1. Shop early: There will be sales, but they may not be as frequent or on items on your wish list. They're expected to start and end earlier, so hitting the ground in September gives you more time to figure out alternative ideas.
2. Look for deals before Black Friday: It may be tempting to wait until the last minute, in part because that's typically when the deepest discounts are offered, but shopping before Thanksgiving and Black Friday doesn't necessarily mean you'll sacrifice on price.
3. Use apps to get alerts on price drops: Apps such as Paribus monitor prices on items you've bought online and notify you if there's a drop in the price, and can work to help you get the difference back.