Some october bargains are terrifyingly good

Halloween and Christmas are nearly two months apart, but you’d never know that by walking the aisles of stores like Costco, Michaels or Lowe’s, which have already been hawking wares for both

holidays for weeks. Whether you’re outfitting your home — or yourself — for Halloween or working on your holiday shopping list, there are plenty of bargains available for savvy shoppers

this month. As in recent years, several high-profile retailers are planning big, storewide sales this month to help shoppers kick-start their holiday shopping. Here are a few important sales

to keep in mind. * ​TARGET CIRCLE WEEK (for Target Circle members) — Oct. 1-7 * HOME DEPOT DECOR DAYS (online only) — Oct. 5-9 * WALMART HOLIDAY KICKOFF (online only) — Oct. 9-12 * AMAZON

PRIME BIG DEALS DAYS (for Prime members) — Oct. 10-11 * BEST BUY FLASH SALE — Oct. 10-11 “The holiday shopping season used to kick off with Black Friday, and it was four weeks of crazy

sales,” says Brad Godwin, senior vice president and head of retail partnerships at Shopkick. “Now it’s been expanded and extended. Retailers think if they can get shoppers in earlier,

they’ll get that sale and then incremental additional sales later in the season.” If you need a snack to fuel all that shopping, keep an eye out for deals at fast-food restaurants and

supermarkets on National Taco Day (Oct. 4) and National Dessert Day (Oct. 14). You may also see deals from pizza chains or local shops in honor of National Pizza Month. Beyond that, here’s a

look at some of the categories where, according to shopping experts, you’ll find sales this time of year, as well as where to shop and how much you could possibly save. PLANTS AND GARDENING

SUPPLIES While many gardeners spend most of the fall working on leaf removal and getting their lawns ready for winter, autumn is actually a great time to plant perennials, flower bulbs, and

some trees and shrubs — and a good time to find discounts on those items. Many nurseries shut down entirely in the winter and need to clear out their inventory, while hardware stores are

looking to make room for winter outdoor products like snowblowers and shovels. Keep an eye out for larger equipment, such as lawnmowers or outdoor trimmers, since you’re likely to find

clearance-level prices on them this time of year. WHERE TO FIND DEALS: Local nurseries, Home Depot, Lowe’s _POTENTIAL SAVINGS:_ 50 percent or more HALLOWEEN ITEMS If you have your heart set

on a particularly trendy Halloween costume (like Barbie or a Super Mario Brother this year), you may need to shop early and spend closer to full price to make sure you can snag the outfit in

your size. If you’re less picky, waiting a few weeks will yield savings. “The trick with Halloween is that the closer you get to the actual day of Oct. 31, the lower the price will drop,

but the caveat is that there is less selection,” says Kimberly Palmer, a spokesperson with the personal finance website NerdWallet.