ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Parents, listen up. You may not have bought your kid’s Halloween costume yet, but it’s already time to start shopping for Christmas. Hey, Deanna says she doesn’t even have the pumpkins out on her lawn yet. But all the big names in retail are having holiday sales next week – Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy. It’s a bit overwhelming, right? So, Deanna asked Bankrate expert, Ted Rossman, if starting the holiday shopping season so early actually good for consumers.

“Use this time to your advantage comparison shopping to spread out your cash flow,” said Rossman. “If nothing else, start to get the budget together. You probably have something like five or six paychecks before the holidays, so set money aside from each of them.  That way you’re not going into expensive credit card debt.”

The average credit card interest rate right now is about 20%. And the National Retail Federation predicts the average holiday shopper spends about 900 bucks on gifts. Starting early allows you to spread out the spending and use cash.

Target Circle Week starts Sunday featuring great deals on gift items, tech and appliances. Walmart’s sale starts Tuesday and runs through Sunday, promising deals on everything from vacuums to toys. Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are Tuesday and Wednesday with deals on holiday gifts, Amazon electronics and kitchen gadgets. And then there’s Best Buy’s flash deals also on Tuesday and Wednesday with some great deals on electronics.

Bankrate surveys indicate a third of us plan to spend less this year, so retailers are planning deep discounts.

“I see 25 percent off as really the floor,” said Rossman. “A lot of these deals are going to be 30, 40. 50 percent off so that’s really good news for shoppers.”

Asked if shoppers should wait for deeper discounts closer to Christmas he said, “It probably depends on the item and your individual circumstances. I wouldn’t necessarily expect the deals to get better or worse as we get closer. I feel like once we hit next week, once we get into October, things like Amazon Prime Big Deal Days and Target Circle Week take place, I see that as more of a plateau.”

So, here’s Deanna’s Do List for capitalizing on these competing sales:

• Make a list so you don’t overspend.
• Do your research before you buy.  Target, Walmart and Best Buy all price match so make sure you’re getting the lowest price.
• Use coupon browser extensions like Capital One Shopping or Rakuten.
• If your credit card company awards points for using its shopping portal, take advantage of it, but pay the bill in full.
• Stack coupons.  For example, use the manufacturers coupon and the store coupon for extra savings.

There’s only one thing the experts say you shouldn’t buy during the holiday sales – televisions. You usually see the best sales on TVs after the holidays. And if your little one hasn’t made his list for Santa, talk to them about it this week, allowing you to plan for next week.