Why should not you leave your couch on Black Friday?

The US's favorite annual shopping activity is around the corner. Last year, more than 174 million Americans participated in the busiest four-day shopping weekend of the year, which kicked off with Black Friday and ended with the Cyber Monday, spending an average of $ 335 each, according to the Washington Post. This year, it will probably be even more important, with a forecast increase of 4% in holiday spending.

But business does not come easily. Last year, a man claimed his place in Best Buy.

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17 days earlier than planned, he spends the first night spending time with his family, sleeping, and probably his mental health. Even the usual Black Friday buyers spend an average of 4.5 hours searching for sales, with some lining up before dawn to start early. And the competition for closing contracts can become fierce: Every year, new information reports fierce black Friday fights in stores across the country. (Sad fact: According to BlackFridayDeathCount.com, more Americans have died in Black Friday incidents over the past decade than shark attacks.

And yet … 69% of Americans surveyed last year by the National Retail Federation announced plans to brave the Thanksgiving weekend crowds, with two-thirds of them citing "too much" offers good to be ignored. But are they really?

Not necessarily.

Sometimes we pay more for things on black friday

It's probably not a news that Black Friday's offerings can vary greatly depending on the item: a pre and post-day price analysis of WalletHub 2017 revealed that the books, movies and the music, video games, toys and electronics were the most discounted items, while we're. re less likely to find deals on jewelry, clothing, accessories and furniture.

But did you know that some things are more expensive? According to WalletHub data, 8.5% of items cost more at major retailers on Black Friday than on Amazon

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in the previous weeks. (An older ShopAdvisor analysis found that 42% of products were more expensive on Black Friday than the previous four weeks.)

Talking about business that is not really business: For years, retailers have been incorporating special selling prices into their business models with original prices well above what they charge. Translation: This $ 30 T-shirt you bought for 40% off may have already been sold for $ 17.99 a few months ago.

We can find similar sales in the comfort of our sofa

Always attracted by the sales of Black Friday, but you do not want to put on pants? Do not forget that many retailers offer the same prices online as in their physical stores. Last year, according to TechCrunch, online shoppers spent $ 5.03 billion on Black Friday, looking for contracts like Microsoft

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Xbox One S 500GB consoles for $ 189.99 (retail: $ 249) at Best Buy and 49 "4K TVs for $ 159.99 (retail: $ 479.99) on Amazon.

It's easy to exaggerate during one-day sales.

Door-to-door offers. Flash sales. "Stocks last." These are all classic retail tricks: companies use a sense of scarcity to convince us to buy more, especially during shopping days with customers eager to acquire Limited offers (and other runners beat you to them). It's very easy to get caught up in the frenzy and make excessive spending.

Providing you with a list of what you really need to buy can help you. Taking a little more time to think about what you can afford to spend in each category – from food to decorations and gifts – to places where you get the best deals can save you even more.

There are many other possibilities to save

If you feel FOMO on Black Friday, there will always be Cyber ​​Monday, the all-digital shopping party that typically offers discounts similar to Black Friday. There is also … Tuesday. An analysis revealed that Walmart,

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Bluefly, Forever 21 and other companies have cut prices for clothing, jewelery and watches by over 40% – and have even put new items on sale – the day after Cyber ​​Monday 2017.

Miss these three days? Do not worry, there is more! Green Monday (the second Monday in December) looks like a second cyber Monday. It also begins the week when we can expect the biggest discounts on toys – up to 25%. And the day of free delivery is Friday, December 14, when many online retailers are lowering their prices and sending them their bills.

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