It’s the most cheerful time of the year: the holidays! Aside from baking grandma’s pie recipe and preparing the home for a celebration, you also have one more thing to add to your to-do list: holiday shopping.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost here! As the countdown to the craziest shopping season begins, you need to start putting together a few money saving hacks to help you get the most out of the two best days for deals and savings.
The best money saving hacks start right here, in this very guide. Are you ready to fill your shopping cart with goodies while keeping a full wallet? It’s possible!
Continue reading below to discover some simple money-saving hacks you’ll want to use this holiday season.
1. Start Saving Now
The first word of advice is to start saving now. The sooner you begin saving, the more money you’ll have set aside for the big day! Don’t worry, even though the date is near, you still have enough time to put some money aside as long as you start right now.
Open a Savings Account for Black Friday
One way to start saving your money is to open a savings account at your bank with the sole purpose of saving for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Many bank apps allow you to create saving goals for different savings accounts.
Once you put in how much money you want to save and by what date, the app will then tell you how much money you need to put in the account each month to reach your goal.
Create a Budget or Goal for Yourself
You don’t need a savings account to start saving money, however. You can create your own budget or goal to reach before the dates arrive. Place money aside in a safe in your home or have someone trust-worthy hold it for you until it’s time to shop!
2. Make Your Wishlist
The next step is to make your wishlist. Now that you know how much money you’re willing to spend, you should start creating a list of all the things you want to purchase. It’s important to have a wishlist created because it helps you stick to your budget, and it helps you shop!
Stores tend to get a bit crazy during these days, as everyone competes for the best deals. If you have a list put together of all the things you know you want, then you can go straight for them as soon as you get into the stores.
Know what you want ahead of time by looking at the different store ads in the paper or by searching online to see what deals will come out on these days.
3. Compare Prices
Don’t trust one store to have all the best deals in town. You’ll need to do a bit of comparing before deciding where to get each specific item from. Once you compare prices, you’ll know what store has the best deal.
Because these are special deals, you should contact the store ahead of time and ask if they honor price matching during these dates. If so, then be sure to bring your proof of the item being cheaper somewhere else.
Store Ads
Store ads are a great starting point. You can find all the ads in the local newspaper before Black Friday and Cyber Monday hit. It might take some time to go through everything, but it’s fun seeing all the great deals and getting to circle the things you want.
Browser Add-ons
If you plan to shop online, then be sure to check out your options for browser add-ons that price check for you. When shopping online, the add-ons will take the information about the product you’re looking at and search for a cheaper price somewhere else.
If a cheaper price is found, it’ll then alert you and you can make the purchase for the cheaper price.
4. Combine All Your Favorites
Are you a regular coupon, promo code, or loyalty program user? Don’t stop using them now just because it’s a special day! Many stores will still accept coupons and promotion codes during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
If you haven’t started collecting your coupons yet or searching for promotion codes, you still have time. Wait until the day is closer and then see what you can find. Now is a good time, however, to sign up for loyalty programs at the stores you believe you want to shop at.
Doing so can score you some great deals on top of the holiday savings!
5. Stop at Small Businesses
When planning your Black Friday or Cyber Monday journey, you most likely think about the big-time stores, such as Walmart or Target. Those are great stores to shop at during these days and you’ll find wonderful deals.
Don’t forget about the small businesses, though. Check out what your small business owners have going on for their Black Friday deals. You might find some neat items for even cheaper prices when you shop local!
6. Follow Your Favorite Stores
Another good word of advice is to follow your favorite stores on their social media pages right now. Many stores will put out information about Black Friday and Cyber Monday on their social media accounts weeks leading up to the big dates.
Social media will be the best place to find Target deal days info and Walmart as well. Decide on the stores you believe you’ll shop at and then click “follow!” This will help you stay in the know.
Try These Money Saving Hacks for Black Friday
Are you preparing for the rush of Black Friday or Cyber Monday? As chaotic as it can be, it’s worth it in the end when you can bring home some of the best deals! Don’t forget to try these money saving hacks listed above to save even more!
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