Looking forward to the discounted prices that come with Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Here’s all you need to know about those two days!
1 – How to plan
SET A BUDGET!
First and foremost, our ever so present advice – set a budget! You know how much you can spend without compromising your monthly budget, dipping into your savings or even worse, getting into debt. If you are going out to shop, only take the amount of money you can spend, leave the credit cards at home.
Make a list
Make a list of things you actually need and stick to it. Remember no matter what the price is, if it is something you don’t need, that is not a good deal. Make sure to include those Christmas gifts on the list, Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be great opportunities to save on those.
Do your research
Before you start shopping, compare the prices of the items you want to buy with the regular prices or offers outside Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This way you’ll know whether you’re snatching up a good deal or not.
2 – Myths
Black Friday deals are only up on the Friday
NO! In many retailers such as Amazon the deals start up to two weeks ahead, with some retailers offering different deals for each day of the week.
All Black Friday deals are great
Busted! Some Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are indeed amazing, but make sure to do your research before you buy – some retailers will offer deals that are not so great knowing you are inclined to buy if you think it is a one day only unmissable discount.
3 – What not to buy
Winter Clothes
Although Winter clothes see a lot of discount during Black Friday and buying in-season apparel seems irresistible, it is worth waiting a little longer until January and February, when you’ll see much better prices during Winter clearances.
Food Gift Hampers
Food Gift Hampers are a great Christmas gift option, but food goes off, and that is exactly why the price of those goes down nearer Christmas itself, when retailers need to sell them before it’s too late. Wait and you might see prices slashed in half.
4 – Online x In Store
Shopping in store – pros and cons
Pros:
When in store you might spot a deal that is not available online. Besides that, by buying more than one item, you might be able to bargain a further discount.
Cons:
Needless to say stores will be messy and finding anything could be an issue. It’ll be busy and there’ll be queues everywhere, so if you are not prepared for that, you are better off sticking to online shopping!
Shopping online – pros and cons
Pros:
You can buy what you need from the warm comfort of your couch with a cup of tea in your hand. But that’s not all – by shopping online you’ll be able to compare deals as you go and make sure to buy at the best price.
Cons:
Not going into stores means you might miss out on some exclusive deals or last minute offers. Another issue is when online deals sell out before you place your order or when websites are so busy they crash while you are shopping.
5 – Deals
Here are a couple useful links to help you find Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals: