Do's and don'ts of Black Friday, Cyber Monday shopping

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up, it's time for consumers to start preparing for what to buy and what to wait on this holiday season. Image (c) ConsumerAffairs

An expert weighs in with tips for the biggest shopping days of the year

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, it’s not too late to prepare for the big upcoming shopping holidays – Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

Kyle James of RatherBeShopping shared his best tips with ConsumerAffairs to help shoppers make the most of the sales this year. Learn which sales to take advantage of, which to skip, the best ways to save, and more. 

What sales to avoid

Just because every store is having a sale doesn’t mean that it’s a sale worth participating in. There are a number of sales James encourages consumers to avoid this Black Friday and Cyber Monday, including: 

  • Name Brand (Quality) Televisions – There are always some screaming deals on TV’s on Black Friday, but the problem is, the brands you’ll find on sale are typically unrecognizable; along with the lower-tier brands are questionable specs and quality.

  • Christmas Toys – Wait until 9-10 days before Christmas, as that’s when prices are notoriously lower.

  • Fitness Equipment – Always wait until January to shop for fitness equipment.

  • Large Appliances – New model refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens hit sales floors in September and October.

Conversely, there are many sales to take advantage of during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. These include: 

  • Clearance Apparel – Retailers start slashing their fall clothing lines every Black Friday weekend. Stores like Old Navy, American Eagle, Kohl’s, Macy’s, and Lands’ End can offer up to 75% off. 

  • Budget Laptops (and ChromeBooks) – Last Black Friday, we saw quality budget laptops from Dell ($98 at Best Buy) and the 14″ Chromebook for under $75.

  • Home/Kitchen Goods and Decor – Deals are always abundant on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and it’s a great time to stock up if you’re not brand specific.

  • Xbox and PS5 Games - According to many gaming websites, the single best day to pick up a screaming deal on new and older games is on Black Friday weekend. Look for new titles to drop by 20-30% and older titles to really be cleared out and sold for up to 75% off.

When to save the most money

According to James, Black Friday doesn’t always mean items are at their lowest prices of the year, and some retailers wait until it gets closer to Christmas to slash prices even further. He put together a list of predictions of when items will be at their lowest prices based on coupons and discount trends over the last 18 years:  

  • Christmas Toys: Saturday, December 7th

  • Stocking Stuffers: Wednesday, December 4th

  • Apparel and Shoes: Saturday, December 14th (Free Shipping Day)

  • HDTV’s: Weekend of December 1 – 3rd

  • Tools and Hardware: Friday, December 6th

  • Laptops: Saturday, December 7th

  • PS4 and Xbox: December 12th-15th

  • Winter Apparel: Saturday, December 14th

  • Jewelry/Wedding Bands: December 4 – 25th

  • Fitness Gear: Tuesday, December 3rd

  • Kitchen Stuff: Saturday, December 14th

Other tips for saving money this holiday season: utilize retailers’ online chat features. 

“When shopping online the week of Black Friday, and all the way through Cyber Monday, you’re bound to run into a situation where the price, or shipping charge, is a little higher than you were expecting,” James said. “Simply hit up the live chat feature that many online retailers employ and politely ask for a coupon for free shipping or a percent off your purchase. Many chat reps are sitting there with a list of coupon codes (up to 20% off) to hand out to those who politely ask.”