9 Tips for Black Friday Shopping 2020
1. Go online
This year, more stores are emphasizing their online deals instead of the usual doorbusters and in-person sales to discourage COVID-19 spreading through intense crowds. So to find the best deals, avoid waking up in the wee hours to drive to the mall and take the easy route by spending the day shopping from the comfort of your own couch.
2. Create a budget
Many people (including me) tend to get excited when they see deals, and we feel like it’s our duty to spend in order to make the most of the deal. However, this usually ends up with us spending more than we intend to. To avoid this problem, create a strict budget, and stick to it, so you don’t end up spending more than you wanted.
3. Plan what you want to buy
This goes hand in hand with creating a budget: planning your purchases ahead of time will help you avoid unnecessarily buying products just to take advantage of a deal.
4. Check store return policies beforehand
A drawback to online shopping is that you can’t see, try on, or test out the product before you buy it. This means there’s a chance that you’ll buy something on a website, it’ll come a week or two later, and it will look nothing like what you thought you ordered. At this point, it’s absolutely vital that you’ve checked the return policy beforehand, so you know exactly how long you have and what you need to do to return the product and get your refund.
5. Consider rewards-based credit cards or cash-back apps
If used responsibly, rewards-based credit cards and cash-back apps can help you get some of your money back while you shop, especially if you're one to really go all out for the Black Friday sales. However, if you choose to go this route, make sure to read the fine lines, including how much you need to spend in order to get your money back, cancellation policies, etc. It’s also important that you stay within your budget and pay off your balance as soon as possible, as an accumulated amount of interest will be greater than your rewards if you wait too long.
6. Check websites like blackfriday.com and Wirecutter to find the best sales
Checking these websites and other similar pages will help you discover where you can find the biggest savings, from clothes and toys to big-ticket items such as televisions, laptops, and other technology.
7. Quality over price
This is especially important when looking at the big-ticket items mentioned above. These are products you will want to be using for years to come, so make sure the products are still at the quality that will last for a while so you won’t have to spend large amounts of money next Black Friday on the same things.
8. Compare prices
When buying products, make sure to do at least a quick check on Google to compare prices from different retailers. When comparing prices, make sure to take into account shipping costs. For instance, if we use the example above, Office Depot seems like the most expensive. But if Office Depot offers free shipping and the other retailers charge $4.99, Office Depot would be the cheaper option. Also check if retailers offer free shipping after you purchase a certain amount. If this is the case, consider buying all your products from this retailer and taking advantage of free shipping, instead of buying different products from the cheapest retailer, but spending a fortune on shipping. This way, you can ensure that you are truly getting the best deal and saving the most money on your Black Friday items.
9. Have a good attitude
Sometimes, no matter how much you shop, you just can’t seem to find a single thing you want to buy. Or maybe you're about to buy something you’re really excited about, but it runs out of stock while you are checking out. No matter what the scenario, shopping can sometimes feel draining, and Black Friday is no exception. Try to come out of Black Friday feeling good, even if you don’t pick up everything on your list. And if you don’t buy anything at all, you can celebrate coming in under budget and put that money towards something fun instead!