CHRISTMAS is on the horizon and thoughts are turning to gift giving, which can often bust even the best prepared budgets.

There are some key dates shoppers should know about coming between now and the big day though, and it could save some serious cash.

From Christmas presents to food, costs can rack up quickly.

But plan ahead and get these dates in your diary to help keep costs down.

The months leading up to the big day are prime time to bag some bargains if you know the specific days and times to watch out for.

Below we reveal the key dates of sevento slot into your diary to make sure you're saving cash on Christmas presents.

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Black Friday bonanza – November 27

Black Friday has become a fixture on the shopping calendar over the past few years with discounts across a range of items including technology, beauty, clothes and toys.

This year Black Friday falls on November 24, a whole month before Christmas and the perfect time to bag a bargain.

Deals often start early though in the lead up to the main event, so keep your eyes peeled one to two weeks before.

They also run for longer than just the Friday, continuing into Cyber Monday, on November 27.

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It's too early yet to know exactly what kind of reductions and offers we can expect, but previous discounts give a good indication.

Retail giants like Amazon, John Lewis and Argos are always a good bet for Black Friday deals.

Plenty of high street and online fashion brands like New Look, Mango and more will usually be slashing prices too.

While beauty retailers and brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Sephora UK and Boots, will likely have hundreds of skincare, makeup and fragrances products on offer.

Last year saw offers like the Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker at John Lewis slashed from £54.99 to £26.99 – a saving of £28.

A Sodastream at very.co.uk was reduced to just £60 from £85, saving £25.

While a Benefit full glam set which was worth £106 was on sale for just £32 on its website.

And Adidas also cut the price on a range of clothing items too across its website, these included hoodies, shaving as much as £17 off.

We've also listed the full list of retailers which opted not to take part in the event last year, so may choose not to again.

To make the most of Black Friday it's best to plan ahead.

Make a list of exactly what you are looking for beforehand and keep an eye on prices in the lead up – then you have a better idea of if it's a good deal or not.

Websites like PriceRunner and CamelCamelCamel can help you do this.

As ever, it's always best to check it's the cheapest price you can find on the day itself too, as you might still find items for less elsewhere even if they are on sale.

Sites like Price Spy, Idealo and Google shopping are worth bookmarking for this.

Of course The Sun will be bringing you more information on biggest savings and deals closer to Black Friday.

Remember too, it's not a bargain is you didn't intend to buy it anyway.

Amazon Prime Day part two – From October 10

Amazon's Prime Day is in the summer but lucky shoppers have a second chance to bag some bargains as a second major shopping event is running on October 10 and 11.

Deals across the shopping site range from homeware and appliances to sportswear and haircare.

If you want to shop the Amazon Prime Day deals, you'll need to sign up to become an Amazon Prime member online which cost £8.99 a month or £95 a year.

We don't know yet what will be on sale, but we know from previous deal days that shoppers can expect big price drops on Amazon's own devices like Echo Dots, Fire tablets, Ring doorbells and Kindle e-readers.

Lat Prime Day, there were huge reductions on items like the Simba Hybrid foam mattress topper for £148.85, reduced from £229.00, a saving of £80.15.

Shoppers could also save £172 on a Tefal pots and pans set which were reduced from £310 to £138.

Perfume lovers were in luck too as the Davidoff Cool Water Woman eau de toilette was slashed to £21.25 from £75.47 – a huge £54.22 saving.

Toys are usually included, and last October we saw select Lego reduced by almost 50% in the sale.

As with Black Friday, make a list and check prices ahead of time and on the day to make sure you're getting the best deal.

If you're not an Amazon Prime member you can get a 30-day free trial before you have to fork out.

Make sure to cancel before you're charged the full annual amount.

Supermarket toy sales – from now

Most major supermarkets hold huge toy sales in the run-up to Christmas with as much as 57% off – good news for parents.

We don't yet know all the dates for these, but some deals experts have had a guess at when they could launch based on previous years.

Tesco has got in early and launched the first toy sale of the autumn on September 18.

It will last until November 1 and includes Peppa Pig and Barbie for half price.

But you'll need a Clubcard to get these lower prices, though it's free to get one, and they are in stores only, not online – you can find your nearest on the Tesco website using its store locator tool.

You'll find Mini Brands – popular stocking fillers for £15 instead of £30 for a four-pack, Stickle Bricks are £14 instead of £28 and a replica Red Bull car is slashed from £35 to just £17.50.

Morrisons has also launched a huge toy sale across over 50 products with savings of up to £80, but has not said when it will end.

Deals include Squishmallows Stackers reduced to £12 from £20, a Barbie Dream Camper Playset, selling for £60 instead of £140, and up to 50% of Pokemon, Hot Wheels and Lego. 

This toy sale is also in store only at Morrisons' 423 locations, not online, and you can find the nearest using its store locator tool.

Asda shoppers have noticed that its annual toy event returned from September 23.

The sale usually lasts two weeks so customers expect it to end by October 7.

It includes discounts of up to 50%, such as five-pack of Squishmallows reduced from £46 to £23.

The sale is available both online and in-store so you can have a look through its online offering and compare prices before heading to your nearest store.

Sainsbury's has not launched a toy sale yet, but is expected to on October 11 until October 24, according to Dan Evans, the editor at HotUKDeals.

Barbie, Hot Wheels, Lego and Playmobil are among the brands you'll likely see on sale, and last year saw reductions of as much 50% off and more.

Last year's sale was between October 12 and October 18, and was in stores only, not online and it's likely to be the case this year too.

Always remember just because it has a discount tag, doesn't mean it's the best deal out there so always compare prices.

Early Boxing Day sales – December

Shoppers don't have to wait until after Christmas for the biggest shopping deals of the year – Boxing Day sales often come early and mean you can take advantage of them before the big day.

The exact dates that early Boxing Day sales take place will vary from shop to shop.

Many tend to begin the discounts in the first few weeks of December, once the Black Friday sales have come to an end.

Several major retailers including Ikea, The Range and Amazon slashed prices ahead of Boxing Day sales last year.

The Ikea winter sale launched on December 12 with savings of up to 70% including home and outdoor furniture, children’s accessories, and soft furnishings.

Amazon UK's Last Minute Deals went live in early December, and didn't end until December 22 and included offers on fragrances, tech, beauty and clothing.

One of the best deals we found was a reduced Vera Wang perfume for just £14.99.

The Range, famous for its discount prices all year round, had a 30% off sale on Christmas items, including decorations, dining sets, and homeware.

Argos had a big toy sale in the first fortnight of December last year, slashing the prices of whole range of different gifts for kids.

As always, shop around to find the best deals and factor in any delivery costs too.

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Meanwhile, Asda has revealed the exact date you can book a Christmas delivery slot and it's earlier than ever.

Plus, a discount supermarket is selling Quality Street tubs for under £4 but customers are urged to be quick.

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