I’m not going to lie, November is my favorite month of the year. It has been since I was grown up enough to go camp out at Circuit City Thanksgiving night to score amazing deals simply because I was at the front of the line. And, yeah, Circuit City… I’m THAT old. Back then the key to scoring the best holiday deals was to be there. Early.
That magical Black Friday rush? It’s getting harder and harder to find. Why? Well, Black Friday just isn’t what it used to be. Now it’s earlier and earlier as retailers compete from an ever-growing piece of the online sales pie. In fact, it turns out that most of the best deals aren’t even on Black Friday at all! But that’s all ok because today I’m here to share with you my top tips for scoring the best holiday deals!
Top Tips for Scoring the Best Holiday Deals
- Probably the most important thing I can tell you is that Black Friday is generally NOT the best day to “get all of your shopping done”. Sure, it may seem easy enough, but on Black Friday you are a sitting duck. Consumers equate Black Friday to the best prices and are more likely to buy simply because they perceive deals to be better. Don’t get me wrong, there are amazing deals, but that gets me to my next tip…
- The best Black Friday Deals are typically the advertised doorbusters and offers. Black Friday is not a massive clearance sale where the prices magically drop. The reason retailers release the flyers is to pull you in. The doorbusters are just that extra push through the door. They hope that you spend more on other items. Trust me, many do, which is what makes my next tip for scoring the best holiday deals so important…
- Most of the time you don’t have to go to the store at all to shop Black Friday sales. If I were to guesstimate, 90% of Black Friday deals are available online, although quantities may be limited. For many, simply not setting foot in an actual store will save a ton of money. I mean, store pick up alone at Target saves me about $200 each time I use it. (Assuming that I just get the goods and run before being distracted by the “dollar spot” that is the gateway to all.the.things I never knew I needed).
- You can STILL get that Black Friday Rush! You just have to hang out with us all.night.long in our Facebook Kids Steals & Deals Group. I pour through the Black Friday Ad Scans, make big spreadsheets and compare all of the biggest retailers on the top holiday items for the best deals possible. Then, as the sales load, I post the deals with the links and info to both the Kids Steals & Deals Facebook page AND to the group. So while everyone else bumbles around looking for what they need as the nation’s largest retailer’s websites crash, our members are picking off deals while we hang out, chat and lament that “X retailer should have known this would happen and should have been prepared” (Fun Fact – nearly EVERY retailer site crashes for at least a little bit during Black Friday Sales. They simply can’t keep up. The most common times for the crashes? Twenty to thirty minutes after the sale goes live AND right around 9:15 AM EST when the West Coast wakes up and the East Coast is still shopping. If odds were available in Vegas, I would be a millionaire on this one).
- Finally the TOP TIP for scoring the best holiday deals? Let someone else find them for you! Many of the best deals actually happen between now and Black Friday. While you probably don’t have the time to scour websites and compare prices, I do… It’s kinda my thing (OK, it IS my thing). Every day, I seek out and post the best deals I find on my Facebook Page and in the group. With 120K moms hanging out together, you end up getting great feedback on products, ideas for gifts and you know when you should buy what. We can also track down the hottest toys like it’s nobody’s business! If you’re not a member, click here to join!
In preparation for the Holiday Sales that are starting to pop up, I’m pulling together as much info as I can for you. I have set up a Holiday Shopping Central Page that I will further develop as Black Friday Sales approach. In addition, you can check out the latest updates and round-ups on our Black Friday page here. Finally, as mentioned above, our Facebook page and group are the best ways to stay on top of things. The best deals sell out fast, often before we could even write a blog post! Hope to see you there!
Don’t miss the best deals!
