Get Ready for Black Friday!

Next Friday – 23rd November – is Black Friday.  In America, Black Friday is the day immediately after Thanksgiving. It marks the official start of the Christmas shopping season and there are many price reductions and special deals to be had.

The name derives from the hope that businesses participating in Black Friday will see their bank balances remain firmly “in the black” (ie in credit) for the rest of the year as a result of successful Black Friday trading.

In recent years, Black Friday has become a tradition in the UK as well. We probably all remember scenes from previous years of frantic buying – even to the extent of people fighting over televisions in supermarkets! Whilst none of us want to get immersed in Black Friday to that level, it can be a great opportunity to grab a genuine bargain.

So how can you make the most of Black Friday whilst ensuring that your own bank balance also stays in the black?

The secret is to plan ahead. This is the way that you can find real bargains and actually save money rather than spending money you don’t have on things you don’t need. Here are five tips on how to get ready for Black Friday:

Whether it is a special Christmas gift for someone or something that you need for your home, decide what it is that you want. You still have time before Black Friday to do some research about the product(s) so that you know exactly what you are looking for. This is important, because otherwise you may be tempted to buy an item on Black Friday just because it is a good price, only to realise afterwards that it does not actually have all the features you wanted. So do your research and have a shortlist of makes and models of items that definitely meet your criteria.

It is easy to get carried away when faced with bargain prices. So whether you are planning to buy one item or a few, decide in advance the maximum price you are prepared to pay and ensure that you stick to that on Black Friday. If you can’t find what you are looking for at the price you can afford to pay then it is better to do without that item than land yourself in debt. So make decisions in the cold light of day about how much you are prepared to pay, and be firm about not going above that amount.

Many retailers have a special Black Friday page on their website. Some of them – such as Amazon– are starting their Black Friday sales early. So the first thing to do is to look online at retailers that are likely to stock the item(s) you are looking for – try searching for the retailer’s name followed by “Black Friday”.

You can learn all about Black Friday’s origins over on wikipedia. Last year 91% of retailers participated in Black Friday so you stand a good chance of finding what you are looking for.

Another way to find your bargain is to search for the product(s) online. So, for example, if you are looking for an iPhone XR, just type the product name followed by “Black Friday” into the search engine for specific Black Friday offers.

There are expected to be good Black Friday deals on the following popular products this year:

So do your research and be ready!

If you miss out on your ideal Black Friday bargain, be aware that many retailers are now also offering Cyber Monday deals. Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday – ie Monday 26th November. The original idea behind Cyber Monday when it started in 2005 was to encourage customers to do more shopping online. Even though that has now happened, Cyber Monday discounts are still available from many online retailers. So if you don’t manage to get what you are looking for on Black Friday then Cyber Monday may work out for you.

We hope that these tips help you to find some money saving bargains on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you need some additional funding to secure a genuine bargain then do get in touch with us at LoanPig.