How to make the most of Black Friday without spending too much



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By Nicole Spector

Black Friday is one of the most historic shopping holidays, dating back to the creation of Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in 1924. In the mid-1960s, the day after Thanksgiving Day, the Philadelphia Police Department described the chaos of buyers creating traffic jams around downtown stores.

Certainly, a lot has changed since then, and with the rise of e-commerce and the influx of other shopping holidays, Black Friday, a brick-and-mortar festival of some kind. day, has lost its vigor. Now, Black Friday exists both online and offline and announces the official start of the holiday shopping season (if you have not already made your purchases on Amazon Prime Day, that's it). The Cyber ​​Monday comes a few days later and last year, the Black Friday was nearly $ 6.6 billion, against $ 5 billion (this figure also includes purchases made on Thanksgiving Day).

Black Friday may not be the absolute collapse it has been, but it's still a precious time to save – and with that, to spend.

"Buyers are planning to spend $ 803, which is $ 60 more than last year," says Sara Skirboll, RetailMeNot shopping and trend trends expert. "While Black Friday is going from a single day of shopping to a weekend shopping activity, [our] The data shows that 78% of customers will buy purchases throughout the weekend and that 33% of them will take a length of time while shopping on Thanksgiving night, spending an average of $ 191. . "

What exceptional sales can we expect on Black Friday and what are the good deals we might want to avoid? Follow these tips to navigate the holiday weekend without being overwhelmed.

Make a list in two parts: "For me" and "For others"

"Holiday shopping can be stressful and costly if you do not have a strategy in place," said Chelsea Hudson, consumer shopping expert at TopCashback.com. "According to a recent poll by TopCashback.com, 60% of Americans say that holiday shopping is stressful and overwhelming. To make your shopping experience run smoothly: create and calculate a budget, and then divide purchases into two categories: gifts [for others] and household purchases such as entertainment costs. The more you prepare for Black Friday and the holiday season, the better.

By dividing the list into two sections, you can better manage your budget and fine tune your specifics to achieve all your holiday shopping goals. In addition, a list helps you avoid impulse purchases, which can cost Americans more than $ 5,000 a year.

Act early (even before Black Friday) on fashionable toys

Although big box retailers have started offering holiday deals earlier this month, you usually want to wait for Black Friday to maximize your savings – unless you buy a high-demand item, such as some toys.

"Based on the purchasing and buying habits of recent years, you will want to buy top quality toys at Black Friday, thanks to the supply and demand," says Hudson.

To find out more about the most sought-after toys this holiday season, check out Amazon's 100 best toys list. You can see which items offer discounts and find out which sport you are saving the most.

When performing an online search, be sure to use a browser extension for refunding or automatically applying coupon codes. I recommend EBates, Honey, Wikibuy, TopCashback and RetailMeNotGenie.

Enjoy offers on electronics, travel, winter clothes and kitchen items

According to Black Friday tradition, retailers will deliver exclusive offers. Usually deployed on a black friday morning (although we also see them slide on Thanksgiving), these sales may be the most difficult to manage, as they all seem very useful, but there will undoubtedly be mediocre offers.

The key is to know what to look for.

"There are definitely categories that will benefit from more discounts than others," says Skirboll. "The best things to buy on Black Friday include electronics, appliances, winter clothes and time-based travel."

Retailers always keep details of top secret doorbuster transactions, but if history is an indicator, we can expect the following type of sale, according to Skirboll:

Best Buy: Up to 75% off Black Friday Slip

Walmart: Up to 70% Off on Black Friday Deals About Electronics, Toys, Home and More

Target: 20% coupon on the purchase of $ 50 (Black Friday)

Macy's: 20% off some items + free shipping at $ 49 purchase

Hudson adds that one can also expect interesting offers on kitchen appliances.

"Whether you're looking to improve your kitchen or just use a new blender, Black Friday is the perfect time to shop for all kitchen appliances," says Hudson, adding that expensive items would not be the only cheats to use.

"Retailers such as Kohl's, Macy's and JCPenney, for example, will offer kitchen appliances such as slow cookers, blenders and coffee makers for $ 10 or less."

Beware of dull technical products on sale

Retailers are likely to save money on technology, but be careful and read before making a splurge (at a reduced price) here.

"I'm always wary of technology offerings, especially laptops, tablets, and TVs," says Krista Fabregas, an analyst for retail and e-commerce at Fit Small Business. "Stores will promote the savings of losses [in this category]. Consumers should review and compare the features of the promotional products in relation to the products on sale, and even those at regular prices. This will help to ensure that they are good values ​​- not low-end models that look like much, but are not really so. "

Most likely, you'll find that the technology performs well in some areas and low in others, so just read the product before you buy it. Maybe that's what you're looking for.

"An older model, with a slightly slower processor (or a lower resolution) but with more memory and storage, may be the best deal than a newer version," says Fabregas.

Transmit phones

"Cell phones are generally a false economy," says Hudson. "Most of the time, you will not receive a discounted phone, but you may receive a bonus, such as a gift card, to encourage users to switch to a new phone. The biggest discounts on phones are available when the last generation retires and a new one is ready for pre-order. "

Amazon will cut prices on its own brands

Amazon is holding its own Black Friday event with Prime Day in July, but the gigantic company is not ready to miss another gold mine. Consumers can look forward to a permanent sales festival on Amazon around Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday.

"Prime Day is usually a pretty good indicator of what to expect from Amazon during the holiday season," notes Cooper Smith, director, Amazon IQ Research at Gartner L2. "This year, we found that rebates covered more categories and that the largest number of transactions involved home, electronics, sports and recreation. We are also expecting major discounts in the Toys category because Amazon is looking to fill the void left by Toys' R Us. "

Smith adds that Amazon's exclusive offers will feature prominently throughout the site to publicize more than 130 private labels – "that sell everything from mattresses to sportswear."

"We will see a whole range of discounts on Alexa's Internet-connected Alexa device portfolio, with the latest models such as Echo Look being the most discounted up to 50% off," Smith said.

Tips for staying healthy and saving dough

To bring more structure (and consistency) to the chaos of Black Friday, Fabregas offers the following tips to consumers:

  • Set your budget as soon as possible (as now).
  • Get highs. "Search online for Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday online – they are already available, but Google" Black Friday 2018 preview. "Compare deals with your list and see where you find the best deals, as well as the dates and times of sale. "
  • Pre-purchase if you can. "Amazon has a presale list that you can create to trigger the purchase when the item goes on sale."
  • Plan your trips in store. "Write down all the expensive items that indicate a limited amount – these will go fast."
  • Make a small bonus budget, if possible. "If your budget allows, plan an amount that you are comfortable spending if you find [an unexpected] treat that you can not resist. "

Black Friday deals that you can hang right now

Better writers, editors and experts are committed to recommending the articles we really like and hope you enjoy them! Just so you know, BETTER has affiliate relationships. So, even if each product is independently selected, if you buy something through our links, we can generate a small share of revenue.

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