Stay Inside and Enjoy Black Friday With These Shopping Tips

Here are a few Black Friday sales pages from major retailers:

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Is Black Friday worth it?

TL;DR: Usually.

Long answer: The majority of the time, Black Friday deals are the best we see all year, and they set the precedent for what dictates a good price during the months that follow.

Sometimes, however, Black Friday deals aren’t all that great, or are repetitive from year to year. For instance, each year department stores always offer some countertop appliances for $10 or less. You’ll also see predictably low prices on some smart home tech, like the Amazon Echo Dot or Google Nest Mini. In 2018, those speakers sold for $25 ($25 off). Last year, they sold for $22. This year, they’ll likely be $19. Some discounts aren’t jaw-dropping because those products tend to go on sale every few months, and the fact that stores repeat deals says a lot about the nature of discounts these days.

Still, the deals are worth it if you are in the market for an item and want to save some cash. Just keep in mind that price research is important, and if you miss out on a deal, don’t fret; there’s a strong chance it will pop up again at some point in the future.

WIRED will share all of the best deals and discounts once Black Friday has started.

How much money can I save on Black Friday?

That depends on what you’re shopping for. There are so many deals up for grabs in so many categories that it’s impossible to list them all here.

For example, TV’s are usually a great purchase to make around Black Friday, if you can find the right one. They are at their cheapest around Black Friday and through the holidays, in general. The hottest TV deal rarely budges in price from year to year, but you’ll usually get more features and better specs compared to the best TV deal from the previous year.

In the same vein, you’ll be able to save on clothes, toys, and home items, but those deals may not be as enticing when you’re talking about specific dollar amounts. Those products are certainly cheaper than usual, though.

Bottom line, there are deals on just about every sort of item you can think of. If you’re diligent about scoring discounts, you’ll save a ton of money on the things you need to buy.

How do I know if a deal is good?

Always do your price research! When you’re shopping online, take a quick second to Google the item you’re considering. You’ll be able to see what it’s selling for at other stores.

One tool that we like to use is Camelcamelcamel, which tracks Amazon’s prices over time. Some deals, such as Lightning Deals, are excluded from the pricing history, but it’s still useful to see what an item has sold for in the past.

You can also check out WIRED’s deals coverage to find roundups of the best discounts available.

What’s a ‘doorbuster’ deal?

Originally, doorbusters were in-store exclusive crazy-good deals that often required shoppers to arrive early, and sometimes camp out for hours or days, in order to score them. They were typically available in small quantities and designed to entice shoppers to choose one store over another.

Source

Author: showrunner