Black Friday Tips and Tricks
The holiday shopping season is upon us, and most folks like knowing they are getting a great deal.
Shopping guru and founder of the website Rather Be Shopping.com, Kyle James, shares his secrets for successful bargain hunting during this hectic time of year. Some tips won't even require leaving the house.
"If you go on eBay that weekend right after Black Friday, you'll be able to find a lot of those door buster deals. You might pay a little bit more than if you stood in line for hours, but it's still way below retail. I did this last year with an external hard drive. It was regularly $75. Black Friday price was $40, but I got it for $50. So, I saved money and still spent time with my family and friends on Thanksgiving and Black Friday," said James.
He also says the best way to maximize savings is to know the deals and the duds on Black Friday.
"I like to tell people go for the deals, the items that are good deals on Black Friday, and don't worry about those door busters. Unless you're willing to camp out for hours, you're just not going to get them."
Here are the things to avoid on Black Friday:
- Name brand televisions
- Fitness equipment
- Large appliances
- Tools
- Christmas toys
Some of the good buys on Black Friday include:
- 3rd tier televisions
- Fall clothing
- Tablets
- Gaming systems such as PS4 or Xbox One
- Home goods and decor
To help shoppers get the most bang for their buck, James compiled shopping trends and data from the past few years and found the best days to shop in December to maximize savings.
- Christmas toys: December 15th.
- Apparel and shoes: December 16th, which is Free Shipping Day.
- Name brand, high definition televisions: Weekend of December 9-11th.
- PS4 games or Xbox One: Thursday, December 15th.
- Laptops: Tuesday, December 13th.
Another way to save money, is to use a smart phone. Kyle says check store's social media pages for extra deals and coupons.
Also, use the live chat feature on a retailer's website. He says many times, customer service reps have coupons to hand out to anyone who asks.
And lastly, about a week before Black Friday, add an item to your cart on the retailer's web page. Start the check out process, then log out right before making the purchase.
As long as you're registered in the system, many retailers will send you an automated email offering a discount or free shipping offer to encourage you to come back and complete the purchase.
Happy Shopping!