If you love a bargain, then Black Friday will, no doubt, already be circled in red marker pen on your calendar. To help you get the biggest discounts on the best products, read our tips below.
Everyone loves a good deal and with Black Friday being the biggest shopping day of the year, shoppers are usually spoilt for choice. The date this year is November 24th and if you want to get the most out of the day, it pays to plan ahead, so you know exactly what to do and how to do it. Read on and we’ll show you how to prepare for Black Friday in 2024.
Prepare a budget
As we’ll also explain in the next point, the earlier you start prepping for Black Friday, the more you’ll get out of it.
Money may be tighter this year, so put together a realistic budget ahead of time so you can trim down the list over the next few weeks. Everyone has a wish list, which may not always be affordable, but even so, scratching off items can be a painful experience, so it’s best to give yourself as much time as possible.
Preparing a budget will also allow you to plan spending while also taking into account regular outgoings. If you have an expected large bill on the horizon you can also factor this in and set realistic expectations of what you can afford this Black Friday.
Think about what you need
There can be a tendency to make impulse buys when there are so many deals being offered, but it pays to make the most out of your budget.
You can do this by thinking about the products you need around the home ahead of time—give yourself months and weeks, rather than days and hours. This will allow you to start searching with laser focus so you can grab the best deals earlier on, before they end.
And if you can secure everything you need, you stand a better chance of saving money and having a little left over so you can treat yourself to those little extras.
Look at prices before they are discounted
The best way to know if you are getting a good deal or not on Black Friday is by doing your research before the day arrives.
You don’t have to memorise the prices of the items in all retail outlets, but simply get a good idea of the general cost. That way, when it comes to Black Friday you’ll know whether or not the deal being offered is worth your time.
To get a sense of the savings you could make, why not see the Black Friday Bathroom deals we offered last year
Bookmark pages
When Black Friday arrives there will be no shortage of deals available and it’s easy to get lost and forget where you have found the best price. That’s why it’s a good idea to bookmark products on sites you want to return to once the sale goes live.
However, also bear in mind that some companies do set up specific pages just for their deals, which may mean the website link you’ve saved may not be relevant. To avoid running into a blank page, also bookmark the homepage as any Black Friday deal pages should be easily accessible from there.
Keep alert for early deals
Although Black Friday is scheduled for November 24th, that doesn’t mean all retailers will wait until then to slash prices on certain products.
In fact, you’ll find that a number of brands put deals online sometimes a week before Black Friday arrives. Not all of these will be the headline deals of leading products, but there is a good chance you may be able to pick out some good bargains before the rush begins.
Try to avoid impulse buys
As mentioned earlier, planning ahead of Black Friday will help you avoid making impulse buys that waste money on items you may regret purchasing later on.
It’s easy to be tempted with so many deals and sales being placed in your eye line. Of course, feel free to buy impulsively if you have an unlimited budget, but for those who need to make the most of the money they have available, every penny counts.
Get comfortable with how Amazon works
Current stats indicate that Amazon have over 300 million active customers around the world—which illustrates why it is the largest ecommerce site in the world. However, not everyone uses the site, or accesses it on a regular basis, so it’s a good idea to get familiar with how their deals work ahead of time.
Take a look at Today’s Deals on Amazon to see an example of their Black Friday sale layout. Use the navigation bar on the left to filter, so when it comes to the big day, you can quickly find the type of bargains you’re looking for.
And while you’re at it, set up an Amazon Prime trial a maximum of 30 days before Black Friday starts, so you can benefit from free, faster deliveries (if you cancel, the trial remains active for the full 30 days).
Keep an eye on social media
Keep up to date with Black Friday deals by searching the likes of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Social media has become a hotbed for advertising and selling, with Facebook’s advertising business second only to Google.
It’s even more convenient if you already spend a lot of time on any of these platforms. Many are now setting up portals that allow you to buy directly without having to click away to separate landing pages. The tags are usually straightforward to find, with the likes of #BlackFriday or #BlackFriday2024 helping to narrow down your search.
Use apps to save money
If managing all these options seems a little overwhelming, there are plenty of apps available that will help you pick out the best money-saving deals on the day.
For example, the Black Friday App allows you to join a huge community of like-minded deal hunters to swap and share information. Search for specific products or browse the collated bargains as they are added. You can also set up notifications so you can open the app and secure the right deals as soon as they become available.
Sign up to retail newsletters
Email newsletters are another great way to keep in the loop on the latest deals being offered by retailers. It’s easy enough to set up on their website, requiring only an email address and they will send across regular offers for you to browse.
A good idea to avoid being bombarded by retailer emails is to set up a “burner” email account that you only use to receive sales emails, keeping your personal inbox clutter-free. Black Friday offers should start to appear a couple of weeks before the actual day, giving you a good head start.
Enjoy Black Friday deals and discounts on your bathroom
Whilst you’ll find plenty of great deals and discounts on your bathroom at Victoria Plum, we’ll be offering even more savings as we get closer to Black Friday itself. Make sure you follow all the tips above, sign up for our emails and bookmark our Black Friday offers page, to ensure you get the first look at all our biggest and best price reductions.
