Prepping for Black Friday

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Are you prepping for Black Friday yet? We are definitely mulling over the idea of hitting the crowds this year to see what deals we can get, but there are ways to prepare ahead of time. Did you know there are websites that literally list the deals for you? It makes things so much easier in the decision to get up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday and hunt for the unknown.

Websites like Slickdeals are already giving us some tips for Black Friday but my favorite is that I know there is a one stop spot to look for the best of the best. We also get to see the trends from prior years and know what things cost in the past on Black Friday to make comparisons. Sometimes the deals may not seem as sweet after seeing things in this perspective.

Black Friday Door Busters

Yes, you know the ones. You wake up early, usually don’t get a very balanced breakfast, pour a gallon of coffee into your system and head out for this shopping adventure. Many start in the wee hours of the morning, but knowing the information before you leave home is where its at. Maybe you could just sleep in? Slickdeals says “Most doorbuster promotions center on LCD televisions, QLED displays, gaming consoles, laptops, kitchen appliances and home electronics—and they’re almost always available for a limited time.”

When will you know the sales though? This is a very important question and looking at trends from prior years Slickdeals says that you can expect to see much of the same this year:

• October 27: Costco
• November 1: Target, Kohl’s, JCPenney & Dell
• November 5: Macy’s
• November 7: Walmart
• November 8: Best Buy
• November 11: Sam’s Club
• November 13: Lowe’s
• November 15: Home Depot & Sephora
• November 18: ULTA Beauty

The 2019 ad releases will likely follow a similar pattern. Look for the earliest leaks at the very end of October followed by a flurry of ads throughout the first week of November.

Walmart has a history of leaking its ads on Wednesdays, while Sephora typically offers a first look at its sale mid-month via its mobile app.

For 2018, the Kohl’s ad release actually coincided with a one-day-only sale featuring select savings plus $15 Kohl’s Cash for every $48 you spent.

It is also important to know the store hours. Many stores have decided to close for Thanksgiving and to focus more on the family aspect of the holiday. For this I am thankful.

Can you Black Friday shop online?

Absolutely! I have been known to stay up late on Thanksgiving night to catch those bright and early deals in my pajamas. There is no shame in my game. Granted after cooking all day I usually sleep in on Black Friday so knowing this ahead of time I am able to plan some late night shopping.

Here is a trick we use to hide incoming gifts from our kids too:

We order the presents for the boys and obviously they are delivered here, but we tell them they are gifts that my parents have purchased for each other and we can’t open the boxes. They think that my parents come and pick them up at a later time so that they don’t spoil surprises for each other. This has been a success for several years and is already working this year too!

So there you have it: yes you can be successful with Black Friday. You can also shop from home if you feel the need. The deals are out there, but we must be diligent in searching great sites like Slickdeals for them.

Samantha

Samantha hails from Virginia and is a proud wife to a retired Deputy Sheriff and mother to two amazing little boys named Jack & William. A veteran product reviewer; Samantha has been reviewing products for 8 years and offers high quality product reviews with original photography.