Black Friday ‘deals’ kicked off last week with the likes of Amazon and Argos fighting to be first in the queue and now most of the big high street names are setting out their stalls.
There’s so much retailer hype surrounding this annual event, it can be hard to spot a genuine bargain. And while the stores are eager to whip us up into a mad spending frenzy, as I was saying on Sky News on Saturday morning, Black Friday isn’t the only day, or week, of the year you can save money.
In fact two separate bits of research from both the consumer group Which? and the price comparison site Idealo claim 9 out of 10 items are actually cheaper to buy at other times of the year.
So if you’re still tempted to go bargain hunting on Black Friday, here’s my top tips to get the best price you can..
Don’t panic! Black Friday isn’t a ‘once in a lifetime’ chance to save money. Sales, promotions, deals and discounts happen at other times of the year.
Be prepared. Do your homework. If there’s something specific you want, like a new camera, shop around now to compare prices. This way you know the deal to beat.
Be first in the queue. Sign up to your favourite websites or stores for email alerts about what’s on offer and when.
Use Amazon’s handy ‘price tracker’ tool. This is a great trick as it tracks prices all year round so just pop in what you want and this way you can check if today’s deal really does mean the best price.
Stockpile vouchers. Most can’t be used on reduced items, but you may find a glitch at the online checkout to get ‘double discount’.
Check returns policies before shelling out. This way if you regret any impulse buys, you may be able to get your money back.
Don’t eat your savings! If you save £50 but spend all day on the high street and rack up £30 in car parking, coffees, cake and lunch to keep you going, is it really worth it?