Black Friday for Absolute Beginners

Black Friday for Absolute Beginners – What are the three things you need to be aware of before you go on a black Friday shopping frenzy?

If you were raised by wolves in the jungle or just returned from a 60-year stint on Mars, you may not have heard of Black Friday. If so, let me enlighten you. It’s a chance for people of all nations, creeds, and ages to indulge in overspending, anxiety-fuelled shopping trips, and essentially, life-long trauma, all in the name of savings! Fun, right?

Jokes aside, Black Friday is actually a great opportunity to get things you need and want at a possibly discounted price, if you plan and organize ahead of time. Learn a little more about this “holiday” below, as well as some useful tips and tricks to get you through.

What’s Black Friday all about?

About 60 years ago someone decided to make the Friday after Thanksgiving a national “shopping day” in which stores would slash their prices down by shocking amounts for one day and one day only. People realized that they could get high-price, big-ticket items at a fraction of the cost if they were just willing to queue for hours ahead of time and possibly wrestle another human for a six-pack of soda. Eventually, it became an international sensation, retailers capitalizing on this opportunity to get rid of old stock and drive up sales.

Nowadays, the holiday has mutated into a (sometimes) month-long discount bonanza. Shops offer discounted rates leading up to the big day and extend Black Friday sales from Friday straight through the weekend, culminating in what is now known as “Cyber Monday”, usually an online-only shopping day, once again offering consumers much lower prices on websites of all kinds.

With the rise of internet shopping coupled with the pandemic, it’s fair to say that most of Black Friday 2021 will take place on the internet, with people preferring the comfort of home over the dangers of the mall.

Black Friday for Absolute Beginners – 3 Things You Need to be Aware of:

First off, just because it says “discounted” does not mean that it is. Keep track of items you’re interested in ahead of time (a few months at least) and note the pricing. If it really is discounted on Black Friday, great! You may find, though, that the price is often bloated in the weeks leading up to it and reduced back to its normal price for the shopping day.

Second, skip the extended warranty. It sounds like a good idea in theory, and if you’re buying a high-priced item on a normal day, you may even consider it, but overall, it’s something that you probably won’t use in the long term. The normal warranty will cover the amount of time in which you would probably claim and buying an extended one just doesn’t make sense.

Third, stay safe and go for quality. When a product is super cheap, it’s tempting to just buy it and enjoy the savings, but if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Target brands and stores whose product you trust so that if the worst happens and you’re unhappy, you also have the option of returning it. Don’t buy from brands that don’t have any reputable reviews online, and don’t click on email links you don’t recognize or don’t want. They may be advertising some crazy discount or code, but if you can’t remember signing up for it, it’s probably a scam. This is true of online shopping all throughout the year.

When should I start preparing?

Right now. Yesterday. As soon as possible.

If you do your research ahead of time – scouring websites for which products you need and want, comparing prices between retailers, and signing up for email alerts will all put you ahead of the game.

If you sign up to company websites beforehand you will probably get early access to sales, and possibly discount codes and vouchers to use as well. Having an idea of what each website offers, can also help you save time on the day.

Don’t feel like you need to buy every single thing on Black Friday. Yes, there may be limited stock, but don’t pull the trigger in the first five minutes just because a website says they’re running out. That’s usually a manipulation tactic to make you buy faster.

Take your time deciding, and always buy what you need before what you want.