5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Black Friday

Black Friday is approaching fast, and this time, I’m ready because I’ve been planning rigorously for it for a couple of weeks. A few years ago, I always bought items impulsively on Black Friday as I feared missing out on the biggest sale of the year.

I made several mistakes and while I can’t go back in time to fix them, I’m prepared for the upcoming Black Friday sale. I can also guide readers on how to get the best out of this year’s Black Friday, so below, I’ve listed some really useful tips every shopper should know: Let’s start:

Create Your Account First on E-commerce Platforms

Creating accounts on different e-commerce sites and online stores beforehand is the best way to approach Black Friday. Because you need an account on the platform to initiate a check-out. 

Instead of dealing with the hassle of creating an account on Black Friday, you can spend more time browsing products you like and adding them to your cart. This way, you’ll easily hop on the platforms, and look out for products you want, without needing to enter your email again and again.

Also, another benefit of signing up early on the e-commerce platforms is the membership perks you may get. E-commerce platforms, for instance, Amazon may offer membership programs and run exclusive deals or offer discounts to their premium members.

Pro Tip: E-commerce websites and other online stores that offer huge discounts may slow down on Black Friday. Naturally, because there is a sudden influx of online customers on their network.

Here, I’d advise you to subscribe to high-speed internet from a reliable ISP. On that account, Spectrum Internet offers plans with internet speeds with seamless connectivity. You don’t want to spend all your time fixing your connection to get better speeds than exploring the products.

Get Done with Your Wishlist Now

Making a wish list may seem boring to most people, but trust me, it’s the best way to save money. Here’s how I’m making my wish list for the upcoming Black Friday:

• I jotted down the items I want or need to buy on this Black Friday.
• I explored various e-commerce marketplaces and online stores and found retailers who are selling products I want or need.
• I noted down those products’ prices, and the date I explored those products, and copied their URL on my device so that on Black Friday, I don’t need to hunt for them again.

Do you know how this strategy will help me out? It’ll help me to know which retailer is offering a discount and whether their discounts are better than other retailers. Plus, I won’t need to explore the stores again because I’ll already have their URLs which would directly land me on those products I want or need. So, on that day, I won’t be clueless about which products I need to buy first and when I’m done with that, I’ll have plenty of time to explore more products that I want.

Also, I know some people may not like unplanned buying. So, for that, you may leave aside a small budget and spend that on whatever you like on that day. 

Sign Up for Newsletters on E-commerce and Online Retail Stores

On Black Friday, a lot depends on how fast you are at finding cheap, but quality products before they sell out. And, one way to get a competitive advantage over most people is to subscribe to newsletters of different e-commerce sites and online retail stores.

Retail platforms may inform you in advance about discounts or promotions they offer on Black Friday. So, as soon as the sale starts, you may head to the platform quickly, add your favorite products to the cart, and check out, without worrying about the product’s availability.

Well, not only does it save you money, but it will also the precious time that you may spend on exploring the products. 

1. Avoid “Buy Now Pay Later Schemes”

Sometimes, we find BNPL (buy now, pay later) tags on some products. As they may not be affordable even with Black Friday discounts, the retailers offer us to buy those products in installments. Well, I’d advise you to run as far from such products. Simply because they trap the customers in a long and vicious cycle of repaying the installments from every paycheck.

Also, don’t forget that failing to pay your installment on time may lead to a negative effect on your credit score. And, the retail store may also charge an interest on the late payments. So, in the grand scheme of events, BNPL products may pose more downsides than benefits for you.

Beware of Scams

Always remember, online scammers are most active on Black Friday sale. Why? Because they know people would be in a hurry to buy quality products for a cheap price and not take time to verify products or brands. And I know this because it happened to me twice a few years ago.

So, beware of such scam stores where you buy a magic wand and they send you a nice, shiny, multi-color ball pen. Always validate if a store or retailer you’re buying from is real and won’t scam.

Also, some scams are clear as daylight as they may offer you the latest tech gadget for an unbelievable price. Well, it’s one of the biggest signs that it’d be a scam because even with a discount, you’ll know how much a gadget is worth. That being said, even if you’re scammed, the following tip may help you recover the loss.

Bonus Tip: Read the Return Policy

The online store you purchase from may have a return policy. On Black Friday, there’s always a chance that an online retailer may send, knowingly or unknowingly, the wrong product. And, if you’re informed about the store’s return policy, then you can contact them to return the product and get a cashback or request them to send the right product you paid for.