Black Friday Shopping Tips & Hacks: Shop Smarter and Save More in 2024

Black Friday is one of the year's most eagerly awaited shopping events, offering unbeatable discounts on everything from electronics to clothing. With countless deals and promotions, it can be overwhelming to sift through the noise and find the best bargains both online and in-store.

Top Savings Hacks for Shopping Black Friday

To help you shop smarter, we’ve put together a list of essential Black Friday tips. These strategies will ensure you’re well-prepared, and ready to score the best deals.

Make a List of What You Want to Buy: Start researching the best Black Friday deals and discounts in advance. Make a list of the items you want to purchase and check their prices on different websites. This will help you identify the best Black Friday deals and avoid falling for fake discounts.
Start Shopping the Early Black Friday Sales ASAP: Black Friday is no longer just the day after Thanksgiving, now it starts as early as the first week in November. Stores like Target, Walmart and Kohl's start their Black Friday sales as early as the first week in November.
Create a budget: Set a budget for your Black Friday shopping spree and stick to it to avoid overspending. Knowing your spending limit will help you focus on the best black friday deals and make smarter purchasing decisions.
Compare Prices: Check prices before Black Friday to understand how much of a discount you're really getting. Compare prices across multiple retailers and factor in any coupons the store may have available.
Skip in-store sales and shop online: Shop online to avoid the crowds and long lines. Online shopping allows you to browse and purchase items from the comfort of your home, and many retailers offer exclusive online deals and coupon codes. Plus, retailers like Amazon offer free 2-day shipping so you can get your purchases fast!
Stack store discounts with credit card offers: Check your credit card for cash back offers for certain stores if you use their card. I've score a good amount of money back every year from my Chase and AMEX cards. Plus, you can also combine credit card cash back to cashback apps and store coupons.
Use cashback apps: Use cashback apps like Rakuten or Capital One Shopping to earn cashback on your purchases. These apps can help you save even more on your Black Friday shopping spree with cashback up to 20%!
Use a coupon code: There will be many promo codes during Black Friday that you can stack with a sale. Usually the retailer homepage will feature the newest coupon available.
Take advantage of price matching: Take advantage of price matching policies offered by retailers like Best Buy, Academy Sports or Walmart. If you find a lower price at another store, these retailers will match it, ensuring you get the best deal. Also Target price matches their own prices called “price guarantee” and will give you the difference back from October through December 24th.
Stay organized: Stay organized and keep track of your purchases and discounts. Make a list on your phone of the items you want to buy and check them off as you go.
Avoid impulse buys: Avoid impulse buys and stick to your shopping list. It’s easy to get carried away with all the amazing deals, but sticking to your list will help you stay within your budget.
Check all store policies in advance Especially Return policies: Check return policies before making a purchase. Make sure you understand the return policy for each retailer, especially for big-ticket items. Electronics typically have a shorter return window.
Read Reviews: Pay attention to customer reviews for insights into comfort, sizing, and durability. Plus, many reviews now include photos that you can see the actual product in a real home.
Add Products to your Cart or Wish List: Add shoes and sandals to your online wish list or shopping cart beforehand. This way, you can quickly purchase when the sale begins. Amazon makes it very easy to create multiple wish lists or to save items to your cart for later.
Choose Free Store Pickup: While many stores will have free shipping days, there will be times a deal you want has a shipping cost. Avoid shipping fees by choosing free store pickup when available.

Black Friday Shopping Tips For Buying Shoes and Sandals

Set a Shoe Budget: Avoid Overspending: With so many sales, it’s easy to go overboard. Set a clear budget to avoid buying too many pairs you may not need. A budget will help you focus and avoid impulse buys.
Check for Stackable Coupons: Many retailers allow you to stack discounts, such as applying a coupon code on top of the Black Friday discount. Look for extra savings like free shipping, buy-one-get-one (BOGO) offers, or cashback offers. DSW Shoes, Kohl's, Adidas and Nike are stores that let you use a coupon with a sale. Kohl's lets you stack multiple coupons!
Shop for Shoes Early: The earlier you shop, the more likely you are to find your size and preferred style. Stock can run out fast during Black Friday sales.
Buy Out of Season Shoes: Winter shoes aren't the only ones on sale during Black Friday. Think ahead and buy shoes for spring too while they are on sale extra cheap.
Buy New Sneakers: Sneakers and running shoes will be their lowest prices of the year. Nike Dunks, Jordans, Adidas and more will be so heavily discounted it will make sense to buy more than one pair at these low prices.

Black Friday Shopping Tips For Buying Clothes

Add to Your Cart Now: If you have your eye on a certain clothing item it's a good idea to add it to your cart before the big sale starts. If you are logged into your account it should save the clothes for an extended period of time. You can also add it to a wish list on sites like Amazon, that way checkout will be faster since you don't need to sort through the website to find what you want.
Take Advantage of Flash Sales: Keep an eye on flash sales throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend. Some retailers may drop prices for only a few hours, so stay alert for additional savings.
Set a Clothes Budget: It's easy to get carried away and overspend on clothes during Black Friday with all of the competing sales. Set a budget before the big sales and stick with it.
Buy for Upcoming Seasons: Instead of just buying winter clothes you'll also want to look ahead and pickup any spring clothes for a fraction of the price.
Focus on Wardrobe Basics: Take advantage of discounts on basics like tees, jeans, leggings, underwear, socks and jackets that you know you’ll get a lot of wear from. These will be at their lowest prices of the year. Kohl's, Walmart and Target are he best places to get Black Friday wardrobe essentials.
Winter Clothes Biggest Discount: If you need outwear, sweaters and winter coats this is the time to buy it. They will be their lowest prices and you won't find them lower until after season clearance starts, and by then most sizes an styles are gone an slim pickings.

Black Friday Shopping Tips For Buying Toys

Save with Special Toy Bundle Deals: Many stores offer toy bundles that include extra toys or store exclusive toy sets that you normally can't get the rest of the year. This is a good opportunity to spend less and get more
Look for Toy Coupons: Many retailers have coupons specifically for toys. Target releases some great Target Circle coupon offers for $10 and $20 off toys. Amazon also have coupons for many toys including $10 off $50 purchase every year.
Think Ahead for Birthdays: The deep discounts on toys during Black Friday is a great opportunity to stock up on gifts for upcoming birthdays whether for your own kids or their friends.
Shop Early for Limited Edition & New Releases: It is essential to buy any new release or limited edition toys and video games early to prevent disappointment if they sell out.
BOGO Free Toy Deals: Another hot sale during Black Friday is buy one get one free offers on toys, games and books. Combine these BOGO sales with any coupon offers and cash back to really maximize your savings!

Black Friday Shopping Tips For Buying Makeup & Skincare Products

Shop Beauty Gift Sets for the Best Value: Not only are gift sets great for giving but they are also an amazing value to buy for yourself too. Beauty gift sets often bundle multiple items at a much lower price, allowing you to try new products without breaking the bank on full size versions. These sets usually offer great savings compared to purchasing individual products separately.
Take Advantage of Free Gift with Purchase: Retailers like Ulta and Sephora offer free gifts with purchase during Black Friday, including deluxe samples or full-size products. Be sure to check the minimum spend amount required to unlock these freebies.
Save Big on Makeup & Skincare from Drugstores: Believe it or not CVS and Walgreens have deep discounts on beauty and makeup during Thanksgiving week. Plus, you can take advantage of their multiple coupon offers and store cash back deals. These drugstore beauty deals can sometimes even be free or 90% off if you use coupons and store cash.
Signup for Reward Accounts: Many beauty retailers offer exclusive Black Friday deals, early access to sales, and free samples to their reward account members. Reward accounts like Sephora’s Beauty Insider and Ulta’s Ultamate Rewards also let you accumulate points with every purchase. These points can be redeemed for discounts or free products on future purchases. Also, sometimes free shipping is only for reward member, another important reason to sign up.
Stock up on Beauty Basics: Black Friday is the perfect time to stock up on everyday beauty essentials like foundation, mascara, moisturizers, and your favorite cleansers. Target will have some good offers on beauty bundles and gift sets in November.

Black Friday Shopping Tips For Buying Electronics

Research Model & Features: Research the specific features, specs and models you're interested in, whether it’s the latest flagship phone or a more budget-friendly option. This is very important for phones, tvs, and computers. It's easy to fall for a “deal” but it may be a very basic model device that you actually don't want. Best Buy easily displays each electronics specs, and even have a FAQ they answer for each product.
Trade-In Phone Discounts: Many retailers and carriers offer additional discounts if you trade in your old phone. This can significantly lower the cost of a new phone, especially on Black Friday. Don't want to trade in a phone or start a new phone plan? Amazon has many unlocked phones for great prices.
Don’t Overlook Bundles: Electronics often come with bundled accessories (e.g., a laptop with a carrying case, extra cables, or a gaming console with games). These can add extra value, but make sure the items in the bundle are things you actually want or need.
Earn Cashback: How would you like to earn 10-20% cashback on your electronics purchase? That can be hundreds of dollars back in your pocket. Plus, some credit cards and banks also have their own cashback offers for using their card. You could score cashback from both!
Check Electronics Return Policy: Electronics return policies are much shorter than other departments. Make sure to know your stores policy before makin that purchase.

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