Inside Tips For Saving More On Black Friday

November 24, 2016November 24, 2016 Lisa Leave a comment

When it comes to Black Friday, there are many deals to be had. While you might assume the only way to save big on Black Friday is to camp outside retailers, there are even better ways to save even more money. The key is having proper preparation and proper planning. Below, we will be going over some of the top tips that you can use in order to save a fortune on your Black Friday shopping adventures.

1. Gather Your Information.

The very first thing that you are going to need to do in order to properly prepare yourself for the shopping Holiday is really gather all of the information that you have available. You will want to be sure to follow your favorite retailers, figure out who is selling what, get all of the Black Friday specific ads that you can, and sign up for all of your favorite retailers email lists. By doing all of this, you should be able to get all of the information that you will need to make the right strategic decisions regarding your shopping bonanza. If you are unable to get the Black Friday advertisement from your favorite retailer, there are other websites that you can check out to find a scan of the ad. Simply search for your favorite retailer and it’s Black Friday ad in the search engines.

2. Make a List.

The next step is making a list. You will want to try to prioritize your list at the same time. Think about the different retailers and the different things that you have on the list and figure out which products are the must buy products for you during the Holiday seasons. Obviously, the ‘hotter’ the deal, the more demand it is likely to have. Thus, you will need to also make sure that you are factoring the likelihood of scoring the deal into your decision making process as well.

3. Find Coupons.

You are also going to want to look for coupons that you should be able to stack on top of the savings that you are already going to be getting from your Black Friday shopping. Because you will be able to stack the coupons on top of the Black Friday savings, you should be able to save even more money in the long run. To find these coupons, you will want to try to look online and search around for coupons to your favorite retailers that you should be able to find through email lists, coupon websites, and even in your mail.

4. Time Your Shopping Event.

The next thing that needs to be done is to time your shopping schedule and event. You will want to check to see what time each retailer opens, what time the specific deal starts, and stagger your shopping to maximize your efficiency and in terms of increasing your chance to score all of the deals that you want.

5. Purchase Deals Ahead of Time.

You will also want to be sure that you are maximizing your credit card benefits. A lot of credit cards actually offer the ability to snag your favorite deals and effectively price match to the Black Friday pricing. Thus, allowing you to score your favorite deals without having to wait in line, wake up early, or deal with any sort of Black Friday madness. However, it is important to ensure ahead of time that the credit card will cover your specific purchase before relying on this method.

In the end, there are plenty of different ways in which you can save a lot of money on Black Friday. Try to find and use coupons to stack on top of the savings to save even more money in the process.

The Best Black Friday Sale Events

November 8, 2016November 8, 2016 Lisa Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year again. The time where shoppers come out in droves to local stores, malls, and outlets to try to get all of their Holiday shopping done. While Black Friday used to be about sales, now it is more of an event. Manufacturers and retailers have even begun to start offering specific products made just for these kinds of sales. With that being said, there are still amazing deals to be had. In this article, we will be going over some of the best Black Friday sale events to keep your eye on.

Electronics.

If you are looking for any kind of electronics during Black Friday, you are in luck. This season promises to be all about 4K televisions and video game consoles. Some of the best places to consider purchasing your electronics during this season are Costco, Dell, Kohl’s, Microsoft Stores, Walmart, Target, and more. If you are in the market for video game consoles, you are in luck this Holiday season. Compared to the price they were last season, it might even feel as if they are giving them away. In fact, you will be able to find a PlayStation 4 and the new Xbox One S for a mere $249.99 with some retailers throwing in an extra controller and even store promo cash in some cases. Kohl’s has one of the best deals offering each unit at $249.99 along with $75 in Kohl’s cash. Depending on whether or not Kohl’s cash is useful to you, Dell likely has the second best deal offering Microsoft’s Xbox One S 500GB Battlefield 1 bundle along with Gears of War 4 and an added Xbox One wireless controller for a mere $249.99.

If you are in the market for a 4K television like a lot of consumers these days, there should be plenty of options available for you. All of the television retailers are getting competitive with pricing when it comes to 4K televisions because it is quickly becoming the new standard. Whether you are looking for a Samsung, Sony, LG, or even a Vizio, you should be able to find the TV that you like at a great price this Holiday season. In fact, BJ’s Wholesale is offering a 75 inch smart 4K LED HDTV for $1,999.99 on Black Friday.

If you are in the market for smart connected devices like the Amazon Echo, you will also be able to find it for a great deal on Black Friday. However, by getting it prior to Black Friday, you might even be able to score Echo exclusive deals that Amazon has continued to offer since it launched.

Toys.

If you are in the market for new toys, there are going to be plenty of deals to go around on Black Friday. You can save on all kinds of the hottest toys this year including your favorite toys from VTech, Fisher Price, and even Disney.

View All The Early Black Friday Deals and Coupons here

Hoverboards.

While the hype train might be diminishing, hoverboards are still expected to be a best seller this Holiday season. If you know someone that is interested in one, it would make a fantastic gift. The good news is, a lot of retailers are going to be using hoverboards as a door buster. In fact, Shopkins will be having the Razor Hovertrax 2.0 on sale for $299.99 on Black Friday.

Grills.

Grills are another popular item that typically goes on sale during Black Friday and Cyber Monday events. You should be able to find all kinds of good deals on grills if you shop for them during Black Friday. Costco, BJ’s, and all of the other major retailers are expected to have blowout prices on these grills to get you coming into their doors on Black Friday. Shopko is going to be marking down their Coleman Roadtrip Grill all the way to $79.99 from $149.99.

The key to being able to save money on Black Friday is going to come down to knowing what to do and where to go the moment the stores open. Thus, you will need to plan far in advance i you want to score any of the major savings to be had.

When You Go Holiday Shopping This Year, Keep These Credit Card Pointers In Mind

November 8, 2015November 8, 2015 Lisa Leave a comment

American retailers do most of their annual sales during the final five weeks of the year. It all kicks off on Black Friday, the mega discount shopping day that follows Thanksgiving. The Visual Thesaurus has an interesting explanation for how that term came about. Apparently, retailers spend all year in the red. It’s only during the start of the holiday shopping season that they finally get to ease into the black again – hence, the day that starts it all, they call Black Friday.

We often tend to forget a few basic financial rules in the midst of all the excitement that surrounds Black Friday and the rest of the shopping season. These can be significant mistakes that lose you a good bit of money. Make sure that you’re careful.

Falling for every shiny retail credit card offer

Let’s play “Guess the Card” for a second. What kind of card is easy to get, charges you about 25% and then limits you to a $1,000 spending limit? At this point, it could be a subprime credit card. As the final kicker – it’s a card that you can only use at one specific chain of stores. You know what it is now. It could only be a retail store credit card.

For a regular bank to offer you a deal that bad, you would have to apply right after having missed several straight months of credit card payments. Stores, though, do a brisk business with their cards because they offer an enticing 10% discount on your bill when you first sign up.

These cards aren’t just bad because of the high interest rate. When you have only a $1000 limit, even a modest purchase can result in a 50% utilization. This affects your credit score.

Choosing to pay with cash or a debit card

Most conventional financial advice has you putting away your credit cards in favor of money that you actually have, to keep you from overspending in all the joy of giving that the holidays bring you. While this is good advice for people who find it hard to keep their spending in check, it isn’t all that practical for people who are able to resist the lure of blowing their wallet the first chance they get.

Identity thieves go full steam ahead during the holidays. If you pay with cash, you have no protection. You get excellent protection paying with your credit card, on the other hand. Credit cards are great for any disputed charges, too.

Choosing the wrong credit card

Choosing to pay for your holiday shopping with your credit card is certainly a good idea. It’s also important, though, to not simply get the first credit card that you find. If you pull out a card with a low spending limit or a high balance pre-existing, your holiday shopping will send your debt-to-limit ratio really high. Many people aren’t able to pay their balances off when the bill arrives in January. Keeping a high balance on a credit card can damage your credit. It’s always a good idea to pick a card that has a high spending limit for your holiday shopping.