I woke up this morning feeling very popular: 97 emails sat waiting for me, all urging me to open them as soon as possible. Were they from family or friends, eager to see how I was doing?
Oh no. The emails were from the hundreds of stores I signed up to over the years, eagerly offering me huge discounts on the biggest shopping event of the year: Black Friday.
If you are a shopper, as I am, Black Friday is one of the biggest dates of the year.
The US has been flogging stuff cheaper on this auspicious day, timed to hit after Thanksgiving, for decades. But the custom travelled overseas to the UK in 2014.
It was an instant hit – literally. You might remember the stories of the numerous scuffles and people falling over each other to buy cut price TVs in ASDA.
But in the past few years – this year particularly so – Black Friday has faced mounting criticism, with many complaining the deals are not as good as they seem, it goes on too long, and it encourages people to spend money they don’t have.
The thing is: I love it. I truly think it is great. It’s my favourite US import, second only to Halloween and Modern Family.
Who doesn’t want to save money on their Christmas presents or grab themselves a cheeky treat they otherwise couldn’t afford?
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I genuinely believe you can still bag yourself a top bargain if you know the rules especially big ticket items such as hoovers, microwaves and TVs.
This year I’m eyeing up a £30 air fryer on Argos that usually retails for £50, a new Amazon Firestick, reduced from £54.99 to £37.99, as well as a Vera Wang perfume that is down from £60 to just £15.99.
Those three items alone would see me saving £81.01. For one scary moment, I saw a Shark hoover had been reduced from just over £320 to £158 on Amazon, and was concerned this was a better deal than when I bought one earlier in the year, but was relieved to see it was a similar price.
Last year, for my Dad’s 60th, I was able to buy him a Garmin smartwatch that retailed for £300 but was only £150 in the Black Friday sales.
I also bought myself an Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation, which usually retails at £35 a pop for £22.50 and bought up the liked items in my ASOS basket for 20 per cent off.
This year, I’ve had my eye on more items, but I’m on a self-imposed Klarna ban to cut down on my spending. Seemingly, it is working.
The way to avoid getting caught out by Black Friday is to not to make impulse purchases you can’t afford.
If there’s something you have been wanting, use a price tracker to ensure you’re actually getting a good deal on the day, rather than falling for the hype.
Setting up a wishlist in advance of the event is a good way to buy exactly what you want and avoid unnecessary purchases.
Businesses take part as they have too much inventory and want to sell it however they can. Some small businesses do it for more volume.
If you can buy your Christmas presents now, or if you’ve just moved house, for example, and you need to furnish it, sales like Black Friday should help to make that process a whole lot cheaper. In many cases, it is cheaper than the New Year and Boxing Day sales.
Nothing in this life is free, but Black Friday sure comes close. I for one will be making the most of it.
