The Best Black Friday Tips That Will Help You Save Some Money

Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Here are the best Black Friday tips to help you save money and curb your extra Black Friday spending.

Black Friday is the busiest shopping day in the United States. As Black Friday has evolved throughout the years, and with the addition of Cyber Monday, the actual day has become less of a focus.

Many stores have deals throughout the whole month and extended weekends. While many decry the demise of Black Friday, especially since Amazon’s big Prime Day has better deals on Amazon-branded items, there are still many great deals to be had.

Reducing prices on new and exciting toys and gadgets is how many Americans can afford each other’s gifts before the Holiday Season.

So many people rely on Black Friday sales to get their kids and loved ones the things they want.

I remember my parents buying the newspaper before Black Friday and waking up at 5 am to get us toys and other things we needed.

One year my sister and I got a Razor Scooter (remember when those were a new thing!?) thanks to a 5 am Walmart trip. They probably would not have been able to afford it had it not been for that sale. They were all the rage back then, and “everyone” had one! We were so thrilled and could barely wait for Hanukkah when they gifted it to us.

Black Friday can be a day to get some good stuff you need, but it can also be a day where you blow all your money on impulse shopping.

If you are spending money that you don’t have, then you CAN NOT AFFORD IT. This is true for credit cards as well. If there is no money in the bank to immediately pay it off, you cannot afford it even if you are getting cash back, points, or rewards.

You have to evaluate every “deal” by recognizing that you borrow money for it. Are you willing to borrow money for this “amazing deal”? Chances are NO.

If you budgeted and planned for the shopping that you are doing on Black Friday, then you are good to go! For many people, this is a chance to get things that they really need at a price that they can afford. Also, if you celebrate the holidays by giving gifts, this can be a fantastic opportunity to get the people you love the things they want.

This can also be a time to stock up on things you may need, like clothing, winter gear, or baby stuff. BUT it’s not worth it to buy the stuff you MAY need if you have to borrow money on a credit card to do so.

Don’t forget that stores have put lots and lots of effort into making you think you need something you don’t and into thinking you can afford things that you really can’t afford. They want you to believe that the deals are amazing- but remember: a deal is only a deal if you can afford it!

How Can You Make the Best of Black Friday?

I asked some Personal Finance Bloggers for their best Black Friday Hacks and Cyber Monday deals to help you get the best bang for your buck (and time!) without getting too caught up in the temptations surrounding the biggest shopping day of the year.

Because, as excellent as the deals are, a deal is not a deal if you can’t afford it. Stores know exactly how to bombard you with advertising and marketing to spend the most money at their stores.

Sometimes they do such a good job that they even pass off not such great deals as great sales and doorbusters.

BUT: They don’t have your best interest in mind, and they aren’t the ones paying the credit card bills months after Black Friday is over. They aren’t the ones paying interest on purchases that are already in the trash or chasing after rebate money that you were counting on to pay for those pricey electronics.

The Best Advice for Black Friday Shopping Is to Shop Smart.

And without further ado, here are some tips that will get you the most out of Black Friday and Cyber Monday:

7 Best Black Friday Tips

1. Plan Ahead

Brian from Debt Discipline says the best tip I can offer for Black Friday, which may be an obvious one, is to plan what you are shopping for. Use the power of the internet to research any item on your list ahead of Black Friday and make sure you are getting the best deal. Just because it’s a Black Friday deal doesn’t mean it’s the best price, do your homework!

2. Do Your Homework

JoeHx from JoeHx Blog says, Plan what you want to get BEFORE seeing the “deals.” Ensure what you’re buying is actually a deal and isn’t simply discounted after raising the price the week before. Finally, don’t buy anything just because it’s on “sale.”

3. Plan Strategically

Mr. SR From Semi-Retire Plan says, plan ahead! Especially when shopping Black Friday at a brick-and-mortar retail store, the big-ticket items often quickly sell out. Check the sales at your local retailers online before the sale begins. Then plan strategically so you can be at the front of the line for the item that will offer you the biggest savings — like you would “beeline” to the most popular roller coaster at an amusement park right when the park opens.

4. Use Deal Sites

Jarek from Time in The Market says, Check out websites such as slickdeals.net. There are people on there doing most of the legwork for you and posting the best deals. Even Reddit has useful subreddits such as r/frugalmalefashion or r/frugalfemalefashion that will help you spot deals with almost no work.

5. Avoid Impulse Purchases

Kevin from Just Start Investing says, obviously, there are deals everywhere on Black Friday, but just because something is on a crazy good deal doesn’t mean you should buy it. Scope out what you need ahead of time, find the best deals for it, and avoid making any impulse purchases that you’ll regret a few weeks later!

6. Be Pragmatic

MC at Keeping Up With The Bulls says, don’t use Black Friday and that something is “such a great deal” to justify spending. Instead, be very pragmatic about your purchases.

What are things you regularly buy that you may be able to get a deal on during Black Friday or Cyber Monday? What gifts will you be buying for the holidays? What is the normal price of these items, and is there a better price during Black Friday or Cyber Monday? There are lots of deals during the holiday shopping season. If you’re not deliberate with your purchases, it’s easy to spend way more than you planned and regret spending so much!

7. Research in Advance

Enoch from Savvy New Canadians says your Black Friday preparations should begin several weeks before. Start with making a list of the things you need to buy and do your research by clarifying the technical specifications for electronics, identifying the models you prefer, comparing prices, warranties, and return policies, and determining how much you plan to spend on shopping.

Make a note of when your preferred stores go live with deals online and the in-store shopping hours on Black Friday. Be ready to jump online before the start time to avoid delays at the checkout and products getting sold out.

I recommend buying big-ticket items first, especially when the discounts are deep. Keep an eye on your spending, and don’t break your budget by purchasing what is not on your list. If you use a credit card, plan to pay off your balance quickly, not carry over debt into the new year.

Don’t forget to KEEP ALL RECEIPTS from your shopping expeditions so that you can return items if you do have buyer’s regret.  I wouldn’t recommend counting on rebates. They often have complex and complicated rules that are designed to have a high rejection rate.

If you are planning on applying for one- keep all the paperwork and receipts in a specific place, so there is less chance of you misplacing them.

6 Tips To Curb Black Friday Spending

Can you afford it? That is the FIRST question you should be asking when evaluating Black Friday Deals.

A deal is only a deal if you can afford it… Keep on repeating that to yourself as all the Black Friday deals start popping up on your feed, and you pass all those enticing ads.

Especially if you are going to do some shopping, you need to make sure you can resist the urge for all those Black Friday deals. Not everything is a good deal, and not everything can you afford.

Here are some tips to help you curb your Black Friday spending and not blow your budget. Of course, you don’t want to be a gift to the credit card companies this Black Friday weekend.

1. Make a List

Make a list of what you need and stick to the list. For example, spending $16.97 on Rubbermaid Storage Containers is great if you need storage containers. Still, if you never use storage containers, then it’s just $17 in the garbage even though it’s technically a good deal.

2. Stick to a Budget

Decide how much you want to spend and don’t spend more! The same advice that always applies is even more applicable for Black Friday. Make a budget and stick to it! There is a great pride to be had in not going over your spending limit.

3. Budget for Splurges

Allot some money for splurging. How much will you spend on impulse shopping and on fun things you see and don’t really need? It’s ok to splurge if you have the cash to back it up.

4. Don’t Rely on Rebates

Don’t count on rebates. Rebates can bring your purchase price down by a lot but don’t buy something unless you can afford to cover the entire amount. Rebates have a nasty habit of being lost, forgotten, rejected, or taking an endless amount of time to arrive. So if you won’t afford to pay for the whole thing- don’t buy it.

5. Use Cashback

Use all the cashback sites and apps that you can. Sign up for store loyalty programs. Use them to get some money back or some coupons for purchases you may need later. When you make big purchases, you can get a nice chunk of money from cashback sites. Check out a list of all the cashback sites and apps here. 

6. Resist the Pressure

DON’T FEEL PRESSURED. With all the advertising and marketing dollars spent over the next few days, it’s hard not to get caught up in the pressure of needing to buy stuff.

It can get to the point where you feel as if you “missed out” by not getting any “good deals” and being left out of all the action, BUT there is nothing to gain by shopping for the sake of shopping.

Don’t wake up tomorrow feeling like you spent all your money on things you don’t need and won’t use. Many of these items will probably go on sale again at one point, and if you are frugal and stick to your budget, you can pay full price for these items at a later point.

Happy Saving!