Amazon's fall shopping event is back. Prime Big Deal Days runs Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 6 and 7, starting at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time (3:01 a.m. Eastern) on Tuesday and ending at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time Wednesday, the company said in its announcement and shopping guide.

The deals are for Prime members. A membership costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year in the U.S., and Amazon often offers a free trial. Shoppers can browse deals on the Amazon website or app. New limited-time deals drop at midnight, 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Pacific time, Amazon said.

The sale comes at a tense time for household budgets. Gas is above $4 a gallon, mortgage rates are above 7%, and the job market is cooling. Many shoppers are starting holiday buying early to spread out costs. The National Retail Federation expects Halloween spending alone to hit a record $13.5 billion.

Some background: Amazon launched Prime Day in July 2015 to mark its 20th birthday. It added a second, fall sale in 2022 to jump-start the holiday season. Other big retailers, such as Walmart and Target, often run competing sales the same week.

A few tips can help. Check price-tracking tools to see whether a "deal" is really lower than usual. Read return policies, since some items have shorter windows. Watch for fake reviews and lookalike sellers. And set a budget before you start browsing.

Experts say the best deals are often on Amazon's own devices, such as Echo speakers, Kindle readers and Fire TV sticks, as well as on home goods and toys.

For retailers, the event is an early test of holiday demand. Results will be watched closely as companies plan for Black Friday on Nov. 27.

What we know: The sale runs Oct. 6-7 for Prime members.
What we don't: How deep the discounts will be and how much shoppers will spend.