If you're planning to do some of your Christmas shopping ahead of time, October is a great time to start. This is one of the best times of year to buy toys! That means I'll be making my list (and checking it twice) very soon.

Other items discounted in October include:

Grills

Large appliances (washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers)

New tires and other car care items

Lawn mowers

Trees, shrubs and bulbs

Cookware

Ironically, October is also a great time to buy jeans. I guess the idea there is to do the shopping before you dig into the Halloween candy!