💰The Deal Guy Newsletter - Issue #61

🧾 INSIDE THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER:

**These deals could end or sell out at ANY time. If you buy something through any of the links featured in this newsletter I may get a small share of the sale.

🦃 $40 Thanksgiving Meals! This year both Aldi and Walmart are offering Thanksgiving meal bundles for around $40 that feed up to ten people.

You can find a link to Aldi’s meal here and Walmarts meal here.

☕ Starbucks Red Cup Day is back! Next Thursday (November 13th), Starbucks will give customers a free reusable red cup with the purchase of any holiday beverage while supplies last.

Starbucks is also bringing back its “Win Starbucks for a Year” promotion where over 140,000 prizes are up for grabs, including free Starbucks for a year!

🧰 Black Friday is arriving early at Home Depot! This Wednesday (November 5th), Home Depot kicks off its full Black Friday sale that will run until December 3rd.

It is important to note that this is not an early Black Friday sale.. this is their FULL offering with categories already labeled on site! Later on in this newsletter, I have Black Friday start dates for the other major retailers.

🧸 Toys “R” Us is back! Toys “R” Us has begun rolling out a comeback with new flagship stores and seasonal pop-ups. More than 30 locations are opening as we speak. Here is the full list if you’re interested.

👀 NEW BEAUTY DUPES TO SAVE YOU $$$: Amazon has introduced a budget-friendly beauty line under Amazon Basics with packaging that compares itself to the equivalent name brand versions.

❌ Travel and cruises: Travel Tuesday on Tuesday, December 3 is historically among one best days of the year to book airfare and cruise. I would hold off if you can.

❌ Winter apparel: Coats, sweaters, and cold-weather footwear typically see stronger markdowns by early December when retailers need to clear seasonal stock.

❌ Holiday decor: Holiday lights, trees, wrapping supplies, and inflatables begin dropping mid November but the best markdowns always arrive one week after Thanksgiving.

❌ Toys: Retailers consistently lower toy prices in the final two weeks before Christmas to compete for last-minute shoppers. With the exception of scattered Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, I would absolutely wait if that’s possible for your household.

❌ Grills: End of the year close-out deals on grills and barbecues AFTER Christmas are the very best of the year if you’re not highly specific on color choice or model year.

Here are some recent subscriber submitted money-saving tips:

Kate from NY writes: “When my three girls were younger, (they’re in their 20’s now,) I would buy a variety of different Halloween costumes on clearance AFTER Halloween. I’d place them in a “dress-up trunk” and give it to them for Christmas. They would play dress up all year long and have different “events” while letting their imagination go wild. Not only was this more economical but saved the day for any last minute costume needs be it for school, parties or Halloween for the next year.”

Waci from TX writes: “Check your public library’s “Library of Things.” I borrow tools, sewing machines, hotspots, and even museum passes for free, which saves me on one time rentals and impulse buys.”

Dayna from OH Writes: “Dayna in Ohio: Kroger marks down meat and bakery in the morning, usually between 8 and 10 a.m. I pair those yellow stickers with digital coupons in the app, then freeze the same day in meal-sized portions to lock in the savings.”

Reply to this email and share it with me! If I feature your tip, I’ll give you a shoutout in next week’s newsletter!

(Include your first name + the state you live in so I can add it to the shoutout)

Amazon officially starts Black Friday on November 28, with Cyber Monday deals landing December 1. Typically the only “early” deals are on Amazon-made products like Echo, Fire Devices, Blink and Ring home security products.

Apple will run its annual Shopping Event from November 28 through December 1, offering gift cards with select purchases. Keep in mind most of the Apple deals are better at Best Buy or Costco than they are from Apple directly.

Best Buy begins its event on November 20. Stores open early on Black Friday, with exact times varying by location.

Costco launched Wave One of its holiday savings on October 31, running through November 16. Wave Two runs from November 17 through December 1. Online deals usually begin at 12:00 a.m. local time, and most warehouses open at 9:00 a.m. on Black Friday, November 28.

Home Depot: As I briefly referenced above, the retailer’s Black Friday deals begin November 5 and run until December 3rd.

Kohl’s begins its main sale on November 23. Online deals drop at 1:01 a.m. EST and most stores open early on Black Friday with times varying by state.

Macy’s Black Friday deals begin November 28. Check your local store for exact timing and although not officially announced, most “door-buster” type deals, appear online one week prior.

Sam’s Club starts its Black Friday savings online at 12:01 a.m. EST on November 27. In-club deals follow normal store hours.

Walmart kicks off its first Black Friday sale November 14 through 16, with early access for Walmart+ members beginning November 13 at 7:00 p.m. EST. Their second sales event runs November 25 through 30, with early access starting November 24 at 7:00 p.m. EST.

If you’re looking to join a warehouse club, or want to give the gift of the experience to a friend or family this holiday season, here are the current discounted membership offers for November:

Costco: Costco’s current deal is through Groupon and gets you a $40 digital Costco Shop Card when you sign up online for a $65 Gold Membership. That technically brings your overall cost down to $25 for the year after using the gift card!

Sam’s Club: If you missed the $15 membership deal from last month, you are still in luck as Sam’s is now offering 50% off the price of a regular membership.

BJ’s Wholesale Club: BJ’s has finally brought back its $15 membership deal! If you live near a location and have always wanted to try it out, now is a great time!

To get your question answered, simply respond to this email with any money-saving related question and feel free to include your first name so I can address you properly.

💡 Yemi Asks: “I know the best time to buy a tv is before the Super Bowl but I’m going to be adding a two to three tv setup in my basement. Should I buy the tvs now or wait till Black Friday. I’m looking for a deal, but I want a tv with at least 120hz refresh rate so that should take me out of contention for the lowest priced deals. What are your thoughts?”

Hi Yemi! You are correct… the promos before the Super Bowl are the best for high-end TV’s but for mid level televisions and many models with 120hz refresh rates, the two weeks that leads into Black Friday will bring you the most aggressive deals of the year. I would keep an eye on Best Buy… and anything before Black Friday itself is your best bet.

💡 John O Asks: “The wife and I are looking to "gift" ourselves with a new set of Made In pots and pans for Christmas, when would be the best time for this purchase, or do you know of any sets that are of equal quality to Made In?”

Hi John! There will be discounts on Made In cookware on Black Friday (and a few pop up deals on Cyber Monday). The best cookware I’ve ever used is from Hexclad. It’s at a similar price as the sets you asked about and it will be on sale for Black Friday on Amazon, plus its often reduced at Costco. It lives up to the hype and is an incredible set.

💡Peggie S. Asks: “Thank you for the work you do. I need an air purifier. What do you recommend? I live in a mobile home for now and it is small. My heat/AC is mini splits but I do have a cat. Thanks.”

Hi Peggie! Thank you for the message. I like the Honeywell HPA060 for a smaller space and it’s ideal for those with pets. It is compact, affordable, and uses a true HEPA filter plus a carbon layer to handle dander and pet odor. It runs quietly and does not burn power, so you can leave it on all day and keep the air clean without taking up much room or money.

And for the many wonderful people still asking about appliances, your best deals are Black Friday or Cyber Monday at Home Depot and Lowe’s.

Every week in this section of the newsletter, I share some of the most interesting and helpful money-related articles I’ve read over the past week. I hope you find these as valuable as I did!

💵 “The big differences between frugal and cheap”  - READ HERE.

💵 “30 products that haven't been around for as long as you think” - READ HERE.

💵 “Four military benefits that have helped my family” - READ HERE.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this week’s newsletter. This month has more deals and savings than any other time of the year. I promise I will be working for you around the clock as we inch closer to Black Friday.

Happy Savings!👋

The Deal Guy (Matt Granite)