Black Friday is right around the corner, along with Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. But this year, many Black Friday deals started last week, and sales that you’re seeing yesterday, today, and tomorrow will be just as good as the ones coming this weekend and next week, says Elissa Sanci, a staff writer for Wirecutter, which is the New York Times’ product review service.
She advises: Don’t wait to go shopping. “One of my worst fears when I'm shopping — it's probably now because of the Taylor Swift debacle — but something will disappear from my cart the second I add it to my cart. And so I recommend going ahead and just buying the things that you see that are on sale, as long as the price is right.”
There should also be a new name for Black Friday, she suggests, since it’s already happening and extends further. Black November, perhaps?
Sanci notes that inventory also seems to be enough this year. “Last year, especially with big-ticket items like those gaming consoles, the PS5, the new Xbox, even the Nintendo Switch. … Last year you couldn't get them at all, this year at least you have a fighting chance.”
For online shopping, she advises to know what you’re looking for in advance, so you can avoid impulse buying and stick to your budget. It’s also useful to compare prices on Amazon vs. Target, Walmart, etc.
And with inflation still in play, she suggests taking care of your general household needs during this holiday season.
“Take a look around your house and see what appliances, what things … you've been thinking about replacing, things that maybe are on their last leg — now's a really good time to restock your home. … Even small things … like electric toothbrushes and razors and sunscreen … are gonna go on sale over the next couple of days, if they're not already on sale. In any case, you're saving some kind of money.”