We are all well aware that some Black Friday "deals" are not really sales, or their prices get inflated before the sale just for them to be sold at a "discounted" price that was actually their original price. So, what can you do to save money on Black Friday? Well, keep reading to find out the best tips and tricks to figuring out what actually goes on sale on Black Friday.
Making sure the Black Friday sales are actual sales
Keeping an eye out for the things you want to buy during Black Friday can help you see if the sales that are advertised are actual sales and that you will indeed be saving money when you make those purchases.
Furthermore, some Black Friday sales are really not worth it, and you can probably get better deals on some products for the rest of the year. So don't treat Black Friday as the end all be all of the sales, and if you find something discounted throughout the year that you've been wanting, keeping track of the prices will give you an idea of how discounted (or not) things are for Black Friday. This way, you will know if you should be waiting on Black Friday sales or not.
You can also use third-party price trackers like
Keepa and
Price History if you haven't been keeping track of things (which, to be honest, who has the time for?). They are simple to use, and you can check to make sure that the "sales" on Black Friday are real.
Using price trackers will show you when their prices are the lowest so you can get them when they are most affordable, even if it’s not Black Friday.
Stick to a budget
I know, I know, it's easier said than done, but making a budget and sticking to it will save you money in the long run. You can budget in many ways — not just for Black Friday, but for life in general.
But let's stay on topic; most of us wait for Black Friday to do our Christmas shopping. This means that we have a reasonably good idea of what we want to buy for our friends and family, and — let's be honest — a treat for ourselves. Knowing what you are looking to get and setting a budget you will not stray from is important so that you spend only what you need to. Don't give in, and stay on budget. Your savings will thank you later.
Don't go overboard on gifts
As we stated in our point above, purchasing only things you need will help you save money on Black Friday. As much as we love our friends and family, with today's cost of living being what it is, we can't splurge as much as we want to. Once you have gotten all the gifts for everyone (and yourself), stop browsing because the likelihood of finding more items with the "the sale is just too good" mindset is almost certain. Save yourself some stress and get only what you need to get.
Be prepared with a list beforehand
Having a budget is important, of course, but it also helps to compile a list of things you want to buy and not browse on the day of the sale. Pre-saving links to things you want will efficiently get you in and out (metaphorically) without the added temptation of looking through all the sales and almost certainly getting something unnecessary. Make your list as soon as possible, and when the time comes for Black Friday, you only have to stick to it.
Of course, sometimes the things you want will not be ones that go on sale, or you may not have enough to justify spending the money, but the list will narrow down the things you will have to look for, saving you money in the process.
Make sure you have accounts with the retailers you want to shop from
Imagine this scenario — you go in and put all the items you want in your cart, only to find out you can't check out because you need an account to do so. So, now you are scrambling to get your email verified in order to finally get back to your cart, but lo and behold — half of the contents are no longer available.
If you make sure you have your accounts ready, you won't have to stress about making them at the last moment on Black Friday. This way, when you go to check out, you will have a seamless experience and will not have to worry if the items you desire will be sold by the time you finish making your account.
Sign up for memberships
If you can sign up for things like Amazon Prime, you will get a whole new list of perks you can take advantage of all year round. With Amazon Prime, for example, sometimes retailers give special discounts to Prime members during Black Friday, and you can always cancel your membership once Black Friday comes around if you no longer need it.
Another place where a membership could save you tons of money during Black Friday is Costco. This store has been known to have really good Black Friday sales, so it's a good idea to look into if you want to save money.
Use cashback apps and browser extensions
There are many different cashback apps and browser extensions you can use, not even just for Black Friday. If you do a lot of online shopping — and let's be real, most of us do — cashback is a great way to, well, as the name suggests, get cash back while doing online shopping. As is always the case, when looking at apps and extensions like this, you must do your research and read reviews before committing to anything.
Ibotta
Ibotta is a free app and a browser extension. The way it works is you find offers you plan to buy and save them to your list, then you shop your list online or in person, and lastly, you submit a receipt or a link to your store loyalty account. Once you accumulate $20, you can
withdraw it to your bank account or use a gift card.
Shopkick
Shopkick allows you to get cashback on certain purchases. This app works with both online purchases and in-person ones. You earn "kicks" by visiting stores, watching videos, and buying products at stores that work with Shopkick. This means you have the opportunity to earn "kicks" whenever you go shopping.
The stores that you can shop at are Walmart, Food Lion, Walgreens, Ulta Beauty, Publix, Aldi, Lowe's, Best Buy, eBay, Groupon, Hallmark, Hotels.com, Kellogg's, Marshalls, P&G, Starbucks, T.J. Maxx, and more. Online stores include JCPenney, BarkBox, Lane Bryant, Under Armour, QVC, Sephora, Casper, HSN, Nike, New York & Company, GameStop, eBags, and others.
Receipt Hog
Receipt Hog also allows you to get money back by shopping anywhere, online or in person. After you do your shopping, you upload your paper or digital receipt to the app, which in turn earns you points you can use later. In addition to receipts, you will also have opportunities to earn points by completing surveys, which
means that
you can earn money with no actual cost to you in the first place.
The brands Receipt Hog includes are but are not limited to L'Oreal, Albertsons, Starbucks, Walgreens, Doordash, and Hershey's.
