Ground Coffee21% off Old Spice Sport Deodorant Amazon-owned devices One of Amazon’s biggest Prime Day priorities is to sell products from the brands it owns, and the strongest deals usually center around Echo, Kindle, Fire, Ring and Blink devices — discounts are at least 30 percent off in most cases and can go up to 80 percent off. That’s not to say you should ignore deals from other tech brands. Apple, Sonos, Beats, Anker, Bose, Sony and more also drop prices on earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, smart home devices, portable chargers and smartwatches. But Amazon-owned devices are historically the most competitive since Amazon is the retailer hosting the sale and the brand selling the product, says Carls. Related deals available now 60% off the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD55% off the Blink Video Doorbell53% off the Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet50% off the Amazon Echo Dot48% off the Amazon Smart Plug Seasonal goods and holiday gifts By hosting Prime Big Deal Days in October, Amazon essentially kicks off the holiday shopping season. It’s also the last major sale before Halloween and Thanksgiving, so brands discount hosting supplies and festive decor, as well as cozy apparel and footwear. Buying these types of products now lets you use them for the next few weeks. Holiday gifts are also top of mind for shoppers during Prime Big Deal Days, but only certain ones are worth getting. If your loved ones have beauty products, gadgets and small home and kitchen appliances on their wish lists, now is the time to buy. Wait on most toys and gaming consoles, however — shop during Black Friday and Cyber Monday instead. Related deals available now 37% off the Staub Ceramic 16-Ounce Petite Pumpkin Cocotte35% off the Yankee Candle Apple Pumpkin33% off the Govee S14 Outdoor String Lights29% off the Lego City Advent Calendar 202625% off the FYY Extra Large Warming Mat for Food Small home and kitchen appliances Save the mattresses, couches, washing machines and refrigerators for later — October Prime Day is all about small home and kitchen appliances. Coffee makers, vacuums, toaster ovens, air purifiers and more go on sale throughout the event, and some of them even hit their lowest prices ever. Related deals available now 34% off the Nespresso Verturo Pop+33% off the Coway Mighty White Air Purifier31% of the Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum23% off the Ninja Creami 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker20% off the Shark StainStriker Portable Carpet/Upholstery Cleaner What to skip during October Prime Day During October Prime Day, skip buying the following products and wait until Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That’s when you’ll see a bigger selection of discounted items and lower overall prices. ToysTVsLaptopsVideo game consolesMajor home and kitchen appliancesFurnitureMattresses Are October Prime Day deals worse this year? No, October Prime Day deals aren’t worse this year due to the current economic climate, according to the experts I talked to. In fact, because Amazon, Target and Walmart, three of the nation’s biggest retailers, are hosting their mega sales during the same week, they’re competing for your cart, which could motivate them to drop prices a little more than they originally planned to win you over, says Carls. That said, high inflation rates, the skyrocketing cost of fuel and looming changes in tariff policies may cause brands to raise baseline prices and offer weaker discounts in the future. If you find a worthwhile deal on something you really need during October sales, don’t wait to buy it, says Porwal — that might cause you to pay more down the line. How to save the most money during October Prime Day Plan ahead October Prime Day runs on urgency. Limited-time deals sell out quickly, so planning is crucial. Before you start adding products to your cart, I recommend doing the following: Make a shopping list: It helps you monitor prices on the products you actually need and avoid getting distracted by other things you aren’t planning on buying, says Carls. I recommend making a shopping list by adding items to Your Lists on Amazon’s website and/or app so everything is in one place.Set up deal alerts: Amazon adds new October Prime Day deals at 12 a.m., 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. PT each day of the event. Instead of wasting time browsing, ask Alexa for Shopping, Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, to alert you when specific products, brands and products you frequently buy in general categories drop in price. Plus, there might be restocks if something sells out. Alexa for Shopping can help you shop Prime Big Deal Days in other ways, too — learn more here. Track prices and comparison shop Tracking prices is one of the only ways to know whether an October Prime Day deal is actually a good one. Evaluate price history graphs closely, which are available on some Amazon product pages and sites like CamelCamelCamel. They tell you whether the deal price is truly the lowest a product has dropped to in a while, or if it’s marked down from an inflated baseline. At NBC Selected, we don’t consider an October Prime Day deal “good” unless it’s at its lowest price in at least three months and recently dropped in price. Comparison shopping is important, too, says Vipin Porwal, the founder of and a consumer expert at Smarty, an online shopping rewards app.. Other big retailers are hosting sales within the next week that overlap with Prime Big Deal Days, so before you checkout, make sure items aren’t available elsewhere for a lower price. Compare shipping fees and how much cashback you can potentially earn, too. Shop Lightning Deals Lightning Deals drop as often as every 10 minutes and only run for a few hours. There’s also limited inventory available — once the product sells out or the deal expires, it’s gone for good. Lightning Deals are some of the most lucrative discounts brands offer during Prime Big Deal Days, so pay close attention to them, says Porwal. NBC Select also tracks them live to help you stay updated. Additionally, Porwal recommends taking note of the main deals Amazon advertises on its website’s and app’s homepage and landing pages. They tend to get the most visible placement because they’re some of the best savings opportunities. Stack savings Amazon typically doesn’t offer promo codes that you can stack on top of deals, but sometimes you’ll find “coupons” you can clip on certain product pages, which take a few additional dollars off the discounted item, says Carls. Also try to pay with a credit card that lets you earn points, rewards or cash back as you spend on Amazon. Familiarize yourself with return policies Amazon doesn’t have a special return policy for Prime Day purchases, but you should know how long you have to return an item if needed. Learn more here. Meet our shopping experts At NBC Selected, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest. Stephanie Carls is a retail insights expert at RetailMeNot, an online coupon and savings platform.Vipin Porwal is the founder of and a consumer expert at Smarty, an online shopping rewards app. Why trust NBC Selected? I’m a reporter at NBC Selected who has covered Amazon since 2020. I write about the retailer’s biggest sales (Big Spring Sale, Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days) and frequently update NBC Selected’s Prime membership guide. I also regularly appear in related NBC News NOW and TODAY segments. For this article, I spoke to two experts about what’s worth shopping during Prime Big Deal Days versus what to skip, and shared advice I’ve learned first-hand over the years. Catch up on NBC Selected’s in-depth coverage of tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok to stay up to date.