22 Tips to Make the Most of Black Friday

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, and it’s one of the best times to snag deals on everything from big-ticket electronics to the hottest toys. However, amid the shopping rush, it’s easy to get overwhelmed or end up spending far more than you should. By going into Black Friday with a strategy, though, you can ensure you make the most of the day and earn the best deals.

These days, Black Friday is no longer a one-day event. Many retailers start advertising their deals weeks in advance, giving you plenty of time to start creating your game-day plan. Think about which stores you want to shop, what time each of them opens (as well as whether they start sales early on Thanksgiving evening), and what items you want to buy. If you’re planning on making Black Friday shopping a full-day event, you’ll need a plan to get through it.

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The average U.S. household spends nearly $1,500 during the holiday season, according to a recent survey from Deloitte. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with spending a lot of money around the holidays, but be sure you can afford it and aren’t spending simply because you’re tempted by the deals. After all, if you’re buying things only because they’re on sale, you’re not actually saving money if you’re spending more than you can afford. As you’re creating your Black Friday plan, set a strict budget for yourself to be sure you don’t break the bank on the big day.

Getting the best deal on a product doesn’t necessarily mean getting it at the lowest price. For example, some retailers may offer a product at a slightly higher price than a competitor, but you’ll also get coupons, a rebate, or in-store credit with your purchase. If you shop at that store frequently, that could be a better deal than buying the product at a lower price elsewhere. By researching what different retailers are offering, you can ensure you’re getting the best deal possible.

Many retailers will likely be offering the same products on Black Friday, so it pays to compare prices online to see which store has the best deal. Again, price alone isn’t everything, so be sure to look at the big picture to determine which stores you should buy from. Also, if there are certain must-have items on your list that will be popular among shoppers, it’s a good idea to have a back-up store in mind in case the item sells out at your first-choice retailer.

Sometimes stores will advertise upcoming deals exclusively to their email subscribers and social media followers, so it’s smart to keep up with these brands online in the weeks leading up to Black Friday. If you’re serious about finding the best Black Friday deals, you may even create a separate email you can use specifically to sign up for all the different newsletters. Not only can that make it easier to sort through all the different deals when they’re all under one account, but you can also simply ignore that account after the holidays if you want to stay subscribed without being bogged down by advertisements every day.

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Some stores will offer special discounts or promotions for those who are signed up for the loyalty programs. Although these discounts may not be valid on Black Friday, you may still get sneak peeks of upcoming deals. One note of caution, however: Be careful when signing up for store credit cards. Unlike rewards programs that typically only require an email or phone number to sign up, opening a store credit card typically involves making a hard inquiry on your credit report. Too many hard inquiries in a relatively short period of time can ding your credit score, so it’s best to avoid opening several store credit cards just for the Black Friday deals.

Going into Black Friday without a shopping list is a surefire way to overspend. Retailers know how to lure customers into spending more than they need, and it can be tough to avoid the temptation when you see all the discounts in the stores. Long before you start shopping, create a list of all the items you’re looking for -- and stick to it.

Especially if you’re shopping for electronics, think about whether you really need the latest and greatest tech. You likely won’t see the best deals on new technology, but if you’re willing to settle for last year’s model, you might find better discounts. That said, if you truly want the latest tech, it might be worth paying extra rather than buying something you’re not going to be happy with.

Black Friday is no longer just about in-store deals; many retailers also offer discounts online. If you’re planning on shopping online, make sure you’ve set up all your online accounts before the big day. You’ll likely face some stiff competition online to buy items before they’re out of stock, and some retailers have limits on how long you can reserve an item in your cart before buying. If you stock up on all your items and then realize you have to create an account before you can check out, you risk missing out on deals because it took too long to set up your new account. At the very least, making sure all your credit card or bank information is loaded into your accounts beforehand can make online shopping faster and much less stressful.

Big shopping days are a prime opportunity for scammers looking to take advantage of unsuspecting shoppers, especially online. Before you enter your credit card information into any site, double-check that it’s the store’s official website. Similarly, be on the lookout for any suspicious-looking emails with deals that seem too good to be true. Check the sender’s email address before clicking on any links or providing personal information, and remember that you can never be too careful.

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When the big day finally arrives, make sure you have an action plan. Make a list of all the stores you want to shop, the times each one opens, and the items you want to buy at each one. It’s also a good idea to figure out exactly where each item is located in the store to save time and get there before other shoppers. Many stores have store maps online or on the retailer’s app, so it might be helpful to add the aisle number to your list so you know exactly where to go -- especially considering employees will likely be scrambling to help other customers, so you may not have the opportunity to ask questions.

Turn Black Friday into an experience for the whole family, and consider splitting up to cover more ground in less time. This can also be helpful in the event that your strategy doesn’t go according to plan. For example, if you arrive at your store to find that one of your wish-list items is sold out, you can call a family member to see if the item is still available at a comparable price at another store. That will save you from wasting time driving around from store to store, as well as make the shopping experience a little less stressful.

One of the biggest perks of shopping with a smartphone is the ability to compare online deals with in-store discounts. Many retailers offer similar deals online and in-store, but some stores will have better bargains in one place over the other. So before you buy that big-ticket item, check the store’s website to see if it’s available at a lower price.

Some stores will match prices on Black Friday while others won’t, so be sure you know what the stores’ policies are before you buy. If you’re out shopping and find a lower price on an item online or at a different store, it never hurts to ask an employee if the store will match the lower price. If they won’t, though, you’ll need to decide whether it’s worth it to buy the item now for a higher price or see if you can snag a deal on it elsewhere.

Whether it’s from a newspaper or an email, it’s a good idea to bring the store ads with you when you’re out shopping. If you find a price difference between what was advertised and what you find in the store, you might be able to convince the manager to give you the lower price if you have proof that’s the price advertised in the sales bulletin. This strategy can also help when price-matching. If you bring a competitor’s ad to a store and show the manager that an item is available at a lower price elsewhere, you have a better shot at earning a discount.

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Retailers will try to convince shoppers that everything is on sale on Black Friday, but that’s usually not the case. Just because an item appears to be discounted doesn’t necessarily mean it is, so do some research beforehand to differentiate the real deals from the fake ones. Check the prices of your shopping list items a couple weeks before Black Friday to see what those products normally sell for, then compare that to the Black Friday prices. If you’re not actually saving any money by buying the product on Black Friday, you may want to focus your efforts on the items that truly are discounted.

Return policies may differ on Black Friday than during the rest of the year, so double-check whether you can return your purchases or not. The last thing you want is to buy hundreds or thousands of dollars’ worth of items thinking you’ll just return what you don’t end up wanting, only to find out your purchases are non-refundable.

Most people picture big-box retailers when it comes to Black Friday sales, but don’t discount the smaller stores. Especially online, smaller retailers can offer deals just as good as the major players. At smaller stores, you may also be able to find more niche items than at the big-box retailers -- perfect if you’re looking for a specific or unique gift for the holidays.

If you’re going to be spending a lot of money on Black Friday, at least make sure your credit card is working hard for you. With a rewards credit card, you can earn cash back or other rewards simply by spending. Be careful, though, that you’re not spending more just to earn the cash back. If you blow your budget just for the rewards, you’re not actually saving any money. But if you’re going to be spending a lot anyway, you might as well earn money back on your purchases.

You’ve spent weeks preparing for Black Friday. You’ve done all your research, mapped out a game plan, braved the crowds, and scored loads of deals. Then as you’re getting ready to pay for your items, your credit card is declined. Or your paycheck hasn’t gone through yet so you don’t have enough in your checking account to cover your purchases. Not having your finances in order can spoil all your hard work, so before you head out shopping, make sure you’re fully prepared financially.

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Although Black Friday may be the biggest shopping day of the year, it’s not the only one. If you can’t find the best deals on what you’re looking for, don’t feel like you have to buy something just because it’s Black Friday. In some cases, you may be better off waiting until Cyber Monday or closer to Christmas to shop. Stores sometimes offer deeper discounts as it gets closer to the holidays to try to clear out their inventory, so unless you’re looking for a particular item that’s likely to sell out early, you may have better luck waiting until after Black Friday to score some deals.

Most importantly, remember that no deal is worth risking your safety. Always be aware of your surroundings, especially as you’re loading your items into your car as you’re leaving the store. Also, if you’re doing a lot of online shopping, monitor your bank account and credit card statements in the weeks following Black Friday to ensure your information hasn’t been compromised.

Black Friday is one of the best opportunities of the year to find deep discounts on the items on your holiday gift list. But to save as much money as possible, you’ll need a shopping strategy. By doing your research before Black Friday and creating a game plan for the big event, you’ll be able to find the best deals without breaking the bank.

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