Top 6 Black Friday Shopping Tips
You’ve barely digested the turkey and your mind turns to the deals you should be scooping up during Black Friday. Though the deals are now starting earlier and earlier each year, the biggest discounts are still seen during the weekend after Thanksgiving leading into Cyber Monday. Here are the best Black Friday shopping Tips on how to get the most out of Black Friday deals.
Black Friday Shopping Tips
Make a List of What You Want
Have an idea of what you’re looking for. It’s only a deal if you’re going to buy something that you have been wanting or needing for a long time — and not on something that you didn't need in the first place. Start by jotting down items that you may be looking for be it a new crock pot or an iphone or even a brand new coat.
What Matters to You
Think of your time. For example, let's say JC Penny has a doorbuster deal on a blender for $70 on Black Friday but on Cyber Monday the blender is $75. Yes, it's $5 more, but perhaps it’s worth it since you won’t have to deal with the crowds, parking and time away from family.
Early Discounts
A lot of retailers release their Black Friday Shopping ads in late October or mid-November (or they are leaked). Subscribe to the newsletter of the companies you’re interested in buying from to get to be one of the firsts to get their Black Friday discounts. Check out sites like BlackerFriday, Black Friday or SlickDeals which has links to the ad scans to retailers like Target, Office Depot, Best Buy, Costco, JC Penny and Amazon.
Use Apps and Rewards
Of course, there are plenty of apps that will price compare for you or can be used to keep you within your holiday budget. NerdWallet wrote about ShopSavvy, Shopular, Flipp and Price Cruncher here. Use Ebates or Ibotta to receive up to 40% cash back when making purchases online. Use Honey for automatic coupons for online shopping.
What to Buy Vs What Not to Buy
Black Friday will see more discounts on specific products like appliances and electronics whereas Cyber Monday will see more site-wide discounts. On Black Friday you’ll want to look for deals on large and small appliances, tablets and e-readers, video games and movies. Black Friday is a going to be a great day or those looking to save on Amazon Fire HD, the Microsoft Surface Pro 12.3-inch with keyboard from Best Buy, and the Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and 32GB from Target.
The Bottom Line a deal is not a deal if you were not going to buy it in the first place. Make a plan for what you want to purchase, do your homework to make sure it’s the best deal and may not be on sale at a later time in the year. Start looking for deals as early as mid-October and use store-specific apps and Prime to get free shipping.