Black Friday Shopping – Christmas Savings Tips

As families everywhere are engaging in turkey with gravy, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie, there are others, like myself planning deals and doing Christmas shopping. After all if you have a family of 4 and a budget of say $1,000 for Christmas, shopping on Black Friday (which now starts the evening of Thanksgiving for some stores) can mean doubling your buying power for that money. So, BOOM – all of a sudden that budget buys $1,000 worth of gifts when you become a savvy shopper! Well, I’ve had the most fortunate opportunity to interview Sara Skirboll of Retail me Knot and I have a list of her savvy shopping do’s and don’t this holiday season!

Below are Sara’s tips for conquering Black Friday:

• Plan ahead: Have a list ready of what you’re buying and for whom and set a budget and make sure you stick to it.
• Research and Price compare: Scour the internet for what’s on your shopping list as some retailers might offer it at a better price or have better offers
• Form a BF shopping team/task force: There is power in numbers! Form a shopping team of friends and family and divide the holiday shopping wish list to accomplish the most in the least amount of time!
• Don’t use a shopping cart: Don’t tempt yourself with unnecessary purchases and items that you may come across last minute
• Leave the kids at home: Speaking of unnecessary spending, leave the kids at home so you can navigate through the stores a little easier
• Start in the back of store: If you plan to hit the malls when they first open, start in the back of the store and work your way towards the front, moving in the opposite direction of most other shoppers.
• Follow favorite retailers on social media and sign up for email newsletters. They sometimes will post special sales and offers exclusively for their followers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
• Use RetailMeNot as your 1-stop-shop for saving money 

Sara’s Tips for Finding the Best Deals on Toys: 

• Utilize online product trackers: zooLert, I4U and NowInStock are some of my favorite trackers to follow for instant updates on toy availability
• Monitor social media: Be sure to follow the above toy trackers and your favorite retailers like Walmart and Gamestop for in-stock alerts and updates for toys.
• Keep your eye on Black Friday and Cyber Monday doorbusters and surprise promotions: Stores like Amazon, GameStop and Walmart have released limited supplies of popular toys to capitalize on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s safe to say stores will do the same this year, and you need to be ready to act fast.
• Call local stores: If you want to save yourself the time and hassle of driving to the store only to leave empty-handed, pick up the phone and call your local stores to see if they have toys in stock or when they plan to.
• Follow RetailMeNot: Hit that follow button on RetailMeNot’s Facebook and Twitter. We’ll be posting updates when we see hot toys available.
• Think twice before purchasing through a third-party marketplace: Be sure to pay attention to the retailer, packaging and customer service before you buy. Otherwise, you could fall victim to a counterfeit product. This was an issue last year for Fingerlings purchased through third-party sellers on Amazon.
• Wait until January: Prior years prove that stores typically have plenty of hot toys in stock once the holidays pass. So if you can wait until 2020—although not ideal—you might not only easily snag a variety of popular toys, but you might also get a great post-holiday deal on them.

Best Things to buy on Black Friday

• Electronics: Electronics will sell out the fastest on Black Friday. If you see a good deal on TV, computers, tablets or phones, pick it up immediately! Electronics are going to be heavily discounted which means people will start shopping super early.
• Video Games and Consoles: Black Friday is a big time for gamers so look out for savings on video games and video game systems. Shoppers will find deeper savings by looking into great offers on gaming bundles that will come with a console, a combination of accessories and sometimes video games.
• Small Appliances: While there will be big-ticket items deeply discounted on Black Friday, don’t discount the smaller kitchen appliances you’ve been eyeing. Look for items like  coffeemakers, electric skillets, slow cookers, toasters, deep fryers, blenders and rice makers. Retailers make more mass orders than they usually stock, and prices drop much lower than normal retail.
• Clothing: Black Friday is sure to bring savings on all forms of clothing  – from shoes and accessories, to pants and tops. While it’s not usually the best time to buy in-season clothing, Black Friday is the exception as many retailers will be discounting winter coats and cooler weather apparel. Now is a good time to gear up for the cooler months ahead.
• Time specific travel: Those lucky few with flexible schedules can scoop up some stellar vacations. Hotels and car rental companies as well as travel packages will pump out time-specific sales Ski destinations, for example, which see peak visitor numbers December through March, are likely to push Black Friday/Cyber Monday bargains for their ‘need’ periods, which are the first and last few weeks of ski season.

What to Avoid on Black Friday 

• Furniture: You may find the ads for doorbuster deals on furniture from your local department stores or retailers, but don’t give in to the hype. Black Friday is not the time to buy these items as indoor furniture is at its lowest in January and July through August, while the best discounts on patio furniture happen between August and September.
• Spring airfare: Sometimes buying airline tickets far in advance does not always yield the best airfare. Wait until after January to purchase airline tickets for spring travel. The optimum window to lock in airfare for this time of year is about six to eight weeks out.
• Toys: Don’t jump at the first toy sales you see. The best deals on toys are found about two weeks before Christmas.
• Bedding:Cooler weather may have you wanting to curl up in a new set of sheets and bedding, but hold off on these purchases. “White sales” are held in January where all matters of linens, sheets, bedding and towels will be heavily discounted.
• Fitness Equipment: While some may want to work off their Thanksgiving dinner by purchasing or gifting a fitness fanatic with some new fitness equipment or new gym membership – Save your generosity for the new year. Most studios, classes and equipment will be heavily discounted in the new year to keep up with New Year Resolutions.