Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
Black Friday has a lot of competition these days. The rivals of Cyber Monday and early “Black Friday” sales have given this once a “one-day-only” deal-fest a run for your money. And the battle not only gets fiercer every year, it gets earlier. Much earlier. In fact, many retailers are doing “Black Friday-like” deals ALL November long. This is good news for the consumer, whether you are traditionally a Black Friday person or not. Retailers releasing big deals early means more opportunity.
Since no one waits for the day after Thanksgiving anymore, don't you wait either. Waiting until Thanksgiving to check out the ads will put you behind on deal-hunting. Many retailers have already put their ads out online. And many places are doing multiple ads, spanning multiple time periods during November. Wait until Thanksgiving, and you might miss the item you're really hoping to see. Plus, many Black Friday sales are starting ON Thanksgiving again this year.
Here are some tips to keep your head in this revised deal game, and keep more money in your wallet:
(1) Make a list of the most sought-after items your gift-receivers want – and you really need. There are SO many items, all month long, you can blow your percentage of saving by buying more than you intended.
(2) Research normal retail prices before you buy anything. This way you can pinpoint what is truly a good deal, and not get fooled into “deals” that really aren't. The internet is a ready source for details on price variances.
(3) Gather as much information about sales items as you can – to make sure it is what you think it is. This is especially crucial when it comes to any kind of electronics. Sometimes, the best deals ARE NOT the best quality. They are specially made versions of the normal product, made more inexpensively so they can sell them so cheaply. If you are hoping to snag a big-ticket item, in particular, you may want to take the details you see in the online ad, and go to the store way in advance. If the item is something the store normally carries, you can look at it and verify it is what you're after. If it is not something they normally carry, try to chat with a knowledgeable sales associate to determine if the item matches what you're looking to buy.
(4) Read reviews before you buy. These days, you can find online reviews for just about every product. READ THEM. With so many similar products on the market, you'll want to make sure that the version, quality, brand, fit, company, and more are what you are expecting. With the ability to view ads before the sale, you can do some recon and make certain you're getting your money's worth.
(5) Consider buying from your couch. If you know what you are buying is what you expect, see if you can get it online for the same price. Many stores offer the same deals online as they do in-store. You'll save the gas money and time not going to the store and fighting possible crowds. To save on shipping, most retailers that have an online presence offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount, or you can search for a promotion/coupon code to save extra money. Try sites like retailmenot.com, coupons.com and livingsocial.com.
