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How to Shop Black Friday Like a Boss

Once the final slice of pumpkin pie has been eaten and your last relative has roused from their Thanksgiving nap, there’s just one thing left to do: bundle up and head out for Black Friday. The unofficial holiday begins earlier and earlier each year—most stores have actually started opening on Thanksgiving day. If you plan to join the crowds this here, here are a few pro tips you should know.

1. Do your research. Black Friday shopping actually begins a few weeks before Thanksgiving when retailers start to release the details of their upcoming deals. Spend some time scouring Black Friday circulars and stores’ social media accounts to suss out the biggest discounts. Then make a list and a game plan.

2. Know what to grab and what to skip. Just because something is deeply discounted doesn’t mean you necessarily need it—or that you can’t get a better deal on it a different time of year. For instance, holiday decorations might be on sale on Black Friday, but they’re much cheaper in the days following Christmas when stores are trying to unload them. Toys also get cheaper in the days leading up to December 25th. So stick to big-ticket items like TVs and tablets (given that you or someone on your list actually needs/wants them).

3. Comparison-shop on the spot. If you want to make sure you’re snagging the best possible price on an item, there’s an app for that. Or rather, there are multiple apps for that. Apps such as BuyVia, ShopKick, and ShopSavvy allow users to scan barcodes and instantly find better deals or applicable coupons. Amazon’s mobile app will actually scour the internet to see if there’s a better price available online.

Top 10 Black Friday Shopping Tips for 2018 [Consumer Reports]
Top 27 Black Friday Shopping Tips to Snag the Best Deals [Money Crashers]
What to Buy (and Skip) on Black Friday 2018 [NerdWallet]