Black Friday piggybank
Whether you’re a Black Friday enthusiast or hater, there are ample ways to cash in on super holiday savings throughout the season. So follow these tips for deep discounts on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and beyond.
Subscribe to store email lists. Decide on which stores you want to shop at least a couple of weeks in advance. Then visit each store’s website, and subscribe to its email list. Early sign-up will ensure you receive all promotional emails for the season’s big Black Friday and Cyber Monday events as well as ongoing savings right on through Christmas Eve.
Buy discounted gift cards. Visit Raise.com and order discounted gift cards for the stores from which you know you’ll purchase. You can use these cards to buy sale and special-buy items for added savings. Make sure the gift cards are for stores you’ll definitely shop at so you don’t blow your savings. Discounted gift cards also make great gifts.
Begin collecting Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that show up in your newspaper, mailbox, and email. Also, visit your favorite stores online a few days in advance to see what kind of deals they will offer. Print any coupons you find and store them together in a safe place.
Organize for the big day. Once you’ve collected all the deals, sort through and match them up to your holiday shopping list. Compare deals and determine when the sales or doorbusters begin, and if there will be limited quantities. If you can’t stand in line for hours for a limited quantity doorbuster, skip it and focus on other deals that are easier to fetch.
Prepare a ‘second best’ list. You can’t be everywhere at once, and you are sure to miss a deal or two. Prepare in advance for that possibility and know where to go and what to look for as an alternative.
Watch for early bird freebies. Many stores offer free gifts to the first 25 or 100 people in their store. It’s true – there are some pretty nice prizes to be had. But many will require you to arrive well before the crack of dawn and spend hours waiting in line. Before you succumb to these lures, consider whether it’s worth the risk of losing out on savings elsewhere.
Black Friday isn’t always the best day for hot bargains. Do your research. Stores tout their Black Friday deals to get consumers into a buying frenzy early in the season. Some even offer their super deals on Thanksgiving evening and start to reduce prices on Wednesday. Keep in mind, all those Black Friday deals also often can be found online on Cyber Monday. In fact, many hot deals – and some better deals – stretch well into December.
Shop late in the day. If you are like many, you wouldn’t even consider shopping on Black Friday simply because of the chaos. But on Black Friday the vast majority of shoppers start at the crack of dawn or earlier. By 5 p.m. early birds are beat, and malls and stores are dead quiet. So Black Friday evening is a great time to get in some peaceful, early shopping with plenty of great deals still going on.
Shop online. This is another option if you don’t want to participate in the madhouse. Many stores offer the same deals online as they do in their stores. In fact, many online stores don’t even have storefronts. Keep in mind supplies are often limited, even online. By the time you reach checkout, an item in your basket might be sold out. If you’re shopping for multiple items from a store, do multiple checkouts, so the items in your basket don’t disappear while you shop.
More holiday shopping tips
Arrange your finances in advance. If you intend to pay by credit card, plan well in advance, so the credit is available to you. Make your credit card payments at least two weeks in advance to allow time for processing. Use your credit cards that offer cash back or reward points to increase your savings. If paying with a debit card, check your balance before you head out to avoid an unwelcome surprise. Also, avoid carrying cash in chaotic crowds because of the increased risk of pickpockets and purse snatchers.
Leave the kids at home. The chaos of the holiday shopping season, especially Black Friday, poses risks to children. Although the chance is slim, there is a potential risk of trampling by crazed crowds on Black Friday. Your child also could get lost among the mob. Besides, shopping for long hours is stressful and exhausting for kids. Not to mention, it will increase your own stress level and deplete your energy.
Avoid carts. On Black Friday, carry shopping bags or totes instead unless you plan to buy heavy items. Carts will slow you down in crowds that are unwilling to budge for you.
Hold off on toy purchases. Black Friday doesn’t offer the best deals on toys. The first week of December usually provides more significant savings on these items.
Use social media for extra savings. Many retailers offer exclusive coupons and discounts to people who like them on Facebook or other social media. Check the social media accounts of the stores where you plan to shop.
Check return policies. Most, but not all, major retailers have liberal return policies. Do your homework before you make purchases. Also, ask for gift receipts to make exchanges and returns easy for your gift recipients.
Avoid impulse buying. Many shoppers’ savings go right down the drain because they grab unnecessary “great buys” in the spur of the moment. Prepare yourself mentally for the temptation before you head out.
Net extra savings with instant store credit. Most stores offer 10-25% savings by opening a store credit card at checkout. If you pay your charges off immediately and don’t use the card for unnecessary purchases, it is well worth the savings. Otherwise, the long-term cost of interest will exceed your savings.
Make sure a sale is really a sale. Some stores mark up merchandise before they reduce it to make it look like a great bargain. Furniture stores in particular are known for this tactic. But many other stores do it as well on select merchandise. Do your homework.
Don’t waste time trying to price match. On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, stores typically don’t honor price matching. The rest of the year, it is worth your time to do so.
Be prepared to wait. Before you head out, add your email account, music, audiobooks, or video games to your phone, so you have entertainment for the long wait in line. Better yet, spend your time in line visiting online stores and watch for rotating deals. Also, download a Black Friday deals app such as Dealnews, Slickdeals, Shopkick, Flipp, or The Coupons App.
Organize yourself for rebates. Print rebate forms in advance so you don’t lose track of them. Also, request duplicate receipts for rebate purchases, and store them in a safe place in your wallet or purse. If you shop online, download the Ebates app for automatic rebates when you buy on participating websites.
Forego extended warranties. With a few exceptions, extended warranties are a waste of money. Most electronics already come with a limited manufacturer’s warranty. Defects usually show up within the scope of the manufacturer’s warranty. Accidental damage that might be covered under a store’s extended warranty tends to occur rarely. Cell phones or small personal electronics people carry with them that are likely to get dropped, lost, or run through the washing machine are the exception.
Cyber Safety Shopping Tips from the Center for Cyber Safety and Education:
Here are a few simple safe shopping tips we recommend at the Center for Cyber Safety and Education:
- Be wary of clicking on an advertisement for a product that you received in an email or see on social media. If in doubt, simply go to your browser, type in the store’s address and search for the special there.
- Make sure you’re on the site you want to be on. If you search for a store or product online, use extreme caution when you see the results. Either type in the address as suggested above or double-check once you click on the link that you really went to the site where you planned to shop.
- Make sure you see “https” (not just http) in the URL. The “S” means the organization is leveraging encryption for its online transactions. Organizations not supporting https are opening their customers to having their online transactions intercepted.
- Create strong, unique passwords on every site using at least 8 characters. The more the better! Use two-factor authentication when offered and do not reuse passwords.
Want more safe shopping tips? Head over to our Parents Tips page on Safe Shopping. It’s also worth mentioning to slow down and think before you click. Take your time when shopping online and going through sales emails. Don’t risk compromising your identity or safety on accident when in a hurry.