Labor Day is still a stretch away, but the sales have already started, and I for one am not complaining. WIRED has rounded up the early discounts on their favorite gear, and there are some genuinely good prices in there, not the usual "marked up so we can mark it down" nonsense.

The headliner for me is the Dyson vacuum. If you read my piece on last month's notable product launches, you know I've been waiting on real reviews and specs before deciding whether Dyson's premium pricing holds up. A sale doesn't answer that question completely but it sure softens the blow. I remember when a good vacuum cost $89 at Sears and lasted fifteen years... things have changed, and not always in our favor. Still, if your old machine has finally given up, a discounted Dyson is a far more sensible buy than a full-price one.

Wireless headphones and earbuds are the other big category right now, which tracks, because audio gear always goes on sale before a holiday weekend. If you've been limping along with a frayed cable or earbuds that only hold a charge for forty minutes, this is your window. I always tell my family the same thing: buy the thing when it's on sale, not when it breaks and you're desperate. Desperate shopping is how you end up paying full price for whatever's on the shelf that day.

My granddaughter Jess recently went through this exact scenario with a dying pair of earbuds right before a flight, and paid the panic price at the airport. Learn from her mistake, please. I certainly reminded her of it over dinner.

A few deal-shopping rules from someone who's watched these sales cycles for decades. First, check the actual price history, because some "deals" are just the normal price wearing a fancy red sticker. Second, only buy what solves a real problem for you. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it: technology should work for you, and that includes your wallet. A discounted gadget you don't need is still money spent, just dressed up as savings.

And third, if something on your list has been sitting in your cart for months at full price and it's suddenly 25 or 30 percent off, go ahead and treat yourself. Waiting that long isn't impulsive, it's patient, and I will defend that distinction to anyone.

The full list over at WIRED covers the specifics, including which models are actually discounted versus which ones are just getting marketing attention. Worth a browse with your morning coffee before the best prices sell through, because the good stuff tends to vanish by the actual holiday weekend.