INDIANAPOLIS — This week, Target, Amazon and Walmart are hosting big sales to jumpstart holiday spending.
Target's Circle Week is now through Saturday, Oct. 12; Amazon Prime Day is Tuesday, Oct. 8 and Wednesday, Oct. 9; and Walmart's Deal Days are Tuesday, Oct. 8 through Sunday, Oct. 13.
However, access to those sales may require an account.
Amazon Prime Day is for Prime members paying $14.99 a month, or $139 a year. For Targets' Circle Week, shoppers need to be signed up for the free Circle App. Walmart's sale is open to the public with Walmart+ members getting a 12-hour head start.
Before you start surfing sales, Kimberly Palmer, with NerdWallet, suggests making a list of what you are looking for online.
"If you are spreading out your purchases over several months starting in October, you don't want to lose track of what you've bought for someone," Palmer said.
Losing track of your spending could cause double purchases and buying more than you need.
To see if something is a good deal, use the browser extensions Honey or Camel Camel Camel for Amazon.
Those tools provide you with an item's price history.
For example, The One Stroller by Colugo is on sale at Target right now for $316. Full price, it is $395.
According to Honey, that is the lowest price it has been in 120 days.
"What's really important to know for shoppers is that a lot of big stores, like Target for example, you can actually price-match and get a refund if the price drops after you've made your purchase," Palmer said. "There are all kinds of exceptions, you want to read the fine print, but it's definitely worth continuing to track the prices even after you've made your purchase to avoid that feeling of regret."
If you are shopping for the holidays, keep return policies in mind.
Amazon's return policy for most items is 30 days, so that might not work for gifts going under a tree.
At Walmart and Target, most unopened items can go back within 90 days. That means a product bought Friday, Oct. 11 can go back in early January.
Just remember the return window for electronics is typically far smaller.