Don’t trust the discount stickers
Just because a product has a huge sticker with 50% off on it does not mean that product is in fact worth your while. One of the most commonly bought categories of products on Black Friday are electronics, and it is also a category of products that retailers most often try to trick us into buying. A lot of retailers increase their prices in the months leading up to Black Friday, only to later but their products on heavy discounts. These discounts, of course, make the products’ prices close to their regular market value, but most customers don’t check that – all they need to see is a flashy discount sticker!
When looking for the best Black Friday deals, always remember to check the prices online and look at the price chart of each product. The historical price of the product will tell you whether the retailer is trying to swindle you or if the promotion is legit. You will be surprised how often the discounted price will be very close to what that exact product was worth a couple of months ago.
Get the best discounts with some early research
Proper research will always get you far on Black Friday, saving you time and effort when looking for the best promotions. The sooner you start doing your research, the better. If you really want to save some serious money on Black Friday shopping, start looking for advertisements for Black Friday deals and discounts as far as a month back. Make a list of all of the products that you are interested in and look specifically for those. Whenever you encounter a product that is not on your list, but you’re still interested in buying, add it to a separate, lower-priority list.
Set up a budget for yourself and don’t exceed it. Make a strict list of the products you need to buy and don’t buy anything else that isn’t on it. If you happen to miss a product from your list or if it’s already out of stock, then you can buy something from your lower-priority list. This way you will be able to keep your spending in check.
When doing research, always look for customer reviews of each product you’re interested in. There are a variety of websites that provide professional reviews of certain products, especially electronics, and these are absolutely worth it to read through before your purchase. After all, a terrible product will never be worth its price, no matter how low it is.
Score the early bird promotions
Waking up early only to stay in long queues for the better part of the day may not sound too appealing, but it is one of the most effective ways to get to the best discounts before they run out of stock. A lot of retailers feature limited availability deals and promotions, and these are usually the most lucrative ones. The best way to score some of these early-bird promotions is to note down the opening hours of your favorite stores and visit them in order. Start with the one that opens the soonest and finish with the one that opens last. If you’re worried about others who might think the same, you can even come before the shop has opened and wait in front of the door.
Another great way of saving some money on Black Friday shopping is to look for some of the products on your list as early as Thanksgiving if you have some time to spare after the family dinner. A lot of retailers feature doorbuster prices on Thanksgiving, and no longer on Black Friday. While most retailers used to keep their stores closed on holidays, more and more keep their doors open every year, with shortened opening hours. If you’re a bit late to the party and didn’t manage to get all of the products from your wishlist on Black Friday – don’t worry! Try to find these products online on Cyber Monday and maybe you’ll find an even better deal.
