An Obligatory Black Friday Post
Black Friday, ugh…amirite? Sure, sitting around sucking down left turkey legs with a mashed potato chaser sounds better than hitting the stores, but if you feel compelled, you’ll need a strategy.
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday taking place so close together each year, it can be hard to know which items you should prioritize buying during one sale over the other. With so many hot deals being offered during these two shopping holidays, BlackFriday.com‘s shopping experts are here to ease the stress and reveal what shoppers should be buying during Black Friday and Cyber Monday to achieve the best savings.
What to Buy Thanksgiving/Black Friday
Toys
Shutterstock | Grogu…one toy to rule them all.
Toys are a popular Black Friday item, and they fill retailers’ Black Friday ads. Popular toys can sell out before Black Friday sales even begin, so if you do see one you’ve been looking for in stock when Black Friday sales kick-off, add it to your cart right away and don’t put the purchase off.
Game Consoles
Shutterstock | A gamer is playing “God of War – Ragnarok” on Playstation 5
Gaming console prices drop in price on Black Friday because they are sought-after holiday gifts. And the popularity of the newest systems means you’ll want to hit the ground running before Black Friday instead of waiting a few days. You’ll still see some gaming deals on Cyber Monday. But, last year, the most popular consoles (including the Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, and S) kept selling out.
For 2022, the PlayStation 5 is still in high demand, so don’t expect to see a ton of discounts on this console. Instead, try and score a new console bundled with a hot new game. If you want a deal, you may be able to snag a Switch bundle or an older PlayStation or Xbox model. If you see a deal on a new gaming system you want on Black Friday (or earlier), pounce on it.
Small Appliances
Shutterstock | Instapots for sale inside Smith’s
If you’ve been on the fence about buying a new fancy stand mixer, a blender, an air fryer, or a pressure cooker, set your sights on Black Friday. Deals on pressure cookers (think: Instant Pot) and air fryers are so common on Black Friday that they’re practically run-of-the-mill.
Expect 50% off across the board. Expect deep savings on blenders as well, including those from NutriBullet and Vitamix. You’ll find savings at those retailers themselves, but also check out Black Friday deals from Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, and Macy’s.
What to Buy Cyber Monday
Clothing
Shutterstock | Vans…they’re so hot right now.
Sometimes, clothing retailers will up the ante for Cyber Week – since they want to clear out more inventory. You can expect to find great clothing deals, including sitewide sales, during Black Friday, too, but if you aren’t looking for a specific item in a specific size, consider waiting for Cyber Monday to see if the discounts get deeper. If you put an item in your cart and leave it there, some retailers will even send you an email with an additional promo code to use to sweeten the saving opportunity.
Travel
Shutterstock | Perhaps a trip to the Emerald City in 2023?
Travel is back on the table – and it’s expensive these days. Cyber Monday and the Tuesday that follows (Travel Tuesday) are historically known for being great times to find travel deals online. This includes flight packages, hotels, tickets for attractions, cruise ship trips, and more.
Online subscriptions, streaming services, and educational software
Shutterstock | January and February are boring. Stock up on streaming services.
Cyber Monday began as the online shopping counterpoint to Black Friday. So, one little-known area with big potential discounts is online subscriptions. This is your opportunity to try out new streaming services, such as Peacock Premium or Disney+, that will potentially have subscription discounts.
Buy on Either Black Friday or Cyber Monday
Smart home devices
Shutterstock | Alexa…can you translate 15:58 into non-military time?
Smart home assistants (including Amazon’s Echo and Google Home) tend to fall in price for the entirety of Thanksgiving weekend. Plus, smart lights, smart doorbells, and smart thermostats will be on sale, too. In past years, there have been no significant changes in price throughout the weekend. And deals we see on Black Friday either continue through Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Cyber Monday or reappear on Cyber Monday. So, if you’re looking for smart home deals, you can shop all weekend long.
Phones
Shutterstock | Hey! is that a dynamic island or are you just happy to see us?
Phone deals are plentiful on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We’ve noticed a slight change for the latest phone models between Friday and Monday. Black Friday has trended toward retail-gift-cards-with-purchase deals, while Cyber Monday deals were more likely to be BOGO specials offered by carriers. So you may want to take that into account, depending on which type of deal you’d rather receive. But, if you’re in the market for a new phone, keep your eyes peeled for deals the whole weekend.
Laptops, tablets, and computers
Shutterstock | M1 or M2?
Cyber Monday and Black Friday center on tech deals, meaning laptops, desktops, and gaming PCs will be in the spotlight. You’ll find plenty of computer deals on Black Friday, it’s true, but you’ll see those deals (or slightly improved) on Cyber Monday as well. And don’t forget about accessories. External storage, memory cards, cables, keyboards, headphones, and earbuds will all be marked down as well.
If none of these tips make sense to you, you could always take some of that dough and donate it to The Road Home for our annual Road to the Road Home and help some people in our community who are having a rough go of it. That seems like a pretty solid Black Friday strategy, too!
Or get a six-pack and a pizza, but some left over cranberry sauce on it, and enjoy your time off. You deserve it.
