Early November Deals and Card Reward Tips

Consumer Reports says early November holiday deals are already rolling out, highlighting bargains on kitchen appliances, noise‑canceling headphones, Dyson robot vacuums, Hisense TVs and KitchenAid stand mixers. CR advises shoppers to wait until Black Friday for the deepest TV discounts. Using rewards credit cards can earn points and reduce costs, but redemption values vary by issuer — for example, Amex and Chase offer different gift‑card valuations and occasional bonus sales. For Thanksgiving grocery shopping, CR recommends cards such as the Amex Blue Cash Preferred (6% at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000), Capital One Savor (3% with no cap), Blue Cash Everyday and the Amex Gold (4x points at supermarkets), depending on your spending. For big‑retailer Black Friday purchases, shoppers should choose cards that maximize rewards for that merchant — suggested options include Capital One Venture, Amex Blue Cash Everyday, Wells Fargo Active Cash and Chase Freedom Flex for Walmart and cards like Blue Cash Everyday, Capital One Venture or Citi Double Cash for Target. Combining the right card, targeted offers and strategic redemptions can help protect purchases and stretch holiday budgets.