What to Buy (and Skip) in November 2025

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Updated Oct 24, 2025 1:24 p.m. PDT · 3 min read

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November is a great month for bargains. Black Friday happens this month after all, and the supposed single-day sale holiday seems to get stronger and go longer every year. Plus, online retailers like to keep you guessing and may drop a worthy deal on any given day.

Your strategy to save money this month? Review your budget, make a list of what you want and remember to ABC: always be checkin’ (or just set deal alerts) for discounts. Consult this Nerdy list of the best things to buy and skip in November, too.

Buy: Electronics

Black Friday, which falls on Nov. 28 this year, is synonymous with great deals on gadgets. Look for markdowns on TVs, tablets, laptops, cameras, smartwatches and smartphones at all the usual places — Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target and Costco — on actual Black Friday.

But don’t hesitate to keep a bead on the tech you want in the days leading up to the sale holiday, too. Retailers realize they’re dealing with extra judicious consumers these days and are known to roll deals out early. Amazon, for example, started its “Black Friday Week” on Nov. 21 last year.

Skip: Bedding and linens

Need a thicker comforter for the cold months? January is just around the corner, and it’s your best bet for a deal on bedding and linens. Stores promote bedding discounts, called white sales, at the beginning of each year as a way to bring shoppers into their in-store and online home departments.

In past years, bedding basics were slashed by 50% or more at stores like JCPenney, Macy’s and Pottery Barn. We expect similar savings again in 2026.

Buy: Vacuums

Aside from spring cleaning season, November might be the best time to add a new vacuum cleaner to your closet. We usually see vacuum models from Dyson, Shark, Bissell, Hoover and more on sale during Black Friday events.

Expect sweeping sales on high-tech sweepers to land at the end of the month.

Skip: Strollers

Strollers and other baby gear aren’t an absolute skip in November, but you’ll probably do better in May, June or July, according to Consumer Reports. Spring is the start of strolling weather after all, and Amazon’s Prime Day typically falls in July.

Buy: Air fryers and coffee makers

Air fryers burst onto the scene around 2017, and these magical machines are still cookin’ with gas (or air, rather). Black Friday is a good time to look for a deal, but you could score a deal on any given day in November.

I (your Nerdy writer) found an Instant Vortex Plus air fryer for half off list price on a random early November day one year. The particular model caught my eye while at a friend’s house for dinner. I checked Amazon when I got home and couldn’t pass up the $69.95 price, which was at least 50% off.

Coffee makers also heat up in November. Look for great deals on Nespresso, Ninja, Keurig and other popular coffee maker brands in November, especially on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

You may want to roll the dice and wait for Cyber Monday — which falls on Dec. 1 this year — for other kitchen gadgets. We’ve seen items like the KitchenAid Classic Series stand mixer reach a lower price on Cyber Monday than on Black Friday at Amazon and Target.

Skip: Specialty food items

You know that meat and cheese board or tin filled with peppermint bark you send to family when you run out of time and ideas? According to Jane Boyd Thomas, a professor of marketing at Winthrop University, you can keep specialty treats as your Christmas gift backup plan.

Retailers may not be motivated to move items quickly because seasonal treats tend to have a long shelf life and people often send them as last-minute gifts, she says.

Bonus: Veterans Day

Veterans Day doesn’t pack the shopping punch of Black Friday, but there can be bonus ways to save a buck on Nov. 11.

If you serve or have served, ask about military discounts at stores, restaurants and even barbershops. For example, Rack Room Shoes will offer a 20% discount (normally 10%) to current and former U.S. military members and their dependents. Sport Clips is doing free haircuts for vets at participating locations on Veterans Day.

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