Shopping During October Prime Day? 3 Mistakes to Avoid

Falling victim to these blunders could cost you.

When Amazon announced its two-day Prime Day event for July, consumers all over the country -- and world -- started gearing up for some fantastic deals. Now, Amazon is bringing back an October version of Prime Day -- it's the Prime Early Access Sale. 

On Oct. 11 and Oct. 12, Prime members can anticipate thousands of deals on everything from toys to electronics to apparel. And with the holidays coming up, the Prime Early Access Sale could end up being a great time to shop for gifts. 

But if you're going to shop during Amazon's October Prime Day, it's important to proceed with caution. And that means steering clear of these potential blunders.

1. Buying things simply because they're on sale

Seeing an item that normally retails for $100 reduced to $60 might signal something in your brain along the lines "must buy this now." But try to remember that buying things you never really wanted or needed just because they're on sale isn't a way to save yourself money. In this example, you might think "hooray for me -- I just saved $40."

But, um, sorry, you didn't. Instead, you spent $60 on something that wasn't all that important to you. And that's hardly a win.

2. Buying things you can't pay for in full

During Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale, there will no doubt be many low-cost items knocked down even further. And you may find that even if money is tight, you can swing a kitchen gadget whose original $50 price is now $30. 

But one mistake you don't want to make during the October shopping event is buying expensive items at a discount and having to carry a credit card balance forward as a result. Any time you don't pay off your credit card bill in full, you accrue interest on your purchases. Rack up too much interest, and you'll negate the savings you reaped by jumping on a sale in the first place.

Plus, too high a credit card balance could actually cause damage to your credit score. So if you're going to shop during Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale, set a budget beforehand based on what your current cash flow situation looks like.

3. Making purchases without scoping out other offers

You might encounter a host of great deals during Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale. But does that mean they're the best deals? Not necessarily. 

Before you add items to your Amazon cart and proceed to checkout, spend a little time seeing what prices other retailers are offering for those same products. You may be surprised to see that another site has an even better price than what Amazon is listing.

Not only that, but if you see something you want and it's only modestly discounted, it could pay to put it in your Amazon cart, save it for later, and walk away. You may find that Amazon discounts it further down the line.

You may be eagerly looking forward to the Prime Early Access Sale. But keep these points in mind when shopping so you don't end up losing money or regretting your purchases after the fact.